Chapter 2 Reasearch Methods

Question 0

Go in to detail with step one “Identification of a research problem”

Answer 0

This is to identify the topic of interest

Question 1

What are the seven steps in the psychological research method?

Answer 1

1 identification of research problem
2 formulation of a hypothesis
3 designing a method
4 data collection
5 analysing the data 
6 interpreting the data
7 reporting research findings

Question 2

Go in to detail about step two “Formulation of a hypothesis”

Answer 2

Make the educated guess/ prediction about the experiment. Do this before you do the testings. Make it a written staten not a idea.

Question 3

Go in to detail about step three “designing a method”

Answer 3

How is the hypothesis being tested, which type of test will be used, which participants will be used, what responses are expected

Question 4

Go in to detail about step four “data collection”

Answer 4

There are six types of tests
Direct observation- watching and recoding behaviour as it happens.
Questionnaire- a set of written questions designed to obtain information about the participant.
Interview- a face to face meeting to obtain information about a participant.
Recording psychological responses- using instruments to detect or monitor specific psychological responses.
Examining archival files- using past experimentations to gain results, or census records.
Psychological test- using scientifically developed tests to measure characteristics.

Question 5

Go in to detail about step five “analysing the data”

Answer 5

Once the data has been collected, it must be summarised, organised, and represented in an logical way by the use of table, graphs or charts.

Question 6

Go in to detail about step six “Interpreting the data”

Answer 6

Once analysed the data must be interpreted and explained, this includes forming a conclusion (a judgement about the results) when doing this include speak of the hypothesis

Question 7

Go in to detail about step seven “Reporting research findings”

Answer 7

A scientific journal should be created so the experiment can be recreated, this does not only help the psychologist, but the general public can benefit.

Question 8

What is a IV or independent variable

Answer 8

The variable in the experiment which the research manipulates in order to assess its affection participants responses using the DV

Question 9

What is the DV or dependent variable

Answer 9

The variable that the researcher measures in order to assess the effects of the IV

Question 10

What is the EV or extraneous variable

Answer 10

It is the other variable apart from the IV that can effect the experiment. It makes a difficulty to find the right results, so the experimenter should try to eliminate the EV. The EV comes in two types, Participant variable, and the Experimenter variable.

Question 11

What is the Participant variable (EV)

Answer 11

The individual flaws in the certain experiment

Question 12

What is the Experimenter variable (EV)

Answer 12

Ways in which the experimenter presents may change the variable

Question 13

What is a experimental and a control group

Answer 13

The experimental group has the independent variable, while the control group doesn’t.

Question 14

What is a sample

Answer 14

A sample is a small group of participants shown in a numerical format

Question 15

What is a population

Answer 15

A population is. Group of people with specific common qualities or aspects
Example: students in VCE psychology at Braemar college (unisex)

Question 16

What is random allocation and random sampling?

Answer 16

Random allocation is where people are randomly split in to two groups, control and experimental.
Random selection is where any person is selected randomly from the population

Question 17

What are some advantages to case studies?

Answer 17

Control over IV
Conditions are known
Replication can be done easily.
Detailed data.
Valuable source of evidence.

Question 18

What are some limitations of case studies?

Answer 18

Made in lab (it is artificial) this may become a extraneous variable.
Not like real life.
If the participants know the test results or have heard of the study, they may change how they do the tastings
EV’s
A lot of data hard to analyse
Time consuming
Can not be done on large amounts of people.

Question 19

What is a observational study?

Answer 19

Studying behaviour as it occurs

Question 20

What is a naturalistic study?

Answer 20

A study done when the participant in unaware that you are testing them, this will be when they are in their natural environment.

Question 21

What is non participant observation?

Answer 21

The same a Naturalistic studies but can be in a artificial environment

Question 22

How can you control observer bias?

Answer 22

By letting another person who does not know anything about the study act as the researcher,
Or have a special training on how to avoid this.

Question 23

What is a self report study

Answer 23

A type of study or questionnaire that participants answer without researcher interference.

Question 24

What are Interviews

Answer 24

A series of questions to determine a specific answer

Question 25

What is the rating scale

Answer 25

A set of categories designed to elicit information about attributes. This scale can go from 1-10 or other types.

Question 26

What is a longitude and cross sectional study

Answer 26

A cross sectional study is a large amount of people studied at one point of time.
A longitudinal study is a study on a large amount of time, often meany decades.

Question 27

Define the two types of data
(Qualitative)
(Quantitative)

Answer 27

Qualitative is data involving the quality or characteristics of what is being done.
Quantitative is numerical values on what is being studied.
Quantitative is over Qualitative