How Applied Research Is Used in Psychology

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsExamplesBasic vs. Applied ResearchHow it WorksPotential ChallengesReal-World Applications

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Examples

Basic vs. Applied Research

How it Works

Potential Challenges

Real-World Applications

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Applied research refers to scientific study and research that seeks to solve practical problems.This type of research plays an important role in solving everyday problems that can have an impact on life, work, health, and overall well-being. For example, it can be used to find solutions to everyday problems, cure illness, and develop innovative technologies.

There are many different types of psychologists who perform applied research.Human factorsorindustrial/organizationalpsychologists often do this type of research.

A few examples of applied research in psychology include:

As you may notice, all of these examples explore topics that will address real-world issues. This immediate and practical application of the findings is what distinguishes applied research frombasic research, which instead focuses on theoretical concerns.

Basic research tends to focus on “big picture” topics, such as increasing the scientific knowledge base around a particular topic. Applied research tends to work toward solving specific problems that affect people in the here and now.

For example a social psychologist may perform basic research on how different factors may contribute to violence in general. But if a social psychologist were conducting applied research, they may be tackling the question of what specific programs can be implemented to reduce violence in school settings.

However, basic research and applied research are actually closely intertwined. The information learned from basic research often builds the basis on which applied research is formed.

Basic research often informs applied research, and applied research often helps basic researchers refine their theories.

The type of research used depends on a variety of factors. This includes unique characteristics of the situation and the kind of problem psychologists are looking to solve.

Researchers might opt to usenaturalistic observationto see the problem as it occurs in a real-world setting.They may then conduct experiments to determine why the problem occurs and to explore different solutions that may solve it.

As with any type of research, challenges can arise when conducting applied research in psychology. Some potential problems that researchers may face include:

Ethical Challenges

When conducting applied research in a naturalistic setting, researchers have to avoid ethical issues, which can make research more difficult. For example, they may come across concerns about privacy and informed consent.

Problems With Validity

Since applied research often takes place in the field, it can be difficult for researchers to maintain complete control over all of thevariables. Extraneous variables can also exert a subtle influence that experimenters may not even consider could have an effect on the results.

In many cases, researchers are forced to strike a balance between a study’s ecological validity (which is usually quite high in applied research) and the study’s internalvalidity.

Since applied research focuses on taking the results of scientific research and applying it to real-world situations, those who work in this line of research tend to be more concerned with theexternal validityof their work.

External validity refers to the extent that scientific findings can be generalized to other populations.

Researchers don’t just want to know if the results of their experiments apply to the participants in their studies, rather they want these results to also apply to larger populations outside of the lab.

External validity is often of particular importance in applied research. Researchers want to know that their findings can be applied to real people in real settings.

How It’s Used in the Real-World

Here are some examples of how applied research is used to solve real-world problems:

Recap

Applied research is an important tool in the process of understanding the human mind and behavior. Thanks to much of this research, psychologists are able to investigate problems that affect people’s daily lives. This kind of research specifically targets real-world issues, however it also contributes to knowledge about how people think and behave.

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Science Foundation.Definitions of research and development: An annotated compilation of official sources.CDC.Evaluation briefs.Helmchen H.Ethical issues in naturalistic versus controlled trials.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2011;13(2):173‐182.Truijens FL, Cornelis S, Desmet M, De Smet MM, Meganck R.Validity beyond measurement: Why psychometric validity is insufficient for valid psychotherapy research.Front Psychol. 2019;10:532. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00532McBride D.The Process Of Research In Psychology. SAGE Publications; 2018.

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Science Foundation.Definitions of research and development: An annotated compilation of official sources.CDC.Evaluation briefs.Helmchen H.Ethical issues in naturalistic versus controlled trials.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2011;13(2):173‐182.Truijens FL, Cornelis S, Desmet M, De Smet MM, Meganck R.Validity beyond measurement: Why psychometric validity is insufficient for valid psychotherapy research.Front Psychol. 2019;10:532. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00532McBride D.The Process Of Research In Psychology. SAGE Publications; 2018.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Science Foundation.Definitions of research and development: An annotated compilation of official sources.CDC.Evaluation briefs.Helmchen H.Ethical issues in naturalistic versus controlled trials.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2011;13(2):173‐182.Truijens FL, Cornelis S, Desmet M, De Smet MM, Meganck R.Validity beyond measurement: Why psychometric validity is insufficient for valid psychotherapy research.Front Psychol. 2019;10:532. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00532McBride D.The Process Of Research In Psychology. SAGE Publications; 2018.

National Science Foundation.Definitions of research and development: An annotated compilation of official sources.

CDC.Evaluation briefs.

Helmchen H.Ethical issues in naturalistic versus controlled trials.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2011;13(2):173‐182.

Truijens FL, Cornelis S, Desmet M, De Smet MM, Meganck R.Validity beyond measurement: Why psychometric validity is insufficient for valid psychotherapy research.Front Psychol. 2019;10:532. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00532

McBride D.The Process Of Research In Psychology. SAGE Publications; 2018.

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