Biologicalš§ ā¢ Practical Flashcards
What was the aim of the practical?
To investigate whether there is a correlation between the 2D:4D digit ratio (cm) and self-reported aggression scores in the past month (rated on a scale from 1-10)
What was the rationale of the practical?
That the 2D:4D digit ratio has been linked to pre-natal exposure to testosterone
What is the 2D:4D digit ratio?
The length of the second/index finger and the length of the fourth/ring finger
What is the Alternative Hypothesis (H1) for the practical?
There will be a significant correlation between the 2D:4D digit rato (cm) and self-reported aggression in the past month (measured on a scale of 1-10 whereby 0= no aggression and 10= high aggression)
**REMEMBER, HAVE TO OPERATIONALISE OR NO MARKS (DESCRIBE HOW MEASURE VAR
What is the Null Hypothesis (H0) for the practical?
There will not be a significant correlation between the 2D:4D digit rato (cm) and self-reported aggression (measured on a scale of 1-10 whereby 0= no aggression and 10= high aggression)
What is important to also state on a question where it asks for the Null Hypothesis?
That any relationships found would be due to chance
How many things should you include in a sample discription?
6
Describe the sample for the practical (6 things)
- 19 participants
- 4 males, 15 females
- all privately educated
- from Bristol
- 1 afro-carribean, 3 white-asian & 15 - white british
- 18 right hand dominant & 1 left hand dominant
What was the sampling method for the practical? +describe
Opportunity sampling
* Sample consisted of students in psychology class that were avainable at the time
How do you calculate the 2D:4D ratio? (here you are operationalising it)
2D:4D ratio is calculated by diving the length (cm) of the index finger of the right hand by the length (cm) of the ring finger of the right hand.
Explain how to interpret the results of the 2D:4D ratio
A longer index finger will result in a ratio higher than 1, while a longer ring finger will result in a ratio of less than 1
How do you get the measaurements from each finger for eventually calculating the 2D:4D digit ratio?
Each participantsā right hand was measured from the plamer crease of the hand to the end of the fingertip (EXCLUDING FINGERNAIL LENGTH) to ensure all the measurements were the same
ā> also increases replicability and therefore reliability
What are operationalised variables/ what does operationalised mean?
- Operationalised variables are the variables that your research focuses around and that you have to describe how you measured.
- Operationlised means when you describe how something was carried out e.g how something was measured so that others may conduct the same experiment as you
What were the 2 operationalised variables included within the practical?
KEY: Italics = variable & Bold = operationalised
* Levels of aggression from the past month as measured by a self reported score out of 10 whereby 10 = very aggressive and 0 = no aggression
* 2D:4D digit ratio **as calculated by diving the length (cm) of the index finger of the right hand by the length (cm) of the ring finger of the right hand (a longer index finger will result in a ratio higher than 1, while a longer ring finger will result in a ratio of less than 1)
What is the design of the practical?
Repeated measures design
Explain the repeated measures design
When it is a single group of participants and each individual provides multiple data points
Describe 2 strengths to the practical
(+explain)
- Study was reliable because I used a standardised procedure to obtain the 2D:4D ratio. I calulated this by dividing index finger of right hand (cm) over the ring finger of left hand (cm). Therefore, all participants were measured using the same method, with the same experience + the method is repeatable so = reliable
- Study was ethical because I informed my participants of the true aim from the start and gained their **informed consent **. I informed all participants that the aim was to investigate the relationship between the 2D:4D ratio and self-reported levels of aggression from the past month + all of them decided to take part. Therefore, all were aware what they were consenting to, so there was no deception or psychological harm, meaning they left the experiment in the same mental and physical state that they entered
What inferential test was used to analyse the data?
Spearmanās Rho test for correlation
What was the level of data that was collected?
Ordinal and above because we used ratios in calculating the 2D:4D ratio by measurements of participants index finger and ring finger on their right hand + we used a ranked scale to gather numerical valules on self-reported aggressions scores from the past month on a scale of 1-10
Describe 2 weaknesses to the practical
- Validity of study is a weakness due to the method used to take measurements of finger length to calculate the 2D:4D ratio. Each participant measured their index and ring finger in cm with a ridgid 2D ruler, this could have been inaccurate due to awkward fit of 2D ruler onto 3D finger. Therefore, accuracy of finger length variable may have been affected, weakening the validity of the results
- Valditiy of study is weakness due the method usd to measure participantsā levels of aggression. Each participant gave a self-reported score of their own judgement of their level of aggression in the past month on a scale of 1-10, participants could have given innacurate rating due to striving for social desriability as it isnt desirable to have a high score such as 10. Therefore, accuracy may be weakened and the data can be criticised for being inaccurate, weakening the validity of the results
Describe how you could overcome the weaknesses to the practical
- Improve Validity via altering method for measuring fingers for 2D:4D ratio. Could improve by scanning images of participantsā right hands to enable a more accurate measurement of finger length as a 2D ruler is more likely to give a more accurate reading on a 2D image than on a 3D finger. Therefore, accuracy of finger length variable would improve, consequently improving validity of results
- Improving Validity via repeating measurements of index and ring fingers in cm three times to then calculate a mean average to work from. Therefore, this would have ensured more valid and reliable measurements for the digit ratio, improving the accuracy of the results and also validity
WEAKNESS WITH SELF-REPORTED AGGRESSION SCORES HARD TO IMPROVE UPON AS SOLUTION = PEER RATING CAN LEAD TOWARDS NEGATIVE ETHICAL EFFECTS DISPITE INTER-RATER RELIABILITY IMPROVEMENT (could still say in response as long as acknowledge ethics)
What were the results of the practical?
The results from Spearmanās Rho correlational test were not statistically significant and the Null Hypothesis (H0) can be supported which states that there was no significant correlation between 2D:4D ratio (cm) and self-reported aggression scores from the past month (measured on a scale of 1-10)
