IOP2601/MO001/4/2016

LEARNING UNIT 1: Introduction to research and statistics

Students often wonder why the training of prospective industrial psychologists has to include
a module in research. In order to answer this question, we first have to know what research is
all about. This learning unit introduces you to research, how industrial psychologists use
research and the basic research process. We will also outline the specific focus of this
module in terms of the broader research process.

What is research?
The word research is often used in everyday speech and has many different meanings. As
a result, various misconceptions exist about the actual meaning of the term. For example,
research is often regarded as an activity that is somehow exclusive and removed from
everyday life; or researchers are viewed as aloof individuals in white coats who hide away in
laboratories conducting experiments with rats (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010)!
In actual fact, research is simply a process for answering questions. It is a systematic process
that involves collecting, analysing and interpreting information (or data as it is termed in
research) in order to increase our understanding of things that we are interested in or
concerned about (Leedy & Ormrod 2010).
Another definition of research is that it is a systematic study or investigation of phenomena
according to scientific principles. What does it mean to do a systematic study according to
scientific principles? Although it sounds complicated, it actually means that you collect
information in such a way that you will have evidence to show that the claims you make are
indeed true. In other words, you use specific strategies and methods to gather information so
that it will be reliable and valid. Using this process, you will be able to show that the
information you present is indeed an accurate reflection of reality. Therefore, research helps
us to gather information in such a way that we can discover the truth or even new knowledge.
However, you may still be wondering where research actually fits into the field of Industrial
Psychology.

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Research in Industrial Psychology

As mentioned above, research is about answering questions or solving problems. Consider
the following questions:
x
x
x
x
x
x

How does generation Y feel about unions in organisations?

When is the best time to advertise female hair care products on television?
Is it fair to use personality characteristics as predictors of job performance?
What is the optimal number of people to include in a global virtual work team?
What do universities do to prepare students for the world of work?
What are the ethics involved in using computerised testing?

All of these questions fall within the scope of Industrial Psychology. Figure 1 illustrates how
each of these questions is applicable to a number of the fields of Industrial Psychology.

1.1
Can you think of some questions you would answered that are applicable to your working
environment or to some of your other modules?
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The value of research therefore lies first of all in the fact that knowledge of research will help
you answer questions within your specific field of study or your working environment.
Knowledge of research will also help you to interpret and evaluate the work of others
scientifically. Consider the following scenario: Your organisation is on the verge of spending
R3 million on a new performance appraisal system. The developers of the system make a
number of claims about the usefulness and benefits of their system. With your knowledge of
research, you will be able to determine if these claims are valid before your organisation
invests in the system.
Knowledge of research will therefore equip you with skills that will enable you to solve
problems and answer questions in a way that is scientific and meaningful, and that will have
a positive influence on the bottom line of your organisation. You will not only be able to use
your knowledge of research in your working environment, but also as part of your everyday
life to answer questions or solve problems in your family and your community. I hope this has
given you good reasons for wanting to learn more about research?

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Psychological
assessment

Consumer
psychology

Organisational
psychology

What are the ethics

involved in using
computerised
testing?

When is the best

time to advertise
female hair care
products on
television?

What is the optimal

number of people
to include in a
global virtual work
team?

Industrial Psychology

Career
psychology
What do
universities do to
prepare students
for the world of
work?

Labour relations
How does
generation Y feel
about unions in
organisations?

Personnel
psychology
Is it fair to use
personality
characteristics as
predictors of job
performance?

FIGURE 1: Research questions in Industrial Psychology

As we have seen, research starts with a question to be answered or a problem to be solved.
This is the goal of most research projects. Research then becomes the process through
which new knowledge is discovered and the problems that have been identified are solved.
The steps in the research process are discussed below.

The research process

Most research projects follow the same basic process, although there may be some
variations. Figure 2 shows the five-step process that researchers typically undertake when
conducting research.
1.
2.

3.
4.

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The research process starts with identifying the problem. What is the question that has
to be answered or what is the problem that has to be solved?
This step involves the design of the research study in order to answer the research
question. Who is going to be involved in the study and when and how will they be
involved?
This step addresses the way in which the information needed to answer the research
question is obtained, that is, the way the data will be collected.
This step includes the analysis of the data. In other words, how do you make sense out
of all the information that has been collected?

IOP2601/MO001/4/2016

5.

The final step entails drawing conclusions from the data analysis in order to answer the
research question.

Research question

Research design

Conclusions

Data collection

Data
analysis

FIGURE 2: The research process

Throughout this module you will have the opportunity to see how this research process is
applied in practice. We will look at a number of different research questions; briefly consider
how such questions can be investigated (design); mention the way in which data are
collected; discuss the way the data are analysed and, lastly, show how to draw conclusions
regarding the research question on the basis of the data analysis. However, this module
focuses predominantly on the fourth step of the research process, namely, data analysis. It is
aimed at introducing you to the data analysis techniques that are used to make sense of any
data that are collected, as well as teaching you how to draw meaningful conclusions from
such analysis. These techniques are collectively referred to as statistics.

Statistics
The word statistics often elicits a strong emotional reaction from students. Some students
are excited to learn more about statistics, others may feel a little wary, while some may even
approach the subject with fear and trepidation!
At this stage, you may be quite unfamiliar with the field of statistics. Statistics, like any other
specialist field, has some unique terminology and a language of its own. Learning unit 2 will
introduce you to the basic terms and important concepts that are used in this field.
Research has shown (e.g. Onwuegbuzie, 2000; Schau, 2003) that students attitudes to
statistics are influenced by a number of factors. The first of these is the degree to which
students regard themselves as competent in mathematics. Interestingly, it is not the number
of mathematics courses that students have completed or how well they did in these courses
that determines their attitude to statistics, but rather a very subjective view of how competent
they believe themselves to be in mathematics.
I would like to put your mind at rest here: although you do need to know some basic
algebraic principles, this is not a course in mathematics. Doing calculations is only a small
part of the actual subject content. Even for students who have never had exposure to
mathematics, this does not need be an insurmountable problem in passing this module. In
learning unit 3 the basic algebraic calculations that will be used throughout this module will

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be reviewed. After working through this learning unit carefully, you will be able to approach
the rest of this module with confidence.
What is also important to know, is that statistics is best learnt by doing it. You will therefore
have to participate actively throughout the rest of the learning units to master the techniques
that you will be learning. As I have just mentioned, in this module you will have the
opportunity to see how the research process is applied in practice. We will therefore use the
New Stars project as a practical illustration for the rest of MO001.
Having completed this learning unit you should be able to
x
x
x

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define the term research in your own words

describe the basic research process
identify a research question