2. Issues of experimental design, variables and operationalization

Question 1

What is the method in nutshell?

Answer 1

You have a theory that attempts to explain a particular phenomenon of interest. That theory is used to generate a hypothesis (if theory X is true, it follows logically that Y should occur). You test the hypothesis and then, if necessary, update your theory

Question 2

What are the elements that make up the Scientific Method?

Answer 2

authority, intuition, rationality, empiricism

Question 3

How is the Scientific Method characterised?

Answer 3

by the development of theories which have explanatory and predictive capacity and which must be testable and refutable

Question 4

What makes a good theory?

Answer 4

It must make predictions that can be tested and by test the theory can be refuted

Question 5

What are the objectives of psychological research?

Answer 5

To develop theories that describe, explain and predict aspects of psychological functioning

Question 6

What does it mean to describe a phenemenon?

Answer 6

portraying the phenomenon accurately

Question 7

What does it mean to explain a phenomenon?

Answer 7

identifying the cause(s) of the phenomenon

Question 8

What does it mean to predict a phenomenon?

Answer 8

identifying risk factors of a phenomenon can help you to predict when it might happen

Question 9

How does one conduct a research?

Answer 9

Identify the phenomena of interest.
Read scientific literature
formulate a research question
identify the best method to address the research question

Question 10

what are the questions to be asked when reading scientific literature?

Answer 10

is there an established theory that generates predictions about the phenomena?
If not, what evidence is needed to allow a theory to be developed?
If there are competing theoretical perspectives, ask what evidence is needed to establish which theory is correct

Question 11

what are quantitative studies?

Answer 11

collecting numerical data to answer research questions

Question 12

What are qualitative studies?

Answer 12

collecting non-numerical data to answer research questions

Question 13

what are mixed method research?

Answer 13

Employing a combination of quantitative data and qualitative data.
Quantitative data provides an incomplete analysis of what is being investigated.
Qualitative data adds additional level of understanding.

Question 14

How do quantitative methods work?

Answer 14

you have a hypothesis and then you collect some kind of numerical data to test that hypothesis

Question 15

what is a variable?

Answer 15

something that varies, takes on different values or categories

Question 16

what are categorical variables

Answer 16

varies by type or kind e.g. gender religion, university course, type of therapy (NOMINAL MEASUREMENT)

Question 17

What are continuous variables?

Answer 17

varies by degree or amount e.g. reaction time, height, age, anxiety level (INTERVAL / RATION MEASUREMENT)

Question 18

What are independent variables?

Answer 18

presumed to cause change in another variable.

It is often manipulated by the researcher

Question 19

What are dependent variables?

Answer 19

the presumed effect or outcome of the study

The variable that is measured by the researcher and influenced by the IV.

Question 20

What are the general questions of quantitative research?

Answer 20

are the changes in the IV associated with the changes in the DV?
Or does changes in the IV cause changes in the DV?

Question 21

What are extraneous variables?

Answer 21

variables that competes with the IV in explaining the outcome of the DV.
They are all of the things that might impact upon a person’s ability to perform a task.
It is important to try to control for Extraneous variables

Question 22

Confounding variables

Answer 22

an extraneous variable that is allowed to co-vary along with the levels of the IV
Having a confound is pretty serious because it means that you really cannot tell whether it is the IV or the confounding that is affecting performance

Question 23

what are mediation or intervening variables?

Answer 23

occurs between two other variables in a causal chain.

e.g. anxiety causes distraction (mediation variable) which affects memory

Question 24

moderating variable?

Answer 24

qualify a causal relationship as dependent on another variable
e.g. the impact of anxiety on memory is different for men and women (sex is a moderating variable)

Question 25

What are the steps to answering a research question?

Answer 25

1. design a study 2. find some participants 3. make measurements 4. analyse the data 5. write a paper explaining what you have done

Question 26

what are some ways to answer a research question?

