applied research psychology quizlet

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What Are the Best Quizlet Decks for AP Psychology?

8 min read • september 29, 2021

If there was a holy trinity for AP study sites, Quizlet would most certainly be in it. Its easy to use interface combined with its multi-purpose functionality helps students of all different learning styles in endless subject areas. However, it can sometimes be challenging to find the best vocab sets. 

Fiveable’s AP Psych teachers & students have compiled the best quizlet study decks for each unit. The AP Psych exam is very vocabulary heavy, so make sure you take the time to learn these terms.  Bookmark this page to use throughout the year!

Unit 1 Key Terms (10-14%)

Scientific foundations of psychology.

AP Psychology Unit 1 revolves around the different branches/approaches of psychology, important figures in the field of psychology, and the scientific processes and methods used to develop ethical research. This first unit is a foundation for the rest of the course, so you’ll want to make sure you are super familiar with these 79 key terms.

Most important terms to know:

• 🧪 Experimental   Psychology  – A psychological approach based around experimentation and scientific studies.
• Humanistic   Psychology  – Focuses on the celebratory aspects of individuals, such as personal growth and potential for improvement. One of the more optimistic approaches.
• Psychodynamic   Psychology  – Analyzes the different levels of consciousness and the components of the personality (id, ego, and superego) to determine how they affect aspects of behavior.
• Structuralism  – Uses introspection to discover structural elements behind the human mind and thought.
• Empiricism  – The foundation of knowledge should revolve around experience opposed to theories. 
• Functionalism  – Each part of the brain serves a function to fulfill primary desires such as reproduction and survival. If it has no function, it adapts or becomes extinct.

Unit 2 Key Terms (8-10%)

Biological basis of behavior.

The second unit of AP Psychology introduces the biological approach of psychology through the brain’s structure and chemistry. A good quizlet for this unit will have visuals due to the large amount of brain anatomy. 

Most Important Terms to Know:

• 💊 Neurotransmitters  – A chemical substance released by neurons to send signals to various parts of the body. Transmitted by neurons, hence the name.
• 🧠 Plasticity  – The brain has the ability to change and is molded by damage, experience, trauma, and aging.
• Corpus   Callosum  – Connects the left and right brain hemisphere, permitting communication between the two. These fibers can be cut during surgery, resulting in a split brain.
• Neuron  – A nerve cell capable of communicating and transferring information to other parts of the body. An important part of the nervous system. 

Unit 3 Key Terms (6-8%)

Sensation & perception.

In unit 3, the key focuses are sensation and perception. Sensations are the responses to certain stimuli, while perception is our interpretations of what we experience with the 5 senses. 

Remember that despite this unit being worth less on the AP exam than others, it still has several important key terms that you must know.

• 🍷 Cocktail   Party   Effect  – Oftentimes, we may not pay attention to a conversation (auditory stimuli) until we hear our names. Ties into selective attention.
• Absolute   Threshold  – Lowest level of stimulation necessary for the detection of a stimulus half of the time.
• ⬆️  Bottom-Up   Processing  – Processing the “raw” information collected from a stimulus before the brain’s analysis.
• ⬇️  Top – Down   Processing  – Interpretation is made only after the brain connects the stimulus to existing information.

Unit 4 Key Terms (7-9%)

Unit 4 is all about something that all students should have plenty of experience with: learning! This unit is not only important because of the AP Psychology exam, but also because it can be applied to real world situations to assist in learning.

• Unconditioned  &  Conditioned   Response  (UR/CR) – The response to stimuli, which can either be naturally occurring (unconditioned), or learned (conditioned).
• Unconditioned  &  Conditioned   Stimuli  (US/CS) – A stimulus that naturally provokes a response (unconditioned), or one that has gone through conditioning to provoke an unnatural response.
• 🔔  Neutral   Stimulus  (NS) – During conditioning, the NS and US are combined to provoke a UR. Eventually, the NS is associated with the US and becomes a CS.
• 🐶  Classical   Conditioning  – Demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov’s famous dog experiment. The US leads to a UR, and the NS leads to no response. Conditioning occurs, which results in the NS and US provoking a UR. The NS becomes a CS, provoking the CR.
• ➕ ➖  Reinforcement  – Positive and negative reinforcement both serve the purpose of increasing behavior, but through different methods. Positive stimuli is presented in positive reinforcement, while negative stimuli is increased or decreased depending on the intended result in negative reinforcement.
• Learned   Helplessness  – Discovered by Martin Seligman during his famous  shocking  experiment using dogs, animals can be conditioned into complete helplessness.

Unit 5 Key Terms (13-17%)

Cognitive psychology.

Weighted at a staggering 13-17% of questions on the multiple choice section, learning about cognitive psychology is of utmost importance for the AP Psychology exam. Cognition is a mental process used to acquire and comprehend knowledge. This is done through sensations, perceptions, and empirical data.

• Misinformation   Effect  – Incorrect information is capable of influencing memories and even creating false (implanted) memories.
• Episodic   Memory  – Events related to an individual’s life. Can be remembered by thinking of your life in terms of episodes.
• ⏰  Semantic   Memory  – Specific details about something, the  semantics  of it.
• Implicit   Memory  – A memory you’re unaware of due to habituation.
• Explicit   Memory  – A memory you’re aware of. It’s  explicitly  there.
• 🗃  Chunking  – The categorization of information for ease of memory. Phone numbers are chunked into groups of 3, 3, and 4 which affect memorization.
• 🔊  Sensory   Memory  – Echoic is auditory (think of echoing) and can be stored for 3-4 seconds. Iconic is visual (computer icons) and only able to be stored for 1/10th of a second. Haptic involves the sense of smell, and is stored for up to 2 seconds.

Unit 6 Key Terms (7-9%)

Developmental psychology.

Within the arguments of nature vs nurture in psychology, unit 6 focuses on the developmental aspect of psychology. Nature involves the biological and genetic aspects of a child, while nurture provokes discussions of attachment styles, external influences, and parenting styles.

