Psychology Experiments and Research Methods

By Kendra Cherry, About.com Guide

Nearly every introductory psychology class starts off with a brief introduction to research and experimental methods. If you're a psychology major, you will probably need to design, analyze or conduct a research project or experiment at some point in your academic career. Learn more about psychology research methods, explore some of the most famous psychology experiments and discover ideas for your own research projects.

1. Famous Psychology Experiments
2. Psychology Experiment Ideas
3. Psychology Research Methods
4. Types of Research Used in Psychology
5. Recent Psychology Experiments & Research

Famous Psychology Experiments

Psychology is filled with famous examples of fascinating and even down-right odd experiments. Learn more about some of the classic studies and experiments in psychology.

• Pavlov's Dogs: How Ivan Pavlov Discovered Classical Conditioning
• The Little Albert Experiment
• The Asch Conformity Experiments
• Harry Harlow's Social Isolation Experiments

• The Milgram Obedience Experiment
• The Stanford Prison Experiment
• Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment

Psychology Experiment Ideas

Do you need to perform your own psychology experiment for a class? Here are just a few great ideas for designing and implementing your own psychology study or experiment.

• Does Using Colored Paper Improve Learning or Performance?
• Student Conformity Experiment
• Does Eating Breakfast Really Improve Learning?
• Short-term Memory Experiment
• Stroop Effect Experiment

• Personality and Musical Preferences Experiment
• Gender and Memory Experiment
• Social Psychology Research and Experiment Topics
• Developmental Psychology Research and Experiment Topics

Psychology Research Methods

In order to perform a psychology experiment and understand your results, it is important know about the basic research methods used in psychology. Learn some of the research terms and put your knowledge to the test.

• Introduction to Research Methods
• How to Conduct a Psychology Experiment
• What Is Reliability?
• What Is Validity?
• Developmental Psychology Experiments

• Social Psychology Research Methods
• Psychology Research Methods Glossary
• Research Methods Quiz
• Research Methods Study Guide

Types of Research Used in Psychology

Before you perform your experiment, start by deciding exactly how you will carry out the research. Will you survey your participants, or will you observe them in their natural environment? Learn more about some of the basic types of research used in psychology before you decide which method is appropriate for your own experiment.

• Correlational Research
• Cross-Sectional Research
• Longitudinal Research
• The Simple Experiment

Recent Psychology Experiments & Research

Another great way to learn about psychology research and experiments is to check out some of the most recent studies published in the news. This is a great way to get a better grasp on how researchers go about performing an experiment and to find ideas for your own psychology research.

• Assessing Psychology Research in the News
• Researchers Replicate Milgram's Famous Obedience Experiment
• Want to Explore Virtual Reality? Try Reading a Book
• Experience vs. Material Possessions: What Brings the Greatest Happiness?
• Study Suggests Advice from a Stranger May Be Better Than Your Own Best Guess

• Kids Don't Enjoy Movie and TV Violence, Research Suggests
• Less Stress and Moderate Sleep Can Help You Lose Weight
• Can the Color Red Increase Speed and Performance?
• Putting Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to the Test