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Psych Unit 3 > Chapter 1 - Research Methods > Flashcards

Chapter 1 - Research Methods Flashcards

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1
Q

Define Behaviour

A

Any externally expressed action made by a living person that can be directly observed.

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2
Q

What are the 7 steps in Psychological Research?

A 
1 - Identifying the Research Problem
2 - Constructing the Research Hypothesis
3 - Designing the Method 
4 - Collecting the Data
5 - Analysing the Data
6 - Interpreting the Data
7 - Reporting of the Research Findings
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3
Q

Define Research Method

A

A particular way of conducting a research study to collect accurate and reliable information about behaviour and mental processes.

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4
Q

Define Experiment

A

Used to test a cause-effect relationship between variables under controlled conditions.

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5
Q

Define Variable

A

Any factor that can change in amount or type over time.

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6
Q

Define Independent Variable

A

The variable that is systematically manipulated, changed or varied in some way by the researcher in order to assess its effect on the participants’ responses.

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7
Q

Define Dependent Variable

A

Shows any effects of the independent variable.

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8
Q

What’s the difference between the experimental and control conditions?

A

In the experimental condition the independent variable is present, while in the control condition it is not.

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9
Q

Define Operationalised

A

Stated in terms of the procedures that will be used to manipulate and measure them in the experiment.

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10
Q

Define Hypothesis

A

A tentative and testable prediction of the relationship between two or more events or characteristics.

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11
Q

Define Operational Hypothesis

A

A research hypothesis that states how the variables being studied will be observed, manipulated and measured.

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12
Q

Define Extraneous Variable

A

Any variable other that the IV that can cause a change in the DV and therefore affect the results of the experiment in an unwanted way.

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13
Q

Define Confounding Variable

A

A variable other that the IV that has had an unwanted affect on the DV, making it impossible to determine which of the variables has produced the change in the DV.

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14
Q

Define Mental Processes

A

Refers to a person’s thoughts and feelings, which are personal, or subjective, and cannot be directly observed.

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15
Q

Define Placebo

A

An inactive substance or treatment, which substitutes for the real substance or treatment.

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16
Q

Define Placebo Effect

A

Occurs when there is a change in the response of participants due to their belief that they are receiving some kind of experimental treatment and they respond in accordance with that belief, rather then to the effect of the IV.

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17
Q

Define Participant Variables

A

Differences in personal characteristics and experiences of the individual participants in an experiment.

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18
Q

Define Experimenter Effect

A

Occurs when there is change in a participant’s due to the researcher’s expectations, biases or actions, rather than to the effect of the IV.

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19
Q

Define Order Effect

A

Occurs when performance, as measured by the DV, is influenced by the specific order in which the conditions, treatments or tasks are presented rather than the IV.

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20
Q

What is another possible extraneous or confounding variable?

A

Non-Standardised Procedures

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21
Q

Define Participants

A

The people used in an experiment or any other kind of research study.

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22
Q

Define Sampling

A

The process of selecting participants for a research study.

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23
Q

Define Sample

A

A group that is subset or portion of a larger group chosen to be studied for research purposes.

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24
Q

Define Population

A

Used in psychological research to describe the larger group from which a sample is drawn.

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25
Q

Define Convenience Sampling

A

Involves selecting participants who are readily available without any attempt to make the sample representative of the population.

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26
Q

Define Random Sampling

A

A sampling procedure that ensures every member of the population of research interest has an equal chance of being selected as a participant for a study.

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27
Q

Define Biased Sample

A

Everyone in the target population does not have an equal chance of being selected as a participant.

28
Q

Define Stratified Sampling

A

Involves dividing the population to be sampled into distinct subgroups, or strata, then selecting a separate sample from each stratum in the same proportions as they occur in the target population.

29
Q

Define Random-Stratified Sampling

A

Involves identifying all of the people within each stratum of research interest, then randomly selecting samples of proportionate size from within each each stratum.

30
Q

Define Experimental Group

A

The group of participants in an experiment who are exposed to the experimental condition in which the independent variable under investigation is present.

31
Q

Define Control Group

A

The group of participants in an experiment who are exposed to the control condition in which the independent variable in absent.

32
Q

Define Random Allocation

A

Participants selected for the experiment are as likely to be in one group as the other.

33
Q

Define Counterbalancing

A

Involves systematically changing the order of treatments or tasks for participants in a ‘balanced’ way to counter the unwanted effects on performance of any one order.

34
Q

Define Single-Blind Procedure

A

Participants are not aware of the condition of the experiment to which they have been allocated and therefore the experimental treatment.