• 👑  Authoritarian  – Authoritarian parents have a “my way or the highway” outlook on parenting, with high demands/expectations and low freedom due to the controlling nature. Authoritarian parenting is linked to lower self-esteem and higher reliance on authority figures.
• 👁  Authoritative  – Not to be confused with authoritarian (think libertarian and authoritarian to remember), discipline and love are both high, but the foundational structure involves the rules and democratic approach. The parents have a say, but the children can also comment (unlike permissive or authoritarian parenting).
• 🖤  Uninvolved  – The parent has little to no interaction with the child. There is no give and take in this kind of relationship, just apathy and nearly unlimited freedom. Also called neglectful parenting.
• ✅  Permissive  – The dynamic in permissive parenting is that a parent gives plenty of freedom while expecting very little in return. Freedom and love are high, while discipline is often low.
• 8 Stages of Psychosocial Development  – A modified version of Freud’s psychosexual theory created by Erik Erikson. Each stage serves as a challenge for an individual to put conflicting ideas to rest. Check out our Unit 6 Guide for more information!
• 👶  Strange   Situation  – An experiment performed by Mary Ainsworth with the purpose of determining attachment style. The mother, the child, and a stranger are in a room, alternating who stays and goes. The baby’s reaction is an indicator of attachment style.
• Stages of Cognitive Development  – Invented by Jean Piaget. Consists of the sensorimotor stage (0-2), preoperational stage (2-7), concrete operational stage (7-11), and the formal operational stage (12+). Check out our Unit 6 Guide for more information!

Unit 7 Key Terms (11-15%)

Motivation, emotion, & personality.

In unit 7, some psychological approaches and concepts previously mentioned return. Theories about motivation, emotion, and personality take up the bulk of this unit. 

• Big 5 Personality Traits  – You can remember these traits with the acronym OCEAN. Openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
• 🛡 Defense   Mechanisms  – Another acronym! Remember RRDDP. Regression, repression, denial, displacement, and projection.
• Intrinsic   Motivation  – An internal motivator, such as love.
• Extrinsic   Motivation  – An external motivator, such as scoring well on a test.
• 🔺  Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs  – Where a person is located in life based on the needs they have fulfilled. 

Unit 8 Key Terms (12-16%)

Clinical psychology.

When most people think of psychology, they tend to think of clinical psychology, which is the focus of unit 8. Clinical psychology involves the treatment, diagnosis, approaches, and classification of psychological disorders. 

There are many disorders and terms to discuss in this unit, but here are just a few key ones:

• Bipolar   Disorder  – Extreme mood fluctuation between depressive symptoms and manic symptoms. Several types of Bipolar Disorder exist. 
• DSM 5  – Used to classify psychological disorders, created by the American Psychiatric Association. 
• Obsessive – Compulsive   Disorder  (OCD) – Repetitive thoughts and actions are present and often uncontrollable. OCD is an anxiety disorder. 
• Schizophrenia  – Often characterized by delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, and disorganized patterns of behavior, speech, and thought. 
• Personality   Disorders  – Divided into three different clusters; A, B, and C.

Note: Different disorders manifest in a variety of ways depending on the individual and present symptoms. Find more in-depth information in our Unit 8 Review.

Unit 9 Key Terms (8-10%)

Social psychology.

Social psychology serves the purpose of showing how human behavior is influenced by various social settings. This unit consists of several popular experiments demonstrating various psychological phenomena.

A few of the psychological phenomena discovered through experiments are the following:

• 👥  Conformity  – People tend to think and behave in similar ways when they’re within a group setting. 
• Bystander   Effect  – If more people are present during a situation, they are less likely to intervene. 
• 🦶 Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon  – If a person agrees to a small favor, a person is more likely to agree to a larger favor later. 

Hopefully, these decks can help you study for your tests and ultimately, the AP exam. The best feature about Quizlet is how you can play games and use the flashcards wherever you are. When you are studying, you can always duplicate a deck and customize to your own needs.

As long as you review these flashcards at least once a day a few days before your test, you should be good to go. Make sure to take advantage of starring flashcards you struggle with! Before a test, it’s great to quickly look over the starred ones and then feel more confident about them.

You got this! Good luck studying🍀

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What is Applied Research in psychology?

March 21, 2024

From academia and behavioral health to military and corrections, there are many ways psychology can help people.

In fact, mental health programs in hospitals, non-profits, governmental programs, and more have their origins in carefully researched data that psychology professionals have helped create.

Whether they’re designing studies, conducting research, or interpreting the final data, a master’s-level research psychology professional can inform best practices in psychology to tackle important issues like recidivism, PTSD, and depression.

Bethany Lohr, PhD, faculty chair of Capella University’s Clinical Psychology program, explains the benefits of an advanced degree in Applied Research for both clinical professionals and those following an academic path.

Q. First of all, what is applied research?

A. Applied research is a scientific study within the field of psychology that focuses on solving problems and innovating new technologies. Its main purpose is to conduct scientific research and apply it to real-world situations. As opposed to delivering mental health services, it’s about looking at human behavior and thinking of ways to meet the needs of a given situation.

Q. What type of skills could I develop with an MS in Clinical Psychology, Applied Research?

A. Skills that could help you be effective in the field of applied research include:

• Observation: The ability to observe and take note of what you observe is a critical skill.
• Data analysis: Be able to interpret statistics as well as understand trends and draw predictions based on data.
• Creative problem-solving: Be curious and able to approach a problem from different angles in the search for possible solutions.
• Interpersonal communication: Be prepared to spend time interviewing different groups and reporting findings.
• Ethical awareness: Act with integrity when factors such as privacy and informed consent come up depending on the setting.
• Adaptability: Remain level-headed amid changing circumstances.

    Learn how a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology, Applied Research can help you build professional skills.

Q. What are some ways applied research can be used? 

A. An applied research specialization could be used in any field where psychological research is an element.

A background in applied research in clinical psychology helps someone design and lead a study, interpret findings and advocate for programs based on those interpretations. Further, it helps make them the right person to lead training for these programs.

Applied research is often a relevant subject area for people who write government grants, such as those who write for mental health programs. An applied research background provides understanding to skillfully interpret the government’s massive data sets and advocate for legislation that relies on data to support it.

Pertaining to healthcare, applied research in clinical psychology could be applied to projects related to quality improvement or quality assurance in areas like emergency room waiting times, patient data collection, triage and other improvements that can impact patient care.

In the case of workforce development, applied research could be used to tailor questions to determine which strategies work best to motivate employees. When hiring, applied research could be applied to help establish job qualifications or criteria to best meet the needs of a department and screen candidates who will mesh well with team dynamics.

