2.1.1 Research terminology Flashcards
what is a hypothesis?
a testable theory
what is an aim?
the general investigative purpose of a study
what is a directional hypothesis?
tells us exactly what the researcher predicts will be found - tells us what the effect will be
what is a non directional hypothesis?
predicts some effect or difference is expected but doesn’t specify what the effect will be
what is a null hypothesis?
says there is no significant relationship between the variables being studied
” there is no difference in friendliness between northerners and southerners” - directional, non-directional or null?
null
“northerners are friendlier than southerners” directional, non-directional or null?
directional
what does an experimental method involve?
the researcher manipulating variables
what is a variable?
something that changes
what is an independent variable?
the thing changed/manipulated e.g temperature
what is a dependant variable?
the variable that you measure e.g reaction time
what does operationalize mean?
to make abstract concepts easier to measure e.g. measuring aggression by the number of punches thrown
what is a non experimental method?
researcher collects data needed without making changes or introducing variables (e.g. questionnaires)
what are uncontrollable variables called?
extraneous and confounding variables
what are the 3 types of extraneous variables?
subject
experimental
situational
what is a subject variable?
characteristics of the participant which may affect the outcome such as age or sex e.g. research involving video games, young people may perform better
what is an experimental variable?
characteristics of the experimenter(s) which might affect how the experiment is conducted or how the participant responds e.g. age, sex, qualifications
what are situational variables?
characteristics of the environment in which research is being carried out which may impact results e.g. noise levels, temperature
what is a confounding variable?
a hidden variable that caused two variables to falsely appear in a relationship
“there is a positive correlation between the amount of people drowning and the amount of ice cream being eaten” - what is the confounding variable?
hot weather - more people go swimming and buy ice cream
what is a methodology?
how psychologists investigate their hypothesis
what is the location of research?
where research is carried out.
what is a primary source of data?
data gathered from research you gave carried out yourself
what is secondary data?
research other people have carried out
what is qualitative data?
in depth written data
what is quantitative data?
numerical data that is quick and easy to analyse
what is a laboratory environment?
controlled environment which you have chosen and set up arranged for people to come to
what is a field environment?
research carried the real world
what is an online environment?
research carried out on the internet
What is a quasi experiment?
The IV is naturally occurring
Researcher measures the effect of the IV on the DV
What are some strengths of quasi experiments?
IV is naturally occurring so research is high in ecological validity
Can investigate things you couldn’t manipulate due to practical or ethical issues
What are issues of quasi experiments?
Lack of control
Impossible to replicate
No cause and effect
What are some strengths of lab experiments?
High levels of control over EVs and CVs
Can establish cause and effect
High replicability - reliable
What are some issues of lab experiments?
Control may lead to demand characteristics e.g. Hawthorne or screw you
Lack of ecological validity - artificial environments
What are some strengths of field experiments?
High in ecological validity
Less chance of demand characteristics if people are unaware they are being watched
What are some weaknesses of field experiments?
Observing people without consent - no right to withdraw
Lack of control
Not replicable
No cause and effect
