Chapter 1 Science Skills Flashcards
Aim
Purpose of the study
Variable
Something that can be measured or manipulated
Independent Variable
What is being manipulated
Dependent Variable
What is being measured
Extraneous Variable
Not wanted in an experiment
Hypothesis
Prediction that identifies the population, and connection between the 2 variables.
Between Subjects Design
People in seperate groups undergo only 1 experimental condition
Within Subject Design
People undergo both experimental conditions
Mixed Method Design
Combination of Within/Between
-Measures numeric and worded
Case Study
In-depth study on something
Observational Study
Observing an environment in a realistic setting
Correlational Study
Relationship between 2 variable
Literature Reviews
Secondary data to answer a question, conduct an investigation to gather primary data
Simulation
Representation of the real thing
Population
Group of people in the focus of the study
Sample
Subset of the population
-Must be representative
-Free of as much bias or error
-Size increases, so does time and cost
Random Sampling
Gives a population an equal chance to be sampled
Convenience Sampling
Quickest and easiest way to select sample
Stratified Sampling
Breaks groups in subgroups, then selects people from those groups in the same proportion they appear in the population
Random Allocation
Everyone in sample as equal chance of being allocated
Control group
Not exposed to IV
Experimental Group
Exposed to IV
Controlled Variable
Stays the same in experiment
Extraneous variables examples
Non-standardised procedures
-Individual Participant differences
-Order effects
-Experimenter effects
-Placebo effects
Confounding variable
Does not effect IV
Single-blind procedure
When participants are not aware of the condition they have been allocated to.
Double-blind
when both the experimenter and participants do not know what condition is affecting who
Personal Errors
Caused by researcher due to miscalculations, observer bias and personal mistakes
Random error
Causes non-pattern variations in results
-Affects precision
Systematic error
Impacts all results the same way
-Affects accuracy
Primary Data
Sourced firsthand
Primary data advantages
-More specific/detailed
-Collected solely for your research
-Allows for future research to use your data
Primary data disadvantages
Takes more to obtain
-More restrictions on sample size
Secondary data
Sourced from someone else’s research
secondary data advantages
-Cheap and easy to obtain
-Large amounts available
-Can be gathered over long periods of time
secondary data disadvantages
-Is not always up to date
-May not be specific to research
Qualitative data
Worded description on why something happened
-Hard to compare the scale
Quantitative data
Numerical and categorical data to compare
-May not tell full story
Subjective data
Personal qualitative experience that can only be collected from someone
-Hard to compare
-May not be truthfully accurate
objective data
Directly observed quantitative
-Can be seen and compared
-Don’t know why it happened
descriptive statistics
mathematical calculations that describe, organise and summarise data.
-Cannot tell if data is meaningful
Mean
Average
-good for large amounts of data
median
middle value
-good for outliers
mode
most reoccurring value
-good for patterns
range
difference between highest and lowest values
Stndrd deviation
how far scores are from average
Discrete data
Separate and individual
continuous data
occurs continuously
systematic error
due to results consistently differing from the true value.
random error
unsystematic and happen by chance
uncertainty
lack of exact knowledge and confidence of the data being measured.
inferential statistics
mathematical statistics that are used to make judgments and conclusions from data.
validity
extent a tool measures what it is supposed to.
internal validity
Are the tools effectively assessing the content we think they are assessing?
external validity
Is the study done in a way that findings can be applied to the population?
Reliability
the extent to which a tool measures something consistently each time it is measured.
repeatability
the research can be repeated to produce the same results
reproducibility
when research can be reproduced under different conditions
conclusion
a statement that addresses the research question in the context of the findings.
generalisation
a statement that relates the findings of the investigation to the wider population.
Ethical concepts
Beneficence, non-maleficence, integrity, justice, respect
Beneficence (Benefits)
The consideration of the maximising benefits from the research whilst decreasing the risks.
non-maleficence (no-harm)
The idea that any harm should not be proportionate to the gains made from research.
integrity (honest)
The commitment to search for knowledge, and then honestly report findings.
justice (access)
The fair distribution and access of the benefits from research to everyone
respect (value)
The belief that everyone has value
Ethical guidelines
Voluntary participation, informed consent, withdrawal rights, debriefing, deception, confidentiality
Voluntary paticipation
allowing participants to willingly and freely sign up to be involved.
informed consent
participants to understand the risks and nature, before giving consent.
withdrawal rights
allow participants to leave the experiment anytime
debriefing
informs the participants about the aims, results and conclusions, and provides psychological support
deception
participants must know the purpose of the study, unless it may impact their behaviour. If used, thorough debriefing must be done.
confidentiality
participants have a right to privacy and protection, and the security of their results must be maintained
