Applied Research Example: Cell Phone Use
Research investigating the effects of cell phone use on driving serves as a clear example of applied research. Prompted by practical safety concerns, it aimed to address a specific problem and resulted in laws limiting the practice. Highlighting the overlap between research types, this applied study also generated new insights into basic psychological processes like perception, attention, and action.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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Overlap Between Basic and Applied Research
Applied Research Example: Cell Phone Use
Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of applied research?
A psychologist is evaluating the effectiveness of a new peer-mentoring program specifically designed to reduce incidents of bullying in middle schools. This study is an example of applied research.
A team of psychologists wants to conduct applied research to solve practical issues. Match each real-world problem with the specific applied research study designed to resolve it.
Analyze the following research scenarios related to stress and mental health. Arrange them in order of their focus on the defining goals of applied research, starting with the scenario most centered on general understanding and ending with the one most centered on resolving a specific, practical problem.
A community mental health clinic is experiencing a high rate of 'no-show' appointments. You are tasked with 'designing' an applied research study to resolve this practical problem. Which of the following research plans best constructs an actionable intervention by applying scientific methods to this real-world issue?
Applied research is conducted primarily to build general theoretical understanding and expand basic knowledge, rather than to address specific, practical problems.
Match each term with the description that best represents its role in scientific psychological research.
A researcher is criticized for a study on a specific school's anti-bullying program because it focuses only on one community's needs. The researcher defends the study by arguing that its value should be judged by its success in resolving a specific, practical problem rather than its contribution to general theoretical understanding. This justification characterizes the project as _____.
A psychologist reviews two research proposals. Proposal A investigates general cognitive mechanisms underlying human memory formation. Proposal B evaluates the effectiveness of a smartphone reminder app at reducing missed medication doses among elderly patients in a local clinic. After breaking down the defining characteristics of each study, the psychologist classifies Proposal B as applied research because, unlike Proposal A, its primary aim is to _____ a specific, practical problem.
A research methods instructor asks students to evaluate whether a proposed study—testing a stress-reduction workshop designed to lower burnout among emergency room nurses at a specific hospital—qualifies as applied research. Arrange the following evaluative steps in the most logical and defensible order, from first to last.
Define applied research and explain its primary purpose. In your definition, contrast it with basic research by identifying what each type of research focuses on, and provide an example of a real-world issue that applied research might address.
Explain why this driving simulator study is classified as applied research rather than basic research. In your explanation, identify the specific, practical problem the researchers are trying to address and describe the type of outcome they hope to achieve based on the context.
Imagine you are a researcher studying pedestrian safety at busy intersections. Propose a specific research question that represents an applied research approach to this issue, and explain how the outcome of your proposed study would lead to an actionable solution.
Basic Research Example: Talkativeness
Applied Research Example: Cell Phone Use
Which of the following best characterizes the boundary between basic and applied research?
The boundary between basic and applied research is strictly defined, meaning that studies aimed at solving concrete practical problems rarely produce new insights into fundamental psychological processes.
In psychological science, the distinction between basic and applied research is often fluid. Match each research project with the specific way it demonstrates the overlap between these two approaches.
The boundary between basic and applied research is often fluid. Arrange the following stages of a research project in the correct order to illustrate the process where a study begins with an applied focus but results in a new contribution to basic scientific knowledge.
Although the boundary between basic and applied research is often fluid, the distinction between these two categories is still maintained in psychology because it is considered to be which of the following?
In psychological science, the relationship between basic and applied research is often fluid. Match each term to the statement that best describes its role in this interaction.
When evaluating the claim that studies focused on fundamental scientific mechanisms and studies focused on practical problem-solving are mutually exclusive, the observation that applied research frequently generates new basic theoretical insights demonstrates that the boundary between these two domains is _____.
A research group conducts basic research on sex differences in talkativeness. Under the principle of a fluid boundary between basic and applied research, this foundational study is strictly isolated from applied practices and cannot eventually influence applied fields such as marriage therapy.
When analyzing the overlap between research types, applied research investigating the effects of cell phone use on driving can unexpectedly produce new insights into basic processes of perception, action, and _____.
Evaluate the cycle of scientific research demonstrating the fluid overlap between basic and applied research. Order the following steps to show how a project moves from basic inquiry to applied practice, and then back to basic theory.
Learn After
Research investigating the effects of cell phone use on driving is classified as applied research because it was prompted by practical safety concerns and aimed to address a specific real-world problem.
The research on cell phone use while driving is frequently used to illustrate the overlap between basic and applied research. Which statement best explains how this specific example demonstrates that overlap?
Match each component of the research on cell phone use and driving to the specific role it plays within the scientific process.
Arrange the following elements of the cell phone and driving study to reflect the logical progression from its origin as a practical safety investigation to its contribution to broader scientific theory.
In the study of research methods, the applied research investigating the effects of cell phone use on driving is notable for generating new insights into which basic psychological processes?
In evaluating the scientific impact of the cell phone and driving study, researchers highlight that its value extended beyond its initial safety goals; it provided the critical data needed to force a(n) _____ of basic psychological theories of perception and attention by testing them in a complex, real-world context.
Research on cell phone use and driving was originally motivated by practical safety concerns, which classifies it as applied research. However, because this research also advanced our understanding of fundamental processes such as perception, attention, and action, it demonstrates the _____ between applied and basic research.
A public health researcher investigates whether excessive workplace noise raises employee stress levels, motivated by safety complaints and a goal of informing company policy. This study is most similar in type and purpose to the research on cell phone use and driving.
Analyze the components of the cell phone use and driving research. Match each element of the study to the specific role it plays in classifying or understanding this research.
A student is evaluating whether a newly published study qualifies as an example of the overlap between applied and basic research, using the cell phone and driving study as a model. Arrange the following evaluative steps in the order that best reflects sound scientific judgment.
Based on the example of cell phone use and driving research, describe why this study is classified as applied research and list the three basic psychological processes it helped generate new insights into.
Using the cell phone and driving study as a model, explain how this smart-watch study demonstrates the overlap between basic and applied research. Identify the applied goals and the basic psychological processes that this new study is likely to address.
Imagine you are designing a research study on the effects of wearing virtual reality (VR) headsets while using public transportation. Describe how you would design this study to ensure it addresses both an applied safety problem and at least one basic psychological process, using the cell phone and driving study as your guide.