Debates and research methods

Question 1

Types and areas of determinism

Answer 1

1) hard and soft determinism

2) Internal (biological and psychic) and environmental

Question 2

Eg of nat/nurt interactionist approach

Answer 2

-Phenylketonuria (PKU)
Genes= brain damage
Diet= recovery

Question 3

How to find heritability estimate

Answer 3

Concordance rate in twin and adoption studies

Question 4

Reductionism

Answer 4

1) breaking down phenomena (face recognition)

2) reducing explanations of behaviour to simpler levels

Question 5

Kinds of nomothetic general laws

Answer 5

(Raffled and Kirby)
1 classification (DSM-IV)
2 establishing principles (conditioning)
3 establishing dimensions (scores)

Question 6

Principles of scientific approach

Answer 6

• Paradigm (subject matter)- Kuhn
• Hypothesis within theory
• General laws or principles
• Empirical methods of investigation

Question 7

Purpose of a theory

+ should be?

Answer 7

Understanding by organising facts
Basis for research
-predictions tested by hypothetico-deductive method
(Testable and parsimonious)

Question 8

Empirical methods

Answer 8

Factual, verifiable and objective

Question 9

Two roles of peer review

Answer 9

1 validating research

2 evaluating research proposals

Question 10

Limitations of scientific approach

Answer 10

• Demand characteristics
• Ethics
• Lack of ecological validity
• Difference between overt behaviour and subjective private experience- inferred not measured
• Reductionist and deterministic- ignores free will and holistic idea of “totality”

Question 11

Inferential tests

Answer 11

D, I, N- chi-squared
D, I, O- Man Whitney
D, I, I- Independent T
D, R, N- Sign test
D, R, O- Wilcoxon signed ranks
D, R, I- Related T test
A, R, N- Chi squared
A, R, O- Spearman's rank
A, R, I- Pearson's product

Question 12

Inferential statistics

Answer 12

Used to estimate the extent to which results could have occurred by chance

Question 13

Level of significance
(How calculated?)
(Standard?)

Answer 13

Extent to which results are due to chance- (Calculated by comparing the observed value with the critical value in statistical table)
(0-0.05=significant)

Question 14

1 type one error

2 type two error

Answer 14

1 null (Ho) is rejected but results are due to chance
2 null is retained but results are not due to chance

Question 15

2 advantages of non-parametric tests

+ 2 disadvantages

Answer 15

1 simpler and quicker
2 can be used more widely
(1 not as powerful
2 needs more scores/participants)

Question 16

2 parametric tests of difference, one of association

Answer 16

D- related T (MOST powerful)
-independent T
A- Pearson’s product (measures strength of relationship between two values)

Question 17

Definitions of non-parametric tests

Answer 17

D
- sign test (direction)
-Wilcoxon (ranks differences)
-Mann Whitney (ranked scores)
A
-Spearman’s (strength and significance of ranks)
-Chi-squared (frequency data in contingency table- discrete entries

Question 18

3 levels of detail/measurement

Answer 18

• nominal (categories)
• ordinal (ordered with unequal intervals)
• interval (ratio scale from 0, equal intervals)

Question 19

3 requirements of parametric tests

Answer 19

1 data of interval status
2 sample data drawn from normal distribution
3 samples must have homogeneity of variance (similar standard deviations)

Question 20

7 methods of research

Answer 20

1 experiment
2 questionnaires
3 interviews
4 correlation studies
5 observational studies
6 content analysis
7 case studies