Applied research can help some organizations analyze what kinds of prompts might inspire people to volunteer their time and skills to charities.

Applied research could even come into play in theme park design when deciding where to place trash cans or queue line management to keep guests engaged.

All these situations rely on the analysis of human behavior and predictions and proposals based on those observations.

Q. Beyond the workplace, who else is the MS in Clinical Psychology, Applied Research for?

A. A Master of Science in Clinical Psychology, Applied Research program involves coursework that teaches the research skills and knowledge that may help you prepare when pursuing a PhD . Major topics in a PhD program could include research methodology, psychotherapy theories, tests and measurement, psychopathology, human development, ethical principles and diversity.

Additionally, the applied research specialization can help prepare you to pursue a PsyD in Clinical Psychology .

Q. Is this specialty just for academics and non-therapy professionals? Would therapy professionals benefit from this knowledge as well?        

 A. Someone in the therapy field can also benefit from understanding applied research, especially if they think they’ll want to pursue a doctoral degree down the road. If they want to continue in therapy practice, this master’s can help them interpret psychology research that may inform their therapeutic treatment plans.

 In short, applied research may be a good option for expanding professional expertise. It all depends on your professional goals.  

Learn more about Capella’s Master’s in Clinical Psychology, Applied Research degree program.

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What are the Differences Between Research Psychology and Applied Psychology?

Are you interested in pursuing a career in a research branch of psychology, but cannot, for the life of you figure out the difference between research psychology and applied psychology? If so, you have come to the right place.

While both are essential and interconnected, they have distinct goals and methods. In this article, we will discuss the unique aspects of each, helping you distinguish between the thinkers and the doers in the world of psychology.

Research Psychology Vs. Applied Psychology

Research psychologists typically conduct their experiments in research laboratories with participants, while applied psychologist treat clients in clinics, mental health hospitals, social service agencies, schools, etc. Every practicing psychologist uses applied psychology.

In its simplest form, research psychology involves actual experimentation. In other words, a research psychologist conducts research studies with participants (i.e. testing how quickly toddlers learn to walk, examining how traumatic brain injury patients process information, etc.). These psychologists are “field psychologists,” which means they work in the field with people (i.e. volunteers and participants).

Applied psychology involves applying psychological principles to the treatment of clients and patients. For example, if an individual is a school psychologist , he or she, applies clinical psychology and educational psychology principles, concepts, and theories to the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of students’ with learning disabilities, developmental delays, and behavioral problems.

What is Research Psychology?

A research psychologist is a mental health professional, who conducts experiments. In fact, research psychologists are often referred to as experimental psychologists . Specifically research psychologists spend the majority of their time conducting research studies with participants.

However, most do not treat patients and clients with psychological disorders or mental illnesses. The work of this type of psychologist is normally limited to participant involvement. Ironically, this branch of psychology is small. In fact, a relatively small number of individuals enter this industry.

Related : Becoming a Research Psychologist

The goal of research psychology is to help mental health professionals, along with the public, better understand thought processes, behaviors, and the factors that influence them.

These mental health professionals tend to concentrate on the following subjects: learning processes, memory (short-term and long-term), thought processes, motivation, attention, and sensory processes. They also may examine the connection between genetics and substance abuse, in an effort to determine how these factors influence thought processes and behaviors.

Most of the research studies/experiments occur in college/university laboratories, and/or research laboratories. In addition, most research psychology positions require a master’s degree, and/or doctorate in a psychology field.

Truth-be-told, research psychologists also use applied psychology. How? Well, research psychologists have to have something to base their theories, hypotheses, results, and experiments on. The foundation comes from the applied principles in their branches of psychology.

What is Applied Psychology?

All practicing psychologists and some non-practicing psychologists (i.e. psychological researchers and psychology instructors) use applied psychology principles.

Applied psychology is the use of psychological principles, concepts, and theories to help clients, and/or patients manage or resolve emotional distress, psychological disorders, and/or mental illnesses. In other words, applied psychologists help other people cope with their life situations.

Applied psychologists applies psychological theories, principles, concepts, techniques, strategies, approaches, and methods from their branches of psychology (i.e. sports, family, health, social, school, etc.) to their practices.

Applied psychologists use the psychological resources available to treat clients and patients experiencing psychological disorders, mental illnesses, adjustment disorders, and emotional distress. Every practicing psychologist uses applied psychology.

This branch of psychology is extremely large. In fact, most psychologists are considered applied psychologists, in the broadest forms.

The following psychology branches use applied psychology concepts, methods, and principles to provide mental health services to clients, and/or patients: counseling psychology , clinical psychology , industrial-organizational psychology , school psychology , neuropsychology , legal psychology , health/medical psychology , occupational health psychology , forensic psychology , sports psychology , and social/community psychology .

Basically “applied psychology” refers to applying the concepts, theories, and principles from a particular branch of psychology to the treatment of clients and patients.

Salary Comparison

Some organizations may hire an individual, who holds a bachelor’s degree in research psychology or a similar field, for subordinate positions (i.e. research technicians, or research assistants) to perform administrative services.

As of October 2023, according to ZipRecruiter, research psychologists typically make $95,145 , per year, on average. If the research psychologist falls in the upper 10%, he or she can make well over $135,000, per year, on average.

Because applied psychology jobs involve many different psychology branches, they are listed under the “psychology” heading in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the BLS (2022), psychologists (in general) typically make about $106,420, per year. If the psychologist falls in the lower 10%, he or she makes about $40,000, per year, but if he or she falls in the upper 10%, he or she makes about $138,860, per year.

The career outlook for psychology jobs in general is somewhat positive. The Bureau estimates that career prospects will increase by 6% by the year 2032.

Related Reading

• Applied Psychology Vs. Clinical Psychology – Key Differences
• Psychologists Vs. Social Workers – What are the Differences?
• What Can You Do With a Applied Psychology Degree?
• What is the Difference Between School and Educational Psychology
• What Jobs are Available With a Experimental Psychology Degree?

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• Journal of Applied Psychology
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• American Journal of Applied Psychology
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Basic Research in Psychology

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell.

Basic research—also known as fundamental or pure research—refers to study and research meant to increase our scientific knowledge base. This type of research is often purely theoretical, with the intent of increasing our understanding of certain phenomena or behavior. In contrast with applied research, basic research doesn't seek to solve or treat these problems.