Answer 26

``` naturalistic observation correlational study internet study field experiment laboratory based experiment ```

Question 27

when choosing how to best address a research question, what needs to be considered?

Answer 27

the logistics, ethics and validity

Question 28

when considering logistics, what question should be asked?

Answer 28

is it possible to do the thing that we want to do?

Question 29

when considering ethics what question should be asked

Answer 29

is it OK to do the thing we want to do?

Question 30

when considering validity what is the question that should be asked?

Answer 30

will doing what we want to do tell us anything useful?

Question 31

what is operationism?

Answer 31

representing constructs by a specific set of operations?

Question 32

what is the definition of operational?

Answer 32

defining a concept by the operations used to represent or measure it

Question 33

what is causatin

Answer 33

a condition in which one event (the cause) generates another event (the effect)

Question 34

what are the criteria for identifying a causal relation?

Answer 34

Cause (IV) must be related to the effect (DC) - Relationship condition Changes in IV must precede changes in DV - temporal order condition No other plausible explanation must exist for the effect

Question 35

what can a well designed and appropriately controlled and conducted experiment allow>

Answer 35

inferences about causality

Question 36

what is the basic process for inferring causality?

Answer 36

perform an action (manipualte IV) measure the consequences (changes in the DV) CONTROL foro ther possible explanations

Question 37

what should an experiment be?

Answer 37

carefully designed rigorously controlled replicable ethical

Question 38

what are some ethical issues

Answer 38

informed consent right to confidentiality right to withdraw do not cause physical or mental harm/distress

Question 39

what are the advantages of the experimental approach

Answer 39

can make causal inferences, able to manipulate variables and able to control certain variables

Question 40

what are causal descroptions

Answer 40

identifying the consequence of manipulating an IV

Question 41

what are causal explanations?

Answer 41

refers to explaining the mechanisms through which the relationship exists

Question 42

True or false: | The experimental approach is the only scientific method where variables are manipulated?

Answer 42

True

Question 43

how are extraneous variables controlled?

Answer 43

holding them constant using random assignment matching

Question 44

What are the disadvantages of the experimental approach?

Answer 44

does not test the effect of non-manipulated variables | and artificiality or generalisability

Question 45

What does it mean when one says that there is an issue of artificiality and generalisability?

Answer 45

refers to potential problems in generalising findings from laboratory settings to the real world

Question 46

what are the advantages of internet experiments?

Answer 46

- access to diverse population - bring the experiment to the participant - large sample this greater power - cost saving

Question 47

what are the disadvantages of internet experiments?

Answer 47

- multiple submissions - lack of control - self-selection - drop out

Question 48

what is a field experiment?

Answer 48

an experimental research study that is conducted in a real-life setting

Question 49

what is the advantage of field experiments?

Answer 49

may be easier to generalise findings

Question 50

what is the disadvantage of field experiments?

Answer 50

less control of extraneous vriables

Question 51

what is a confederate?

Answer 51

a person who is in leage with the experimenter, unbeknownst to the participant

Question 52

what are laboratory experiments?

Answer 52

an experimental research study that is conducted in a controlled laboratory setting

Question 53

what are the advantages of a lab experment

Answer 53

more control over extraneous variables

Question 54

wht is the disadvantage of lab experiments?

Answer 54

less generalisation related to artificiality

Question 55

what are the different ways we could manipulate the IV

Answer 55

experimental, individual difference, repeated measure (within and between group) mixed design

Question 56

what is experimental manipulation?

Answer 56

where the experimenter determines which level of the IV a participant is tested at

Question 57

what are the two types of experimental manipulation?

Answer 57

even and instructional

Question 58

what is individual difference manipulation

Answer 58

a characteristic of the participant determines the level of the IV at which they are tested

Question 59

what is repeated measure (within group) design

Answer 59

each participant is tested at each level of the IV. It is more sensitive and cant always be used

Question 60

What is a between groups design?

Answer 60

each participant tested at only one level of the IV. less sensitive and often forced to use this design

Question 61

what is a mixed method design?

Answer 61

more than one IV with at least one IV manipulated between groups and at least one within groups