Deciding On A Research Question Flashcards
What is an aim
The overall purpose of a study
‘To investigate …’
Is focused, feasible and researchable
What are the different variables
Independent Variable (IV) - a variable manipulated by the researcher
Dependent Variable (DV) - the variable measure to see effect of IV
Confounding Variables (CV) - variables that influence some participants
Extraneous Variables (EV) - variables that influence all participants, linked to a design flaw in the study
Co-variables - variables in a correlation
How can extraneous variables be minimised
Carry out a pilto study to identify them
Standardised procedures so not situational variables
Use matched pairs/ repeated measures design to avoid participant variables
What is operationalisation of variables
Turning variables into measurable forms
eg. an IQ test to measure intelligence
It allows for objective and precise measurements of the variables
What is a hypothesis
A predictive statement about what the researcher expects to find
What are the different types of hypotheses
Null hypothesis - predicts the IV will have no significant affect on the DV or that any differences will be down to chance factors
Directional hypothesis - predicts the IV will affect the DV and exactly how this will occur
Non-directional hypothesis - predicts the air will affect the DV but not exactly how
What is mundane realism
How true to life the study is, particularly how reflective of real life the task given to participants
What are standardised procedures
All participants receive the same instructions, researcher methods etc. avoids issues with internal reliability or extraneous variables
What are the two different types of sampling in observations
Time sampling - recording behaviour of participants at time intervals
Event sampling - counting the number of instances a behaviour is seen
What is quantitative and qualitative data
Quantitative - numerical data that expresses quantity of a measure
Qualitative - detailed and descriptive data
What are the advantages and disadvantages of quantitative data
+ numerical so easily analysed and compared to other data
- cannot explain why data is collected in the way it is
What are the advantages and disadvantages of qualitative data
+ it is detailed and descriptive giving an in-depth picture of behaviour
- t is difficult to analyse, compare, test for significance or find trends