Basic Research Examples

Basic research in psychology might explore:

• Whether stress levels influence how often students engage in academic cheating
• How caffeine consumption affects the brain
• Whether men or women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression
• How attachment styles among children of divorced parents compare to those raised by married parents

In all of these examples, the goal is merely to increase knowledge on a topic, not to come up with a practical solution to a problem.

The Link Between Basic and Applied Research

As Stanovich (2007) noted, many practical solutions to real-world problems have emerged directly from basic research. For this reason, the distinction between basic research and applied research is often simply a matter of time. As social psychologist Kurt Lewin once observed, "There is nothing so practical as a good theory."

For example, researchers might conduct basic research on how stress levels impact students academically, emotionally, and socially. The results of these theoretical explorations might lead to further studies designed to solve specific problems. Researchers might initially observe that students with high stress levels are more prone to dropping out of college before graduating. These first studies are examples of basic research designed to learn more about the topic.

As a result, scientists might then design research to determine what interventions might best lower these stress levels. Such studies would be examples of applied research. The purpose of applied research is specifically focused on solving a real problem that exists in the world. Thanks to the foundations established by basic research, psychologists can then design interventions that will help students effectively manage their stress levels , with the hopes of improving college retention rates.

Why Basic Research Is Important

The possible applications of basic research might not be obvious right away. During the earliest phases of basic research, scientists might not even be able to see how the information gleaned from theoretical research might ever apply to real-world problems. However, this foundational knowledge is essential. By learning as much as possible about a topic, researchers are able to gather what they need to know about an issue to fully understand the impact it may have.

"For example, early neuroscientists conducted basic research studies to understand how neurons function. The applications of this knowledge were not clear until much later when neuroscientists better understood how this neural functioning affected behavior," explained author Dawn M. McBride in her text The Process of Research in Psychology . "The understanding of the basic knowledge of neural functioning became useful in helping individuals with disorders long after this research had been completed."

Basic Research Methods

Basic research relies on many types of investigatory tools. These include observation, case studies, experiments, focus groups, surveys, interviews—anything that increases the scope of knowledge on the topic at hand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Psychologists interested in social behavior often undertake basic research. Social/community psychologists engaging in basic research are not trying to solve particular problems; rather, they want to learn more about why humans act the way they do.

Basic research is an effort to expand the scope of knowledge on a topic. Applied research uses such knowledge to solve specific problems.

An effective basic research problem statement outlines the importance of the topic; the study's significance and methods; what the research is investigating; how the results will be reported; and what the research will probably require.

Basic research might investigate, for example, the relationship between academic stress levels and cheating; how caffeine affects the brain; depression incidence in men vs. women; or attachment styles among children of divorced and married parents.

By learning as much as possible about a topic, researchers can come to fully understand the impact it may have. This knowledge can then become the basis of applied research to solve a particular problem within the topic area.

Stanovich KE.  How to Think Straight About Psychology . 8th edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Allyn and Bacon; 2007.

McCain KW. “Nothing as practical as a good theory” Does Lewin's Maxim still have salience in the applied social sciences? Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology . 2015;52(1):1-4. doi:10.1002/pra2.2015.145052010077

McBride DM. The Process of Research in Psychology . 3rd edition . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications; 2015.

Committee on Department of Defense Basic Research. APPENDIX D: Definitions of basic, applied, and fundamental research . In: Assessment of Department of Defense Basic Research. Washington, D.C.: The National Academic Press; 2005.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology

Student resources, multiple choice questions.

Revise your knowledge with these multiple choice quiz questions.

Chapter 2: Research in Psychology: Objectives and Ideals

Chapter 3: Research Methods  

Chapter 4: Experimental Design

Chapter 5: Survey Design

Chapter 6: Descriptive Statistics

Chapter 7: Some Principles of Statistical Inference    

Chapter 8: Examining Differences between Means: The t -test

Chapter 9: Examining Relationships between Variables: Correlation    

Chapter 10: Comparing Two or More Means by Analysing Variances: ANOVA    

Chapter 11: Analysing Other Forms of Data: Chi-square and Distribution-free Tests

Chapter 12: Classical Qualitative Methods

Chapter 13: Contextual Qualitative Methods

Chapter 14: Research Ethics    

Chapter 15: Conclusion: Managing Uncertainty in Psychological Research

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Psychology Research Guide

Applied psychology.

Applied psychology is a branch of psychology that includes research to address real-world issues. Areas of applied psychology include business, community, forensic, environment, health, sports, and technology. The following resources can help you narrow your topic, learn about the language used to describe psychology topics, and get you up to speed on the major advancements in this field. To read more about this area of psychology, visit the Office of Applied Psychology on the American Psychological Association website This link opens in a new window . To find ideas for paper/research topics within child & adolescent development, visit these sites:

• Applied Psychology Topics: Education This link opens in a new window
• Applied Psychology Topics: Environment This link opens in a new window
• Applied Psychology Topics: Human Rights This link opens in a new window
• Applied Psychology Topics: Sports and Exercise This link opens in a new window

Applied Psychology Databases

Research in applied psychology utilizes core psychology resources, as well as resources in business, education, the environment, sports, and technology. You may find it helpful to search the following databases for your applied psychology topics or research questions, in addition to the core resources listed on the home page.

Applied Psychology Subject Headings

You may find it helpful to take advantage of predefined subjects or subject headings in Shapiro Databases. These subjects are applied to articles and books by expert catalogers to help you find materials on your topic. Learn more about subject searching:

• Subject Searching

Consider using databases to perform subject searches, or incorporating words from applicable subjects into your keyword searches. Here are some applied psychology subjects to consider:

• emotional health
• health and well-being
• human rights
• interventions
• sports and exercise

Applied Psychology Example Search

Not sure what you want to research exactly, but want to get a feel for the resources available? Try the following searches in any of the databases listed above:

Applied Psych*

(Consumer OR Applied) AND Psych*

There isn't just one accepted word for this area of psychology, so we use OR boolean operators to tell the database any of the listed terms are relevant to our search. We use parenthesis to organize our search, and we stem or truncate the word psychology with the asterisk to tell the database that any ending of the word, as long as the letters psych are at the beginning of the word, will do. This way, the word psychological and other related terms will also be included.