35
Q

Define Double-Blind Procedure

A

Participants and the researcher directly involved with the participants are unaware of the conditions to which the participants have been allocated.

36
Q

Define Standardised Instructions

A

The instructions given to to all participants for each condition are predetermined and identical in terms of what they state and how they are administered.

37
Q

Define Standardised Procedures

A

Techniques used for making observations and measuring responses are identical for all individual participants.

38
Q

Define Repeated-Measures Design

A

Each participant is involved in both the experimental and control conditions of an experiment so that the effects of individual participant differences balance out exactly.

39
Q

Define Matched-Participants Design

A

Usually involves the selection of pairs of participants who are very similar in one or more personal characteristics that can influence the DV, then allocation each member of the pair to different experimental conditions.

40
Q

Define Independent-Groups Design

A

Each participant is randomly allocated to one of two (or more) entirely separate conditions, or groups.

41
Q

What are the 3 Research Designs?

A
  • Independent-Groups
  • Matched-Participants
  • Repeated-Measures
42
Q

Define Data

A

Information collected in research.

43
Q

Define Qualitative Data

A

Information about the ‘qualities’ or characteristics of what is being studied.

44
Q

Define Quantitative Data

A

Information about ‘quantities’ or mounts of what is being studied.

45
Q

Define Case Study

A

An intensive, in-depth, investigation of some behaviour of event of interest in an individual, small group or situation.

46
Q

Define Observational Study

A

Involves collecting data by carefully watching and recording behaviour as it occurs.

47
Q

Define Naturalistic Observation

A

The researcher views a naturally occurring behaviour of interest in an inconspicuous or ‘unnoticeable’ manner so that their presence does not influence the behaviour being observed.

48
Q

Define Self-Report

A

The participants written or spoken responses to questions, statements or instructions presented by the researcher.

49
Q

Define Descriptive Statistics

A

Used for analysing, organising, summarising, and describing results. May be graphs, tables, mean, median or mode, among other things.

50
Q

Define Inferential Statistics

A

Used for interpreting and giving meaning to results. P-vale.

51
Q

Define Statistical Significance

A

Used to indicate whether the difference in the results obtained for the experimental and control groups in an experiment is a real difference and probably not due to chance values alone.

52
Q

Define P-Value

A

The significance level of any difference.

53
Q

Define Conclusion

A

A decision or judgement about what the results obtained from an investigation mean.

54
Q

Define Generalisation

A

A decision or judgement about how widely the findings of a study can be applied, particularly to other members of the population from which the sample was drawn.

55
Q

Define Ethics

A

Standards that guide individuals to identify good, desirable or acceptable conduct.

56
Q

Define Beneficence

A

The researcher’s responsibility to maximise possible benefits of the research to participants, to the wider community, or to both, while minimising risks of harm or discomfort to the participants.

57
Q

What are the 6 Ethical Principles/Participants’ Rights?

A
  • Confidentiality
  • Voluntary Participation
  • Withdrawal Rights
  • Informed Consent
  • Debriefing
58
Q

Define Practice Effect

A

Influenced by the performance that arises from practicing the task.

59
Q

Define Attrition

A

People leaving the study before it has concluded.

60
Q

What are the advantages of a Repeated Measures study design?

A
  • Strict control of relevant participant variables/individual participant differences
  • Requires a relatively smaller number of participants when compared with other experimental designs, as same participants in all conditions
61
Q

What are the disadvantages of a Repeated Measures study design?

A
  • Order Effects, Practice Effects that can become confounding variables and need control are more common
  • Participant Attrition may occur
62
Q

What are the advantages of a Matched Participants study design?

A
  • Ensures each condition/group is fairly equivalent in spread of relevant personal characteristics that can influence the DV
  • Participant Attrition is less common
63
Q

What are the disadvantages of a Matched Participants study design?

A
  • Difficulty identifying all relevant variables (to be matched)
  • Practical problems - Time consuming to select and match participants, pre-testing may also be required
64
Q

What are the advantages of an Independent Groups study design?

A
  • No order effects across conditions to control

- Participant Attrition less likely

65
Q

What are the disadvantages of an Independent Groups study design?

A
  • Less control over participant characteristics that Repeated Measures and Matched Participant
  • Often need a larger group of participants in order to lessen any differences between groups
66
Q

What do you say if results are statistically significant?

A

Yes, the p-vale is statistically significant as there is a __ probability that the results were due to chance and not the IV.

67
Q

What do you say if results are not statistically significant?

A

No, the p-vale is not statistically significant as there is a __ probability that the results were due to chance and not the IV.

Psych Unit 3 (10 decks)

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