1.2 Planning And Conducting Research

Question 1

What is a research aim?

Answer 1

The purpose of a study. Whatever is the researcher trying to find out.

Question 2

Give an example of a research question.

Answer 2

Does concentration affect memory?

Question 3

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 3

A statement of prediction, based on the understanding of the topic, about the outcome of a research on that topic.

Question 4

What is stated in a null hypothesis?

Give an example.

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

1. What is stated in an alternative/experimental hypothesis?

2. What types of hypotheses come under this hypothesis? (+ when are they used)

Answer 5

1. There will be an effect or a difference.
2. Directional (one-tailed) - understand the topic.
   Non-directional (two-tailed) - don’t understand the topic enough.

Question 6

Give an example of a one-tailed hypothesis.

Answer 6

Participants who [IV condition 1] will…………… significantly more/less [DV] than the participants who [IV condition 2].

Question 7

Give an example of a two-tailed hypothesis.

Answer 7

There will be a significant difference in the [DV] if the participants [IV condition 1] compared to participants [IV condition 2].

Question 8

What is the method used by researchers to gather their sample?

Answer 8

Sampling.

Question 9

What is a sample?

Answer 9

A group from the target population that participates in the research.

Question 10

What is the name of the group scientists are trying to find out more about?

Answer 10

Target population.

Question 11

What is population validity?

Answer 11

Wether the sample reflects the population.

Question 12

The more the ______ reflects the __________, the higher the population validity.
Fill in the gaps.

Answer 12

Sample, population.

Question 13

Define androcentric, gynocentric and ethnocentric.

Answer 13

1. Androcentric - when a sample involving mainly men is used to represent all men and women in the target population.
2. Gynocentric - when a sample involving mainly women is used to represent all men and women in the target population.
3. Ethnocentric - when a sample involving one culture is used to represent all cultures in the target population.

Question 14

Define gender bias and cultural bias.

Answer 14

1. Gender bias - when a sample consists of only 1 type of gender.
2. Cultural bias - when a sample consists of only 1 type of culture.

Question 15

What does it mean to generalise?

Answer 15

The extent to which we can draw conclusions on the target population based on a sample from it.

Question 16

What takes place in opportunity sampling?

Answer 16

Asking people from the target population if they can participate in the research.

Question 17

What takes place in self-selected sampling?

Answer 17

Participants offer themselves to take part.

Question 18

In what sampling method does every member in the target population have an equal chance of being asked to participate in the study?

Answer 18

Random sampling.

Question 19

What a takes place in snowball sampling?

Answer 19

Members in the target population are recruited by existing participants.

Question 20

Name the 4 sampling methods.

Answer 20

Opportunity, self-selected, random and snowball.

Question 21

Give one strength and weakness of opportunity sampling.

Answer 21

1. Strength - quick and easy to carry out, making it less time consuming to gather your sample size.
2. 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.

Question 22

Give one strength and weakness of random sampling.

Answer 22

1. Strength - avoids experimenter bias as all members in the target population have an equal chance of being selected.
2. Weakness - time consuming as you are required to gather a list of all the members in the target population.

Question 23

Give one strength and weakness of self-selected sampling.

Answer 23

1. Strength - convenient and ethical as the participants are the ones coming forward, making them less likely to withdraw.
2. 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.

Question 24

Give one strength and weakness of snowball sampling.

Answer 24

1. 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.
2. 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.

Question 25

What are the 3 types of experimental designs?

Answer 25

Independent measures, repeated measures and matched pairs.

Question 26

What takes place in independent measures?

Answer 26

Different participants take part in each of the 2 conditions.

Question 27

What takes place in repeated measures?

Answer 27

The same participants take place in both of the two conditions.

Question 28

What takes place in matched pairs?

Answer 28

Each participant is matched with a ‘twin’. The ‘twins’ take part in a different condition from the participants.

Question 29

Give one advantage and disadvantage of independent measures.

Answer 29

1. Advantage - the effects of one condition cannot affect the behaviour of the participants in the other condition.
2. Disadvantage - due to individual differences, one group of participants cannot represent the behaviour of the other group of participants.

Question 30

Give one advantage and disadvantage of repeated measures.

Answer 30

1. Advantage - the individual differences of each participant are the same in both groups, making more accurate results.
2. 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.

Question 31

Give one advantage and disadvantage of matched pairs.

Answer 31

1. Advantage - no order effects since no participant repeats any of the conditions.
2. Disadvantage - participants can be difficult to match. No one is exactly the same.

Question 32

What is the variable that you manipulate in hope of producing a change?

Answer 32

Independent variable.

Question 33

What is the variable that measures the change produced by another variable?

Answer 33

The dependent variable.

Question 34

Define operationalisation.

Answer 34

Precisely defining the IV and the DV so that their affects can be accurate,y measured.

Question 35

How do you know when the IV and DV are fully operationalised. Give an example with a naturally occurring variable?

Answer 35

When they are given a numerical value. For example with gender, you could say, women from 16 - 25, which involves a numerical value.

Question 36

What are variables that could influence the DV that the researcher isn’t manipulating?

Answer 36

Extraneous variables. E.g food intake and amount of sleep.

Question 37

What are the 3 types of extraneous variables?

Answer 37

Participant variables (individual differences),
Situational variables (environment) and
Experimenter variables (bias)

Question 38

How could you control participant variables?

Answer 38

By using the matched pairs or repeated measures design or by randomly allocating participants to the conditions.

Question 39

How could you control situational variables?

Answer 39

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.

Question 40

What are the two effects that come under order effects?

Answer 40

1. Fatigue effects - when the participant becomes tired doing the second condition
2. Practice effects - when the participants performs better in the second condition.

Question 41

How could you control experimenter variables?

Answer 41

You could carry out a double-blind trial.