• Learn more about Boolean Operators/Boolean Searching

Applied Psychology Organization Websites

• Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) This link opens in a new window Founded in 1985, the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) is the leading organization for sport psychology consultants and professionals who work with athletes, coaches, non-sport performers (dancers, musicians), business professionals, and tactical occupations (military, firefighters, police) to enhance their performance from a psychological standpoint.
• International Association of Applied Psychology This link opens in a new window Founded in 1920, the International Association of Applied Psychology is the oldest and largest international association of individual members and affiliate international associations. As stated in Article 1 of its Constitution, its mission is: ...to promote the science and practice of applied psychology and to facilitate interaction and communication among applied psychologists around the world.
• Office of Applied Psychology - APA This link opens in a new window APA's Office of Applied Psychology leads the association's efforts for issues related to applied psychology, a branch of the field that uses psychological research, theory, and methods to address real-world issues.
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Intelligence

The difference between basic and applied research is time, descending the ivory tower of research..

Posted March 9, 2022 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

• Basic research is often considered to have no societal impact.
• Applied research is often considered to have no theoretical value.
• When actual research is considered, the difference between basic and applied research is difficult to identify.

Across scientific disciplines, psychology being no exception, a distinction is often made between basic and applied research. Basic research, as this distinction goes, is ivory-tower research, with no practical implications and no societal impact. Applied research is down-to-earth research of no theoretical nature and with limited practical utility. The former is theoretical; the latter, practical. The former is for true scientists. The latter is for true practitioners.

It is discouraging that such stereotypes are applied to research. But as with all other stereotypes, this stereotype, too, is a matter of a generalized belief hardly true to the facts.

I have never quite understood the difference between basic and applied research. And I have understood even less why one would be considered superior to the other. Whenever I conducted research that could be categorized as basic research, I received comments that such research had no societal impact and that practical research was, of course, more important for society. And whenever I developed a particular application, I received feedback that the practical value was appreciated, but of course, it had no theoretical universal value. I always struggled with the difference others were able to identify but I was unable to see.

Let me try to demonstrate my confusion by giving some examples from my own line of research. In one study, we estimated the longitude and latitude of locations in Middle Earth using Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. We took the names of the locations as they were mentioned in Lord of the Rings and computed how often they were mentioned together in the same context. A matrix of co-occurrence values was then transformed into a two-dimensional map that was surprisingly similar to an actual map of the fictional Middle Earth.

Basically, we showed that if locations are mentioned together, they are located together. That may be no surprise to linguists. Since the 1950s, we learned “you shall know a word by the company it keeps” as the linguist J.R. Firth told us. In our work, we showed that you shall know the location by the linguistic company a place name keeps.

Now, estimating the geographical location based on the way it is mentioned in language is basic research par excellence. It is has a universal value: We have also demonstrated it for the longitude and latitude in the United States using several years of newspaper articles from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal , and The Los Angeles Times . We have estimated the geographical locations of cities in China using the entire body of texts in the Chinese version of Wikipedia, and for the geography of the Middle East using the entire Arabic Wikipedia. Theoretical, very ivory tower with seemingly no societal impact.

What we did for newspapers, Wikipedia, and fictional texts, though, we could of course do for social media . One could take a large body of tweets, Facebook messages, or LinkedIn posts, identify place names mentioned in those posts, and compute the context in which place names co-occur with other place names. As we did for Lord of the Rings , newspapers, and Wikipedia, such a social-media analysis would allow for a geographical map of places through the eyes of those who wrote the posts. This would, no doubt, be of interest to intelligence agencies, as it can help identify areas of concern or interest. Basically, the worldview for those in society with bad intentions can be identified. Identifying the geographical locations of places biased by those who used those place names in their social media posts would be very practical research with considerable societal impact—to be categorized under applied research, not basic research.

And if intelligence-agency work sounds too military, we could consider another practical example: We could help archeologists. We could predict the excavation sites of Indus Valley artifacts based on the Indus script. Using the patterns in the Indus script, we could estimate the geographic origin of artifacts from the Indus Valley Civilization with a relatively simple algorithm. We may manage to predict the relative locations of archeological sites on the basis of artifacts of known provenance, and we could further apply these techniques to determine the most probable excavation sites of unknown provenance. Estimating excavation sites on the basis of a particular script has limited functionality and is very practical in nature.

Let’s categorize the intelligence agency and archeology research as practical, but both of these cases of applied research would not have been possible had we not first done the theoretical work of estimating the locations using the place names in Lord of the Rings .

You get my point.

I would argue, and argue strongly, that all basic research will ultimately be applied. The question that I cannot answer is when the basic research will be applied. No one can tell. It could be tomorrow, or it might take a couple of years. But ultimately, the difference between basic and applied research is only a matter of time.

Louwerse, M.M. (2021). Keeping those words in mind: How language creates meaning . New York: Prometheus Books / Rowman & Littlefield.

Max Louwerse, Ph.D., is a linguist, cognitive psychologist, and artificial intelligence researcher. He is currently Professor of Cognitive Psychology and Artificial Intelligence at Tilburg University in the Netherlands.

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1.2 Scientific Research in Psychology

Learning objectives.

• Describe a general model of scientific research in psychology and give specific examples that fit the model.
• Explain who conducts scientific research in psychology and why they do it.
• Distinguish between basic research and applied research.

A Model of Scientific Research in Psychology

Figure 1.2 “A Simple Model of Scientific Research in Psychology” presents a more specific model of scientific research in psychology. The researcher (who more often than not is really a small group of researchers) formulates a research question, conducts a study designed to answer the question, analyzes the resulting data, draws conclusions about the answer to the question, and publishes the results so that they become part of the research literature. Because the research literature is one of the primary sources of new research questions, this process can be thought of as a cycle. New research leads to new questions, which lead to new research, and so on. Figure 1.2 “A Simple Model of Scientific Research in Psychology” also indicates that research questions can originate outside of this cycle either with informal observations or with practical problems that need to be solved. But even in these cases, the researcher would start by checking the research literature to see if the question had already been answered and to refine it based on what previous research had already found.

Figure 1.2 A Simple Model of Scientific Research in Psychology

The research by Mehl and his colleagues is described nicely by this model. Their question—whether women are more talkative than men—was suggested to them both by people’s stereotypes and by published claims about the relative talkativeness of women and men. When they checked the research literature, however, they found that this question had not been adequately addressed in scientific studies. They conducted a careful empirical study, analyzed the results (finding very little difference between women and men), and published their work so that it became part of the research literature. The publication of their article is not the end of the story, however, because their work suggests many new questions (about the reliability of the result, about potential cultural differences, etc.) that will likely be taken up by them and by other researchers inspired by their work.

