Ch1 - Key Science skills Flashcards
Psychology
the scientific study of human mental states and behaviour
Aim
a statement outlining the purpose of an investigation
Hypothesis
a testable prediction about the outcome of an investigation
(it was hypothesised that…)
Population
the group of people who are the focus of the research and from which the sample is drawn
Controlled experiment
a type of investigation in which the causal relationship between two variables is tested in a controlled environment
the effect of the IV on the DV is tested while aiming to control all other variables
Advantages: follows strictly controlled procedure so can be repeated to check results
Disadvantage: often only conducted in a lab so may not reflect real life
Independent variable (IV)
the variable for which quantities are manipulated by the researcher, and te variable that is assumed to have a direct effect on the DV
Dependent variable (DV)
the variable the researcher measured in an experiment for changes it may experience due to the effect of the IV
Controlled variables
variables other than the IV that a researcher controls in an investigation, to ensure that changes in the DV are solely due to changes in the IV
Case study
an in-depth investigation of an individual, group, or particular phenomenon that contains a real or hypothetical situation and includes the complexities that would be encountered in the real world
Advantage: provide highly detailed info about phenomenon being studied
Disadvantages: results can’t be generalised
Correlational study
a type of non-experimental study in which researchers observe and measure the relationship between two or more variables without any active control or manipulation of them
Advantages: no manipulation of variables required
Disadvantage: can be subject to influence of extraneous variables
Fieldwork
any research involving observation and interaction with people and environments in real-world settings, conducted beyond the laboratory
Experimental group
the group of participants in an experiment who are exposed to a manipulated IV
Control group
the group of participants in an experiment who receive no experimental treatment or intervention in order to serve as a baseline for comparison
Within-subjects design
an experimental design in which participants complete every experimental condition
Between-subjects design
an experimental design in which individuals are divided into different groups and complete only one experimental condition
Types of fieldwork
- direct observations
- qualitative interviews
- questionnaires
- focus groups
- yarning circles
Sample
a subset of the research population who participate in a study
Generalisable/external validity
the ability for a sample’s results to be used to make conclusions about the wider research population
Convenience sampling
any sampling technique that involves selecting readily available members of the population, rather than using a random or systematic approach
Advantage: time effective
Disadvantage: unlikely to produce representative sample
Random sampling
any sampling technique that uses a procedure to ensure every member of the population has the same chance of being selected.
Advantage: reduces experimenter bias
Disadvantage: may be time-consuming
Stratified sampling
any sampling technique that involves selecting people from the population in a way that ensures that its strata are proportionally represented in the sample
Advantage: likely to produce a representative sample
Disadvantage: can be time-consuming & expensive
Extraneous variable
any variable that is not the independent variable but may cause an unwanted effect on the dependent variable
Confounding variable
a variable that has directly and systematically affected the DV, apart from the IV
Participant related variables
characteristics of a study’s participants that may affect the results
Order effects
the tendency for the order in which participants complete experimental conditions to have an effect on their behaviour
Placebo effect
when participants respond to an inactive substance or treatment as a result of their expectations or beliefs
Experimenter effect
when the expectations of the researcher affect the results of an experiment
Situational variables
any environmental factor that may affect the dependent variable
Non-standardised instructions and procedures
when directions and procedures differ across participants or experimental conditions
Demand characteristics
cues in an experiment that may signal to a participant the intention of the study and influence their behaviour
Counterbalancing
a method to reduce order effects that involves ordering experimental conditions in a certain way
Single blind procedure
a procedure in which participants are unaware of the experimental group or condition they have been allocated
Double blind procedure
a procedure in which both participants and the experimenter do not know which conditions or groups participants are allocated to
Objective data
factual data that is observed and measured independently of personal opinion
Subjective data
data that is informed by personal opinion, perception, or interpretation
Accuracy
how close a measurement is to the true value of the quantity being measured
Precision
how closely a set of measurement values agree with each other
Systematic errors
errors in data that differ from the true value by a consistent amount
Random errors
errors in data that are unsystematic and occur due to chance
Repeatability
the extent to which successive measurements or studies produce the same results when carried out under identical conditions within a short period of time
Reproducibility
the extent to which successive measurements or studies produce the same results when repeated under different conditions.
Validity
the extent to which psychological tools and investigations truly support their findings or conclusions
Internal validity
the extent to which an investigation truly measures or investigates what it claims to
External validity
the extent to which the results of an investigation can be applied to similar individuals in different settings
Ethical concepts
- Beneficence - minimising harm
- Integrity
- Justice
- Non-maleficence - avoiding harm
- Respect
Ethical Guidelines
- Confidentiality
- informed consent procedures
- deception
- debriefing
- voluntary participation
- withdrawal rights
