7 - Research Methods Flashcards
What are the 7 stages of testing?
1) Observations
2) Writing a hypothesis
3) Designing a study to test the hypothesis
4) Collecting data
5) Analysing results
6) Questions the validity (accuracy) of the study
7) Drawing conclusions
What does ‘control’ mean?
The extent to which any variable is held constant
What does ‘mundane realism’ mean?
How real a study is in the real world
What is an extraneous variable?
Give an example
A variable that affects the DV but isn’t the IV - refers to the participant
Memory, age, mood
What is a confounding variable?
Give an example
A variable that affects the DV but isn’t the IV - refers to the study
Time of day, location, materials provided
What does ‘internal validity’ mean?
Whether or not the results were due to IV manipulation or other factors (eg. extraneous variables or demand characteristics)
What does ‘external validity’ mean?
How well the study can be replicated in another setting with other people
What does ‘ecological valaidity’ mean?
How well the study can be replicated in another place
What does ‘population validity’ mean?
How well the study can be replicated with other people
What does ‘historical validty’ mean?
How well the study can be replicated outside of its historical context
What does ‘temporal validity’ mean?
How well the results apply as time goes on
Describe the ‘independent groups’ design
- Participants are placed in separate groups
- Each group does one level of the IV
Describe the ‘matched pairs’ design
- Pairs of participant are matched on key variables (eg. IQ, age etc.)
- One member of each pair does one of the conditions and the other does the other condition
Describe the ‘repeated measures’ design
Each participant takes part in each of the study’s conditions
Describe a laboratory experiment
- An experiment that’s in a controlled
- The IV is manipulated by the researcher
Describe a field experiment
- It’s in the “real world”
- The IV is manipulated by the researcher, DV isn’t controlled
Describe a quasi experiment
- The IV isn’t controlled
- It varies among people
Describe a natural experiment
It’s conducted when it’s NOT POSSIBLE to deliberately manipulate the IV
What is a null hypothesis?
A hypothesis that suggests there is no difference between the variables being studied
What is a directional hypothesis?
States what kind of relationship there is between 2 things
Eg. There will be an increase in the amount remembered in the morning
What is a non-directional hypothesis?
States that there will be a difference between 2 things
Eg. There will be a difference in the amount remembered in the morning and evening
What is a one-tailed hypothesis?
When you only have one outcome in mind
What is a two-tailed hypothesis?
When you have 2 or more outcomes in mind
What is deception?
When a participant is NOT told the true aims of the study
What does ‘right to withdraw’ mean?
Participants can choose to stop taking part in the study if they feel uncomfortable
What does ‘protection from harm’ mean?
Participants shouldn’t feel experience physical or psychological harm during/from the experiment
What does ‘privacy’ mean?
Control over the flow of a person’s information
What does ‘confidentiality’ mean?
The control of the communication of personal information from one person to another
What is informed consent?
Participants must be given information about the study, so that they can decide whether they’ll take part or not
What is an aim?
A statement of what you intend to observe, investigate or discover
What is a null hypothesis?
When you predict that there is no difference between what you already have and what you’re investigating
What is a directional hypothesis?
Predicting the kind of relationship between the variables being investigated
What is a non-directional hypothesis?
Predicting that there will be a difference between the variables being investigated
What is a one-tailed hypothesis?
When you have 1 outcome in mind
What is a two-tailed hypothesis?
When you have 2+ outcomes in mind
What is the repeated measures design?
Doing different tests that the same group of people take part in
What is the independent groups design?
Different participants are used in each conditions of an experiment
What is the matched pairs design?
- Pairs of participants are matched on a key, relevant variable (eg. age or IQ)
- One member of the pair is placed in one group and the other in the other group
What is volunteer sampling?
Volunteers make up the sample
What is opportunity sampling?
Selecting people who are most easily available at the time of the study
What is random sampling?
A sample of participants produced using a random technique
What is a correlation?
The relationship between 2 co-variables
What is a correlation co-efficient?
A number between -1 and +1 that tells us how closely co-variables are associated
What is a positive correlation?
When two co-variables increase together
What is a negative correlation?
When one co-variable increases, the other decreases
What is zero correlation?
When there is no relationship between 2 co-variables
What is a directional correlation?
Saying what type of correlation it is (eg. positive)
What is a non-directional correlation?
Only saying that there is a correlation, not specifying what type of correlation
What is a self-report technique?
Where participants provide information about themselves/experiences
What is a questionnaire?
A self-report technique where the questions are written
What is a structured interview?
- Has pre-determined questions
- Doesn’t deviate from these questions
What is an unstructured interview?
New questions are developed over the course of the interview
What is naturalistic observation?
- When an observation is carried out in a natural environment
- The investigator does not interfere with the setting, but only observes the behaviours
What is controlled observation?
When behaviour is observed under controlled
What is covert observation?
Observing people without their knowledge
What is overt observation?
Participants are aware that they’re being studied
What is participant observation?
Observations made by someone who is participating in the study
What is non-participant observation?
The observer is separate from the participants
What is quantitative data?
- Numbers
- Data which can be measured
What is qualitative data?
Data that is observed (not measured)
What is primary data?
Data collected by you
What is secondary data?
Data collected by someone else
