Programs for Solving Behavioral Problems
The Experimental Method Hypothesis test Dependent and Independent Variables Analysis The Observational Method Direct Observation Surveys and Questionnaires Analysis

In the field of I/O Psychology, different techniques are used to collect and interpret the data in a study.  Researchers perform field studies when there is a significant difference between expected performance and actual performance on a particular task or job.

Problem Recognition
The first step is to identify the problem.  Techniques such as a needs assessment are used to highlight the problem.  Once the problem has been identified, there are two main categories of research methods:

The Experimental Method

This method is used when the experiment can be performed in either a field or laboratory setting.  In this method, hypotheses that might describe the predicted behavior are used.  Descriptive statistics from the experiment are analyzed to determine whether or not the hypothesis is correct.

The Observational Method

This method is used when laboratory experimentation is not possible or if too little is known about the behavior in question.  Like the experimental method, descriptive statistics are used to analyze the data and identify relationships between variables.