Scientific research has confirmed that cell phone use impairs a variety of driving behaviors.

Indiana Stan – CC BY-NC 2.0.

As another example, consider that as cell phones became more widespread during the 1990s, people began to wonder whether, and to what extent, cell phone use had a negative effect on driving. Many psychologists decided to tackle this question scientifically (Collet, Guillot, & Petit, 2010). It was clear from previously published research that engaging in a simple verbal task impairs performance on a perceptual or motor task carried out at the same time, but no one had studied the effect specifically of cell phone use on driving. Under carefully controlled conditions, these researchers compared people’s driving performance while using a cell phone with their performance while not using a cell phone, both in the lab and on the road. They found that people’s ability to detect road hazards, reaction time, and control of the vehicle were all impaired by cell phone use. Each new study was published and became part of the growing research literature on this topic.

Who Conducts Scientific Research in Psychology?

Scientific research in psychology is generally conducted by people with doctoral degrees (usually the doctor of philosophy [PhD] ) and master’s degrees in psychology and related fields, often supported by research assistants with bachelor’s degrees or other relevant training. Some of them work for government agencies (e.g., the National Institute of Mental Health), for nonprofit organizations (e.g., the American Cancer Society), or in the private sector (e.g., in product development). However, the majority of them are college and university faculty, who often collaborate with their graduate and undergraduate students. Although some researchers are trained and licensed as clinicians—especially those who conduct research in clinical psychology—the majority are not. Instead, they have expertise in one or more of the many other subfields of psychology: behavioral neuroscience, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, personality psychology, social psychology, and so on. Doctoral-level researchers might be employed to conduct research full-time or, like many college and university faculty members, to conduct research in addition to teaching classes and serving their institution and community in other ways.

Of course, people also conduct research in psychology because they enjoy the intellectual and technical challenges involved and the satisfaction of contributing to scientific knowledge of human behavior. You might find that you enjoy the process too. If so, your college or university might offer opportunities to get involved in ongoing research as either a research assistant or a participant. Of course, you might find that you do not enjoy the process of conducting scientific research in psychology. But at least you will have a better understanding of where scientific knowledge in psychology comes from, an appreciation of its strengths and limitations, and an awareness of how it can be applied to solve practical problems in psychology and everyday life.

Scientific Psychology Blogs

A fun and easy way to follow current scientific research in psychology is to read any of the many excellent blogs devoted to summarizing and commenting on new findings. Among them are the following:

• Child-Psych, http://www.child-psych.org
• PsyBlog, http://www.spring.org.uk
• Research Digest, http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com
• Social Psychology Eye, http://socialpsychologyeye.wordpress.com
• We’re Only Human, http://www.psychologicalscience.org/onlyhuman

You can also browse to http://www.researchblogging.org , select psychology as your topic, and read entries from a wide variety of blogs.

The Broader Purposes of Scientific Research in Psychology

People have always been curious about the natural world, including themselves and their behavior. (In fact, this is probably why you are studying psychology in the first place.) Science grew out of this natural curiosity and has become the best way to achieve detailed and accurate knowledge. Keep in mind that most of the phenomena and theories that fill psychology textbooks are the products of scientific research. In a typical introductory psychology textbook, for example, one can learn about specific cortical areas for language and perception, principles of classical and operant conditioning, biases in reasoning and judgment, and people’s surprising tendency to obey authority. And scientific research continues because what we know right now only scratches the surface of what we can know.

Scientific research is often classified as being either basic or applied. Basic research in psychology is conducted primarily for the sake of achieving a more detailed and accurate understanding of human behavior, without necessarily trying to address any particular practical problem. The research of Mehl and his colleagues falls into this category. Applied research is conducted primarily to address some practical problem. Research on the effects of cell phone use on driving, for example, was prompted by safety concerns and has led to the enactment of laws to limit this practice. Although the distinction between basic and applied research is convenient, it is not always clear-cut. For example, basic research on sex differences in talkativeness could eventually have an effect on how marriage therapy is practiced, and applied research on the effect of cell phone use on driving could produce new insights into basic processes of perception, attention, and action.

Key Takeaways

• Research in psychology can be described by a simple cyclical model. A research question based on the research literature leads to an empirical study, the results of which are published and become part of the research literature.
• Scientific research in psychology is conducted mainly by people with doctoral degrees in psychology and related fields, most of whom are college and university faculty members. They do so for professional and for personal reasons, as well as to contribute to scientific knowledge about human behavior.
• Basic research is conducted to learn about human behavior for its own sake, and applied research is conducted to solve some practical problem. Both are valuable, and the distinction between the two is not always clear-cut.
• Practice: Find a description of an empirical study in a professional journal or in one of the scientific psychology blogs. Then write a brief description of the research in terms of the cyclical model presented here. One or two sentences for each part of the cycle should suffice.
• Practice: Based on your own experience or on things you have already learned about psychology, list three basic research questions and three applied research questions of interest to you.

Collet, C., Guillot, A., & Petit, C. (2010). Phoning while driving I: A review of epidemiological, psychological, behavioural and physiological studies. Ergonomics, 53 , 589–601.

Research Methods in Psychology Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

25 Applied Research Examples

Applied research is research intended to solve specific and practical problems faced by the researcher and their shareholders.

Grimsgaard (2023) defines it below:

“Applied research tends to drill down more toward solving specific problems that affect people in the here and now.”

It is contrasted to basic research , which is research for its own sake. Bentley, Gulbrandsen and Kyvik (2015) define basic research as “research undertaken with a primary purpose of the advancement of knowledge for its own sake.”

The key benefit of applied research is that it helps solve problems in the real world – it is the embodiment of the concept of ‘invention is the mother of invention. But if we only did applied research, we wouldn’t achieve any of the blue skies breakthroughs that are achieved through basis research.

In fact, applied research often follows up from basic research, finding ways to apply that basic research to real-life needs in society.

