2 - Research methods

Question 1

Explain the difference between aims and hypotheses

Answer 1

Aims:
General statements about what researchers intend to study

Hypothesis:
A precise and testable statement about the relationship between variables.

Question 2

Name 4 types of hypothesis

Answer 2

Null
alternative
directional
non-directional

Question 3

Explain the difference between population and sample

Answer 3

Population:
The group of people you want to study

Sample:
The group of people actually used in the study

Question 4

Name 5 sampling techniques

Answer 4

Random
systematic
stratified
volunteer
opportunity

Question 5

Name 3 experimental designs

Answer 5

Independent measures
repeated measures
matched pairs

Question 6

Name 3 types of experiments

Answer 6

Lab
field
natural
quasi

Question 7

What is meant by operationalisation of variables

Answer 7

Ensuring variables are in a form that can be easily tested.

Question 8

What extraneous variables would random allocation aim to control?

Answer 8

Participant variables

Question 9

What extraneous variables would counterbalancing aim to control?

Answer 9

Order effects

Question 10

What are demand characteristics?

Answer 10

Participant behaviour is altered to please the researcher or to influence the exp in a negative way

Question 11

Give an example of investigator effects

Answer 11

Anything the investigator does that has an effect on the P’s performance other than what was intended

Question 12

Name 3 ethical issues in the design and conduct of psychological studies

Answer 12

Confidentiality
informed consent, deception
protection from harm
right to withdraw
privacy

Question 13

Explain how you might deal with the ethical issues

Answer 13

debriefing
following BPS ethical guidelines
submit proposal to an ethics committee
cost-benefit analysis
presumptive consent

Question 14

Name 6 types of observations

Answer 14

Overt
covert
controlled
naturalistic
participant
non-participant

Question 15

When designing a structured observation what 2 sampling methods could be used?

Answer 15

Time
event

Question 16

Name 2 self-report techniques used in psychological investigations

Answer 16

Questionnaire
Interviews

Question 17

Name two ways of assessing reliability

Answer 17

Test-retest
inter-rater reliability

Question 18

Name 5 features of science

Answer 18

Objectivity
empirical methods
replicability
falsifiability
theory construction
hypothesis testing
paradigms & paradigm shifts

Question 19

When reporting a psychological investigations, what are the 6 sections of a scientific report (in order)?

Answer 19

Abstract
introduction
methods
results
discussion
referencing

Question 20

Explain what is meant by a meta-analysis

Answer 20

Looking at findings from a number of different studies to see an overall effect

Question 21

Explain the difference between a correlation and an experiment

Answer 21

Experiments involve a direct manipulation of a variable correlations do not
Experiments can establish a causal relationship correlations cannot

Question 22

How would you interpret a correlation coefficient of -0.8 ?

Answer 22

Strong Negative association

Question 23

Name 5 descriptive statistics

Answer 23

Mean
median
mode
range
standard deviation

Question 24

Name 3 types of distributions

Answer 24

Normal
positive skewed
negative skewed

Question 25

Using the data in the Table, identify the distribution shown in Group A and Group B.

Group A:
Mean - 22.4
Median - 22.5
Mode - 22

Group B:
Mean - 26
Median - 22.5
Mode - 16

Answer 25

A- normal
B - positive skewed

Question 26

Name 3 levels of measurement

Answer 26

Nominal
Ordinal
Interval

Question 27

What factors affect the choice of an inferential statistical test

Answer 27

Whether it is an experiment or correlation, experimental design, level of measurement

Question 28

Draw a diagram to show when to use 8 statistical tests you have learnt

Answer 28

You can do this easy :D Daily affirmation: you’re amazing

Question 29

What is meant by significant at p<0.05

Answer 29

The probability of the results occurring by chance is less than 5%

Question 30

What is the difference between Type I and Type II errors

Answer 30

Type 1 - (False Positive)
- Incorrectly rejects null hypothesis

Type 2 - (False Negative)
- Incorrectly accepts null hypothesis