Chapter 1: Research Methods Part 1

Question 1

What is a sample?

Answer 1

A group of participants that is part of a larger group chosen to be studied for research purposes.

Question 2

What is a population?

Answer 2

Is the larger group from which a sample is selected and to which the research will seek to apply (generalise) the results.

Question 3

What is a research hypothesis?

Answer 3

A testable prediction about the relationship between 2 or more variables.

Question 4

What is an independent variable (IV)?

Answer 4

The variable that is systematically manipulated or changed in some way by the researcher in order to measure its effect on the DV.

Question 5

What is a dependent variable (DV)?

Answer 5

The variable that is used to observe and measure the effects of the IV.

Question 6

What is an experimental group?

Answer 6

The group of participants exposed to the IV.

Question 7

What is a control group?

Answer 7

The group of participants not exposed to the IV.

Question 8

What is an extraneous variable?

Answer 8

Any variable other than the IV that can cause a change in the DV and therefore affect the validity (accuracy) of the results in an unwanted way.

Question 9

What is a confounding variable?

Answer 9

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

Question 10

What does non-standardised research procedures mean?

Answer 10

The research procedures are not uniform or the same for all participants.

Question 11

When does an order effect occur?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

What is an experimenter effect?

Answer 12

An unwanted influence(s) on participant performance and therefore the results that are produced intentionally or unintentionally by the experimenter.

Question 13

What is the placebo effect?

Answer 13

When the participants’ behaviour is influenced by their expectations of how they should behave due to their belief that they have received some treatment.

Question 14

What is a representative sample?

Answer 14

A sample that closely matches the population from which it is drawn in every important participant variable.

Question 15

What is a biased sample?

Answer 15

When a sample doesn’t adequatly represent the key characterstics of its population.

Question 16

What is random sampling?

Answer 16

A sample selection procedure that ensures every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected to be part of the sample.

Question 17

What does stratified sampling involve? Give some examples:

Answer 17

Dividing the population to be sampled into distinct subgroups (strata), then selecting a separate sample from each subgroup (stratum), usually in the same proportions as they occur in the target population.
Eg. Age, sex, religion

Question 18

What does conveniance sampling involve?

Answer 18

Selecting participants who are readily or most easily available.

Question 19

What does counterbalancing involve?

Answer 19

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

Question 20

What is a single blind procedure?

Answer 20

When the participants do not know whether they are in an experimental group or a control group.

Question 21

What is a double blind procedure?

Answer 21

When neither the participant nor the researcher interacting with the participants knows which participants are in the experimental or control conditions.

Question 22

What is a repeated measures design?

Answer 22

When each participant is in both the experimental and control groups.

Question 23

What is a matched participants design?

Answer 23

When each participant in one condition ‘matches’ a participant in the other condition(s) on one or more participant variables of relevance to the experiment.

Question 24

What is a cross-sectional study?

Answer 24

It selects and compares different groups of participants on one or more variables of interest at a single point in time.

Question 25

What is a case study?

Answer 25

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

Question 26

What does an observational study involve?

Answer 26

Collecting data by carefully watching and recording behaviour as it occurs.