CHAPTER 6: RESEARCH METHODS

Question 1

What is an aim?

Answer 1

A general statement of what the researcher intends to investigate, the purpose of the study. Eg. To investigate whether drinking energy drinks makes people more talkative

Question 2

What is a non-directional hypothesis?

Answer 2

A hypothesis that does not state the direction. Eg. People who drink energy drinks in there of talkativeness compared with people who don’t drink energy drinks.

Question 3

What is a directional hypothesis?

Answer 3

A hypothesis that states the direction. Eg. People who drink energy drinks become more talkative than people that don’t.

Question 4

What is the difference between an aim and a hypothesis?

Answer 4

A statement which explains what the experiment is attempting to achieve is known as an aim. The prediction that the scientist make who is undertaking the experiment is known as the hypothesis

Question 5

What is the independent variable? (IV)

Answer 5

Some aspect of the experimental situation that is manipulated by the researcher - or changes naturally - so the effect on the DV can be measured.

Question 6

What is the dependent variable? (DV)

Answer 6

The variable that is measured by

the researcher. Any effect on the DV should be caused by the change in the IV.

Question 7

What is an operationalised hypothesis?

Answer 7

When a hypothesis is made clear and testable by defining the variables by how they can be measured. Eg. After drinking 300ml of energy drinks participants say more words in the next five minutes than participants who drink 300ml of water.

Question 8

What are extraneous variables?

Answer 8

Any variable, other than the independent variable (IV), that may have an effect on the dependent variable (DV) if it is not controlled. EVs are essentially nuisance variables that do not vary systematically with the IV.

Question 9

What are confounding variables?

Answer 9

Any variable, other than the IV, that may have affected the DV so we cannot be sure of the true source of changes to the DV. Confounding variables vary systematically with the IV.

Question 10

What are demand characteristics?

Answer 10

Any cue from the researcher or from the research situation that may be interpreted by participants as revealing the purpose of the investigation. This may lead to a participant changing their behaviour within the research situation.

Question 11

What are investigator effects?

Answer 11

Any effect of the investigator’s behaviour (conscious or unconscious) on the research outcome (the DV). This may include everything from the design of the study to the selection of, and interaction with, participants during the research process.

Question 12

What is randomisation?

Answer 12

The use of chance in order to control for the effects of bias when designing materials and deciding the order of conditions.

Question 13

What is standardisation?

Answer 13

Using exactly the same formalised procedures and instructions for all participants in a research study.

Question 14

What is independent group designs and what is a strength and limitation?

Answer 14

Participants are allocated to different groups where each group represents one experimental condition.
Strength: Avoids order effects, like boredom or practice.
Limitation: Doesn’t account for participant variables like age or sex.

Question 15

What is repeated measures and what is a strength and limitation?

Answer 15

All participants take part in all conditions of the experiment.
Strength: Avoids participant variables, like age or sex.
Limitation: Order effects like boredom or tiredness and more likely to occur.

Question 16

What is a matched pairs design and what is a strength and limitation?

Answer 16

Pairs of participants are first matched on some variable(s) that may affect the DV. Then one member of the pair is assigned to Condition A and the other to Condition B.
Strength: Reduces participant variables as the research matches them up similarly.
Limitation: If one participant drops out, you lose all of the data.

Question 17

What is random allocation?

Answer 17

An attempt to control for participant variables in an independent groups design which ensures that each participant has the same chance of being in one condition as any other.

Question 18

What is counterbalancing?

Answer 18

An attempt to control for the effects of order in a repeated measures design: half the participants experience the conditions in one order, and the other half in the opposite order.

Question 19

What is a lab experiment and what is a strength and limitation?

Answer 19

An experiment that takes place in a controlled environment within which the researcher manipulates the IV and records the effect on the DV, whilst maintaining strict control of extraneous variables.
Strength: There is high control over extraneous variables and replication is a possibility.
Limitation: It lacks generalisability and has a higher possibility of demand characteristics.

Question 20

What is a field experiment and what is a strength and limitation?

Answer 20

An experiment that takes place in a natural setting within which the researcher manipulates the IV and records the effect on the DV.
Strength: There is higher generalisability as it is in an everyday setting and more valid behaviour.
Limitation: There is more extraneous variables and ethical issues if the participant did not consent to the study.

Question 21

What is a natural experiment and what is a strength and limitation?

Answer 21

An experiment where the change in the IV is not brought about by the researcher but would have happened even if the researcher had not been there. The researcher records the effect on the DV.
Strength: High external validity.
Limitation: There is no random allocation.

Question 22

What is a quasi-experiment and what is a strength and limitation?

