1.2 Planning And Conducting Research Flashcards
What is a research aim?
The purpose of a study. Whatever is the researcher trying to find out.
Give an example of a research question.
Does concentration affect memory?
What is a hypothesis?
A statement of prediction, based on the understanding of the topic, about the outcome of a research on that topic.
What is stated in a null hypothesis?
Give an example.
The null hypothesis states there will be no effect on the DV by the IV.
There will be no significant difference in the [DV] of the participants [IV condition 1] compared to participants [IV condition 2]. Any difference will be due to chance.
- What is stated in an alternative/experimental hypothesis?
2. What types of hypotheses come under this hypothesis? (+ when are they used)
- There will be an effect or a difference.
- Directional (one-tailed) - understand the topic.
Non-directional (two-tailed) - don’t understand the topic enough.
Give an example of a one-tailed hypothesis.
Participants who [IV condition 1] will…………… significantly more/less [DV] than the participants who [IV condition 2].
Give an example of a two-tailed hypothesis.
There will be a significant difference in the [DV] if the participants [IV condition 1] compared to participants [IV condition 2].
What is the method used by researchers to gather their sample?
Sampling.
What is a sample?
A group from the target population that participates in the research.
What is the name of the group scientists are trying to find out more about?
Target population.
What is population validity?
Wether the sample reflects the population.
The more the ______ reflects the __________, the higher the population validity.
Fill in the gaps.
Sample, population.
Define androcentric, gynocentric and ethnocentric.
- Androcentric - when a sample involving mainly men is used to represent all men and women in the target population.
- Gynocentric - when a sample involving mainly women is used to represent all men and women in the target population.
- Ethnocentric - when a sample involving one culture is used to represent all cultures in the target population.
Define gender bias and cultural bias.
- Gender bias - when a sample consists of only 1 type of gender.
- Cultural bias - when a sample consists of only 1 type of culture.
What does it mean to generalise?
The extent to which we can draw conclusions on the target population based on a sample from it.
What takes place in opportunity sampling?
Asking people from the target population if they can participate in the research.
What takes place in self-selected sampling?
Participants offer themselves to take part.
In what sampling method does every member in the target population have an equal chance of being asked to participate in the study?
Random sampling.
What a takes place in snowball sampling?
Members in the target population are recruited by existing participants.
Name the 4 sampling methods.
Opportunity, self-selected, random and snowball.
Give one strength and weakness of opportunity sampling.
- Strength - quick and easy to carry out, making it less time consuming to gather your sample size.
- Weakness - the sample will become inevitably biased using this method since friends, friendly people or people you know are most likely to be asked and most likely to share the same characteristics due to similar personalities.
Give one strength and weakness of random sampling.
- Strength - avoids experimenter bias as all members in the target population have an equal chance of being selected.
- Weakness - time consuming as you are required to gather a list of all the members in the target population.
Give one strength and weakness of self-selected sampling.
- Strength - convenient and ethical as the participants are the ones coming forward, making them less likely to withdraw.
- Weakness - possible sample bias since the participants coming foward are likely to share similar personalities, for example, being more open minded and motivated with a lot of free time.
Give one strength and weakness of snowball sampling.
- Strength - great method to find part of a target population that is difficult to sample since the “rare” participant might know other people like them. Therefore you can achieve a successful sample size.
- Weakness - however, being able to find at least 1 “rare” participant is not guaranteed, and even so, you’d have to be reliant on them to get your sample size which can be very time consuming.
What are the 3 types of experimental designs?
Independent measures, repeated measures and matched pairs.
What takes place in independent measures?
Different participants take part in each of the 2 conditions.
What takes place in repeated measures?
The same participants take place in both of the two conditions.
What takes place in matched pairs?
Each participant is matched with a ‘twin’. The ‘twins’ take part in a different condition from the participants.
Give one advantage and disadvantage of independent measures.
- Advantage - the effects of one condition cannot affect the behaviour of the participants in the other condition.
- Disadvantage - due to individual differences, one group of participants cannot represent the behaviour of the other group of participants.
Give one advantage and disadvantage of repeated measures.
- Advantage - the individual differences of each participant are the same in both groups, making more accurate results.
- Disadvantage - order effects can take place, which means they could behave differently during the second condition after taking part in the first condition. For example, completing the same task quicker.
Give one advantage and disadvantage of matched pairs.
- Advantage - no order effects since no participant repeats any of the conditions.
- Disadvantage - participants can be difficult to match. No one is exactly the same.
What is the variable that you manipulate in hope of producing a change?
Independent variable.
What is the variable that measures the change produced by another variable?
The dependent variable.
Define operationalisation.
Precisely defining the IV and the DV so that their affects can be accurate,y measured.
How do you know when the IV and DV are fully operationalised. Give an example with a naturally occurring variable?
When they are given a numerical value. For example with gender, you could say, women from 16 - 25, which involves a numerical value.
What are variables that could influence the DV that the researcher isn’t manipulating?
Extraneous variables. E.g food intake and amount of sleep.
What are the 3 types of extraneous variables?
Participant variables (individual differences), Situational variables (environment) and Experimenter variables (bias)
How could you control participant variables?
By using the matched pairs or repeated measures design or by randomly allocating participants to the conditions.
How could you control situational variables?
By standardising the experiment. (Making the environment feel the same for every participant)
You could also counterbalance which involves half of the participants doing condition 2 then condition 1 and the other half doing it the other way round.
What are the two effects that come under order effects?
- Fatigue effects - when the participant becomes tired doing the second condition
- Practice effects - when the participants performs better in the second condition.
How could you control experimenter variables?
You could carry out a double-blind trial.