Applied Research Examples

• Medicine: Development of a new vaccine to combat a specific viral strain.
• Computer Science: Creating an algorithm to enhance image recognition in smartphones.
• Agriculture: Introducing a genetically modified crop variety to improve yield and pest resistance.
• Psychology: Implementing cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques to treat anxiety disorders.
• Environmental Science: Designing a method to purify water using solar energy in remote areas.
• Engineering: Developing a more efficient and lightweight battery for electric cars.
• Education: Evaluating the effectiveness of online teaching methods on student performance.
• Economics: Assessing the impact of a new taxation policy on consumer spending.
• Sociology: Creating community programs based on studies of urban youth engagement.
• Architecture: Designing earthquake-resistant buildings based on geological research.
• Nutrition: Formulating a diet plan to mitigate the effects of type 2 diabetes.
• Linguistics: Developing language learning apps based on cognitive linguistics research.
• Sports Science: Designing a training regimen to enhance the performance of long-distance runners.
• Marketing: Analyzing consumer behavior to optimize product placement in retail stores.
• Geology: Creating risk assessment tools for communities near active volcanoes.
• Transportation: Designing an urban transportation system based on traffic flow research.
• Marine Biology: Establishing sustainable fishing guidelines based on studies of fish populations.
• Chemistry: Developing a new drug formulation for faster pain relief.
• Physics: Creating more efficient solar panels based on the study of photovoltaic materials.
• Communication Studies: Implementing crisis communication strategies for corporations based on media research.
• Aerospace Engineering: Designing a new airplane wing for reduced fuel consumption.
• Biotechnology: Producing biofuels from algae after studying their growth and energy properties.
• Musicology: Enhancing acoustics in concert halls based on sound wave research.
• Pharmacology: Testing a new drug to treat a rare form of cancer.
• Urban Planning: Designing green spaces in cities based on studies of residents’ mental well-being.

Case Studies

1. the invention of the internet.

One of the most celebrated examples of applied research leading to a groundbreaking invention is the development of the World Wide Web by Sir Tim Berners-Lee.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Tim Berners-Lee, a British engineer and computer scientist, was working at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. His task was to find a way to allow scientists to share data and research results efficiently across the world. The challenge was significant because, at that time, there were no universally accepted and easy-to-use methods for data sharing and retrieval across different computer networks and platforms.

In solving this problem, Berners-Lee developed the three fundamental technologies that remain the foundation of today’s Web (and which you may recognize!):

• HTML : HyperText Markup Language
• URI : Uniform Resource Identifier
• HTTP : Hypertext Transfer Protocol

These technologies enabled the creation and retrieval of linked documents and multimedia across a network of computers. Berners-Lee also created the first web browser and web server to demonstrate and utilize these technologies.

The invention of the World Wide Web has had a profound and transformative impact on society, affecting almost every aspect of our daily lives, including communication, education, business, and entertainment. Berners-Lee’s applied research, initially aimed at solving a specific problem related to scientific data sharing, ended up unleashing a revolutionary tool that reshaped the world.

2. The Discovery of Penicillin

The discovery and development of penicillin, an antibiotic, by Alexander Fleming and its subsequent mass production shows how applied research can lead to revolutionary inventions.

In 1928, Alexander Fleming, a Scottish bacteriologist, observed that a mold called Penicillium notatum was able to kill bacteria in a petri dish. This discovery was quite accidental and came while Fleming was researching staphylococci, a type of bacteria. At this point, it was just basic research .

But in 1939, Howard Florey and Ernst Boris Chain took Fleming’s discovery from a useful laboratory finding to a life-saving drug through extensive research and development. They conducted systematic, applied research to figure out how to mass-produce and purify penicillin.

By 1941, the team had successfully treated its first patient with penicillin, marking a major milestone in medicinal history.

But it was in the years of World War II that penicillin really became a life safer – literally. During World War II, the production of penicillin was scaled up massively to treat wounded soldiers, saving countless lives that might have been lost to bacterial infections.

Fleming’s initial discovery and the subsequent applied research by Florey, Chain, and their team transformed penicillin into a practical, widely available antibiotic.

The development and mass production of penicillin marked the beginning of the antibiotic era, fundamentally altering medicine by providing an effective treatment for bacterial infections.

Applied vs Basic Research

Unlike applied research, basic research seeks to expand knowledge and understanding of fundamental principles and theories without immediate application in mind (Abeysekera, 2019; Bentley, Gulbrandsen & Kyvik, 2015).

Basic research is exploratory and often driven by curiosity or the academic interests of the researcher. The results may not have immediate practical implications but can form the foundation for future applied research (Grimsgaard, 2023).

Applied research , on the other hand, is aimed at addressing specific problems or questions, with the intent of applying the findings to practical solutions or actions (Abeysekera, 2019; Baimyrzaeva, 2018).

It is more structured, systematic, and focused on practical problem-solving or enhancing existing methods. The results are typically intended for immediate application, with direct, observable implications.

Benefits and Limitations of Applied Research

Applied research is specifically designed to address immediate problems, which is one of its greatest advantages.

It helps businesses, industries and policy makers improve operations, products, services or policies, thereby providing practical and immediate solutions (Baimyrzaeva, 2018).

Moreover, its impact can be quantified, making it easier to secure funding. However, the main disadvantage is that it is narrowly focused and its findings may not be universally applicable.

However, the desire for quick, practical results can constrain the methodology, perhaps limiting creativity or ignoring broader implications (Baimyrzaeva, 2018; Marotti de Mello & Wood 2019).

The pressure for immediate usability can also drive researchers towards safe, predictable projects rather than innovative or risky ones.

Abeysekera, A. (2019). Basic research and applied research.  Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka ,  47 (3).

Baimyrzaeva, M. (2018). Beginners’ guide for applied research process: What is it, and why and how to do it.  University of Central Asia ,  4 (8).

Bentley, P. J., Gulbrandsen, M., & Kyvik, S. (2015). The relationship between basic and applied research in universities.  Higher Education ,  70 , 689-709. ( Source )

Dunn, D. S. (2012). Research Methods for Social Psychology (2nd ed.). Wiley Global Education.

Grimsgaard, W. (2023). Design and strategy: a step by step guide . New York: Taylor & Francis.

Marotti de Mello, A., & Wood Jr, T. (2019). What is applied research anyway?.  Revista de Gestão ,  26 (4), 338-339. ( Source )

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B.A. in Psychology

Applied vs Experimental Psychology: What’s the Difference?