Answer 22

A study that is almost an experiment but lacks key ingredients, The IV has not been determined by anyone (the researcher or any other person) - the ‘variables’ simply exist, such as being old or young. Strictly speaking this is not an experiment.
Strength: There are controlled experiments.
Limitations: There cannot be random allocation and there may be confounding variables.

Question 23

What is the difference between population and sample?

Answer 23

The population refers to the large group of individuals that a particular researcher may be interested in studying. This is often called the target population because it is a subset of the general population.

For practical and economic reasons, it is usually not possible to include all members of a target population in an investigation so a researcher selects a smaller group, known as the sample.

Question 24

What is random sampling and the advantages and disadvantages?

Answer 24

Random sampling is a type of probability sampling where everyone in the entire target population has an equal chance of being selected.

The advantages are that your sample should represent the target population and eliminate sampling bias.
The disadvantage is that it is very difficult to achieve (i.e. time, effort and money).

Question 25

What is stratified sampling and the advantages and disadvantages?

Answer 25

The researcher identifies the different types of people that make up the target population and works out the proportions needed for the sample to be representative. A list is made of each variable (e.g. IQ, gender etc.) which might have an effect on the research. For example, if we are interested in the money spent on books by undergraduates, then the main subject studied may be an important variable.

The disadvantage of stratified samplingis that gathering such a sample would be extremely time consuming and difficult to do. This method is rarely used in Psychology.
However, the advantage is that the sample should be highly representative of the target population and therefore we can generalize from the results obtained.

Question 26

What is opportunity sampling and the advantages and disadvantages?

Answer 26

Uses people from target population available at the time and willing to take part. It is based on convenience.

This is a quick way and easy of choosing participants (advantage).
It may not provide a representative sample, and could be biased (disadvantage).

Question 27

What is systematic sampling and the advantages and disadvantages?

Answer 27

Chooses subjects in a systematic (i.e. orderly / logical) way from the target population, like every nth participant on a list of names.

The advantage of this method is that is should provide a representative sample.
The disadvantage is that it is very difficult to achieve (i.e. time, effort and money).

Question 28

What are some examples of ethical issues?

Answer 28

Informed consent - participants should be aware of the aims, the procedures, their rights including the right to withdraw.
Deception - deliberately misleading or withholding information from participants
Protection from harm - participants should not be placed at any more risk than they would be in their daily lives, and should be protected from physical or psychological harm
Confidentiality - participants have the right to control information about themselves

Question 29

What is a pilot study?

Answer 29

A small-scale version of an investigation that takes place before the real investigation is conducted. The aim is to check that procedures, materials, measuring scales, etc., work and to allow the researcher to make changes or modifications if necessary.

Question 30

What is a naturalistic observation?

Answer 30

Watching and recording behaviour in the setting within which it would normally occur.

Question 31

What is controlled observation?

Answer 31

Watching and recording behaviour within a structured environment, i.e. one where some variables are managed.

Question 32

What is a covert observation?

Answer 32

Participants’ behaviour is watched and recorded without their knowledge or consent.

Question 33

What is an overt observation?

Answer 33

Participants’ behaviour is watched and recorded with their knowledge and consent.

Question 34

What is a participant observation?

Answer 34

The researcher becomes a member of the group whose behaviour he/she is watching and recording.

Question 35

What is a non-participant observation?

Answer 35

The researcher remains outside of the group whose behaviour he/she is watching and recording.

Question 36

What is a self-report technique?

Answer 36

Any method in which a person is asked to state or explain their own feelings, opinions, behaviours and/or experiences related to a given topic.

Question 37

What is a questionnaire?

Answer 37

A set of written questions (sometimes referred to as ‘items’) used to assess a person’s thoughts and/or experiences. Open questions do not have a fixed range of answers and respondents answer how they feel. A closed question offers a fixed number of responses.

Question 38

What is an interview?

Answer 38

A ‘live’ encounter where the interviewer asks a set of questions to assess an interviewee’s thoughts and or experiences. The questions may be structured/pre-determined or may develop as the interview goes along (unstructured interview).

Question 39

What is a meta-analysis?

Answer 39

‘Research about research’, refers to the process of combining results from a number of studies on a particular topic to provide an overall view. This may involve a qualitative review of conclusions and/or a quantitative analysis of the results producing an effect size.

Question 40

What is peer review and what is its aim?

Answer 40

The assessment of scientific work by others who are specialists in the same field to ensure that any research intended for publication is of high quality.

1. To allocate research funding
2. To validate the quality and relevance of research
3. To suggest amendments or improvements