Research

History of Research in School Psychology

In 1879, the first psychological laboratory was founded by Wilhelm Wundt in Germany, and in 1896 Lightner Witmer established the first psychological clinic at the University of Pennsylvania. Witmer is often cited as the founder of school psychology in the United States, and each year the Lightner Witmer award is given to a new scholar-researcher who has made significant contributions to research in school psychology. Although it has been generally recognized since the dawn of time that individuals differ with respect to intelligence, personality, achievement, and other characteristics, it was not until the 19th century that the scientific research on individual differences emerged. During this period, research focused on inheritance of intelligence with variables that included sensorimotor abilities (e.g., reaction time, sensory discrimination).

In 1905, the first intelligence test (the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale) was published. Following early research endeavors, there was a period of rapid growth and development in psychological research including the measurement of intelligence; individual differences in achievement, personality, vocational interests; and numerous other domains (e.g., suitability for military duty). Research over the past 100 years has evolved in many ways—the breadth of topics investigated, the sophistication of the data collection techniques used (e.g., computers and other specialized equipment such as polygraph machines), and the knowledge base and understanding of how to interpret research findings have grown by leaps and bounds. Additionally, ethical guidelines have emerged, and they strictly govern research practices to protect the rights of participants in all research-related activities.

Types of Research and Data Collection Methods

In general, there are two types of research (basic and applied), and they differ in their primary goals. The goals of basic research usually involve formulating theories, establishing relationships among different psychological constructs or variables, and providing knowledge for the sake of gaining knowledge. Applied research uses the results of basic research and applies them to solve everyday problems that children and adolescents encounter or to assist school personnel in serving their constituents. Although one may think that these two types of research are mutually exclusive, nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, they are probably inextricably bound and inform each other in a reciprocal and evolving manner.

In addition to the two broad types of research in school psychology, there are two major methods of collecting and presenting research findings: quantitative and qualitative methodologies. There are several subtypes of each method, and they tend to involve different means for collecting the data and analyzing and reporting the results. As the name suggests, quantitative methods involve quantifying something (e.g., how many words are read by two groups of second graders) and perhaps comparing groups on the variable in question. Qualitative methods usually involve describing a phenomenon (e.g., how a third grader solves a math problem) so that the process can be understood and studied via a quantitative method. However, in most research a variety of methods are used because school psychologists believe and accept that there is more than one way to examine variables. They also believe that it is important to explore any and all ways to answer questions that can be applied to help children and adolescents. In fact, school psychologists have found that flexibility in the type(s) of selected research methodologies leads to richer and more valuable outcomes. Thus, school psychology researchers often combine quantitative and qualitative research methodologies to maximize the generalizability of their findings.

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