Psychological disciplines include abnormal psychology, cognitive psychology, and social psychology, along with dozens of other fields and specialties. However, you can separate these fields into two basic types of psychology: applied and experimental. Here is a look at the two types and common career paths for each.

Applied Psychology

What is applied psychology.

Applied psychology uses psychological methods and findings (experimental psychology) to solve problems of the human experience. It is nearly impossible to develop a precise definition for “applied psychology” due to the sheer scope of the term. Findings are applied in fields such as clinical psychology, educational psychology, forensic psychology, sports psychology, and social psychology — nearly every psychological discipline. Unless the field is exclusively research-based, applied psychology is involved.

An example of the breadth of applied psychology is the  non-exhaustive sample of topics  deemed appropriate for the  Journal of Applied Psychology , which includes:

• individual differences in abilities, personality, and other characteristics
• performance measurement and management
• training, learning, and skill acquisition
• career development
• work-family interface
• work stress, health, and well-being
• creativity, innovation, and adaptation
• organizational culture and climate

Sample Careers in Applied Psychology

Psychologists.

Psychologists study cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior by observing, interpreting, and recording how people relate to one another and to their environments. They use their findings to help improve processes and behaviors. Many kinds of psychologists work within applied psychology. For instance, school psychologists apply psychological principles and techniques to education disorders and developmental disorders.

Research may still be an aspect of the role. Psychologists often  gather information and perform research , and whether they are considered as being within applied or experimental psychology will depend on the primary focus of their work.

One example is the field of industrial-organizational psychology, which focuses on the workplace, using psychological principles, and research methods to solve problems and improve the quality of work life. Psychologists in this field could be considered on the side of applied or experimental psychology depending on the extent of any research they perform. One industrial-organizational psychologist may work with business on applying best practices into the workplace while another may be actually conducting that research.

Psychologists typically need a doctoral degree, according to the BLS. The median annual wage for psychologists is $79,010, and employment is projected to grow 14% through 2026.

Mental Health Counselors

Mental health counselors, along with related careers like  marriage and family therapists  and  school and career counselors , work within applied psychology. Mental health counselors help people facing grief, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, stress, suicidal thoughts, and a variety of conditions. They help clients with a wide variety of mental and emotional health issues and relationship problems.

Often, mental health counselors perform the following tasks:

• Evaluate clients’ mental and physical health and assess their readiness for treatment
• Develop and oversee treatment goals and plans with clients
• Help clients work on the necessary skills and behaviors to face relevant issues
• Refer clients to other resources and services, such as support groups
• Conduct outreach programs to help people identify the signs of destructive behavior

Mental health counselors use certain approaches and theories to help clients. One popular approach is to combine behavioral therapy and cognitive theory to treat a number of illnesses such as anxiety, eating, personality, and substance abuse disorders.

Mental health counselors need a master’s degree and, depending on the state, 2,000 to 4,000 hours of supervised clinical experience. The BLS groups mental health counselors with substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors; the median annual wage for all three careers is  $44,630 , and employment is projected to grow 23% through 2026.

Experimental Psychology

What is experimental psychology.

Experimental psychology seeks to explore and better understand behavior through empirical research methods. This work allows findings to be employed (applied psychology) in real-world applications across fields such as clinical psychology, educational psychology, forensic psychology, sports psychology, and social psychology.

This area of psychology is able to shed light on people’s personalities and life experiences by examining what the way people behave and how behavior is shaped throughout life, along with other theoretical questions. The field looks at  a wide range of behavioral topics  that includes sensation, perception, attention, memory, cognition, and emotion, according to the American Psychological Association (APA).

Research is the focus of experimental psychology. Using scientific methods to collect data and perform research, experimental psychology focuses on certain questions, and, one study at a time, reveals information that contributions to larger findings or a conclusion. Due to the breadth and depth of certain areas of study, researchers can spend their entire careers looking at a complex research question.

Careers in Experimental Psychology

Experimental psychology careers are slightly more difficult to define compared to those in applied psychology. Applied psychology is seen as a broad field in which there are distinct subfields where practitioners may work, such as clinical mental health counseling. However, experimental psychology is typically seen as a field of its own. There are plenty of psychological specialties where experimental psychologists can work — research-focused positions are available in the vast majority of specialties and across industries — but the designation often remains the same: “experimental psychologist.”

“The  exact type of research  an experimental psychologist performs may depend on a number of factors, including his or her educational background, interests and area of employment,” according to the APA. “Often, psychologists with training in experimental psychology contribute across subfields, using scientific research to provide insights that improve teaching and learning, create safer workplaces, and promote healthy child development, to list a few examples. Those who work in academia often teach psychology courses in addition to performing research and publishing their findings in psychological journals.”

Regardless of the title, there are a wide variety of career opportunities in experimental psychology. One individual may be called an experimental psychologist and study memory, one professional may engage in research-based studies as an industrial-organizational psychologist, another may perform research and be a professor, and a final person may hold a completely different title (e.g., product user researcher) and conduct research that ultimately helps design consumer products.

Explore the Different Types of Psychology

Having a strong understanding of the various disciplines of psychology can help you excel in a variety of careers. With the  online bachelor’s degree in psychology program  from Concordia University, St. Paul, you can gain more insight into the differences between applied and experimental psychology so that you can find the right career path for you. Our program offers small class sizes, the ability to learn from experienced faculty, and the flexibility to study when it’s most convenient.

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Basic Research is...

Research aimed at helping increase knowledge

Research aimed at ruling out negative experiences

Research aimed at solving practical problems

Research aimed at repeating the scientific method

Applied Research is...

Studying how the placement of dials and levers on a machine will best reduce worker fatigue and errors.

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Applied Psychology

Studying how people interact during a group project.

Studying the molecular composition of a plant cell.

Studying how to get students to be more engaged in class.

Studying the nature of sleep-wake cycles .

• 8. Multiple Choice Edit 30 seconds 1 pt Science aimed at solving problems or improvement:  Basic Science Applied Science Academic Science Clinical Science
• 9. Multiple Choice Edit 30 seconds 1 pt Research aimed at building psychology's knowledge base is Basic Science Applied Science Academic Science Clinical Science
• 10. Multiple Choice Edit 30 seconds 1 pt Mr. Christian has designed a camera with buttons that are easy to reach and see. Mr. Christian is most likely a cognitive psychologist conducting basic research engaged in applied research using psychometrics

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