Biological Research Methods

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The biological level of analysis (B.L.O.A) states that all cognitions, emotions and behaviours have a physiological level basis. In the biological level of analysis there are five main research methods. These include laboratory experiments, correlation studies, animal studies, case studies and brain scanning technologies. Research methods are used to provide researchers with a guideline and a consistent method as to how to conduct their investigation. Researchers need to choose the appropriate research method based on how they plan to measure their results, what they want to find out and how this can help discoveries of, for instance, the significance of inherited genetics in the biological level of analysis. Different research methods allow researchers and psychologists to manipulate their environment and given resources to conduct their results in order to achieve high reliability. Reliability is important in studies as the more reliable the study, the more we can trust the results and strengthen knowledge and findings.

A laboratory experiment is a research method that can be defined as an experiment that is conducted in a controlled environment. This enables the researcher to control factors that may or may not affect the results of the experiment in an uncontrolled environment. This type of research method is common due to the allowance of alterations to particular sections of their experiment in order to determine what and how their aim is either correct or incorrect. From this they can determine the cause and effect. Cause and effect is the acknowledgment of a relationship between events, or in this case, between results.

This research method allows for generalisations to be made and enables it to be easily replicated, m...

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...le in the biological level of analysis in discovering effects on the functions of the brain.

Another research method is the use of correlation studies. Correlation studies are used to observe relationships between variables. Correlation is a statistical index used to represent the strength of a relationship between two factors; how much and in what way those factors may vary. The three outcomes of a correlation study may be a positive, negative or non-existent. A positive correlation can be described as two variables increasing or decreasing at the same time. A negative correlation can be the amount that one variable increases, the other decreases. And a non-existent correlation simply means there is no relationship between the variables. Correlation studies are used when the researcher desires to find or suggest evidence of a relationship between two variables.

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