different types of research method Flashcards
independent variable
the variable that is controlled and manipulated by the experimenter e.g. in an experiment on the impact of sleep deprivation on test performance the IV would be how sleep deprived you are
dependent variable
the variable that is being tested or measured e.g. in an experiment on the impact of sleep deprivation on test performance the DV would be the scores on the test performance
laboratory experiments
research done in a controlled environment e.g. Milgram’s study on obedience
positives = highly scientific and controlled
negatives = not natural participants may act differently
field experiments
research done in an everyday environment of participants but IV is manipulated by experimenter e.g. medical clinical trials
positives = natural setting
negatives = difficult to isolate variables
natural (quasi) experiments
research in which the IV has not been manipulated by experimenter ang how it affects the dependent variable e.g. an experimenter might look at the levels of aggression observed in boys and girls in a primary school without manipulating anything
natural observation
observing behaviour in a natural environment e.g animals in their habitats
controlled observation
observing behaviour in a controlled environment e.g. animals in a controlled and manipulated setting
participant observation
becoming part of the group you are observing/ to observe first hand or directly e.g. taking part in activities with participants to observe them
overt observation
when participants know they are being observed e.g. when teachers come into lessons to observe the lesson
covert observation
when participants do not know they are being observed e.g. Laud Humphreys study on men in public toilets
surveys/questionnaire/ interviews
psychologists conduct surveys questionnaires and interviews in structured or unstructured ways to retrieve information
correlation studies
Allows scientists to determine the degree of relationship between variables e.g. the correlation between watching violent television and aggressive behaviour
cross sectional study
A cross-sectional study involves looking at data from a population at one specific point in time
cross cultural study
The study of similarities and differences in behaviour among individuals who have developed in different cultures e.g. the culture differences between someone who grew up in a western area compared to someone who grew up in a rural area
reliability
refers to how if the research was repeated it should provide the same or similar results
validity
refers to how accurately research reflects what is being tested e.g. how people would behave in the real world
psychometric tests
a way of measuring an individual’s mental capabilities and behavioural style.
brain scanning: mri/pet scans
used to show brain activity under certain psychological states and to understand what parts of the brain are responsible for different actions
longidutinal study
looking at variables over an extended period of time
content analysis
analysing text-based, qualitative data for example newspaper articles, children’s books, interview transcripts
animal studies
studies on animals rather as they have similar behaviours and functions as humans due to evolution
discourse analysis
the study of how talk and texts are used to perform actions
generalisability
the extent to which the findings of a study could be applied to a wider population than just those individuals who took part in the research.
replication
refers to if the research can be replicated and applied to other participants and circumstances
reliability
refers to the consistency of a measure
objectivity
refers to how research should be free of bias and personal ideas
ethics
the correct rules of conduct necessary when carrying out research
implications
whether there are barriers in the research or if it will have implications when applied in real life situations
credibility
how trustworthy and believable a piece of work or research is
methodology
the type of scientific procedures or methods used in research e.g. experiments, observations and surveys
operationalisation
turning abstract concepts into measurable observations e.g. you cant measure anxiety but rating it on a scale on a survey
subjectivity
when bias and personal opinions are part of a judgement. e.g. if you have a bad experience w something and then viewing that particular thing in a negative light due to ur experience
empiricism
the idea that scientific research should be based on what be directly observed and measured
reductionism
to focus on one small area in isolation rather than look at the whole area
nomothetic
the nomothetic approach involves establishing laws or generalizations that apply to all people
idiographic
studying individuals in terms of their uniqueness
falsification
the possibility that a theory or hypothesis can be proven false by an experiment or observation
hypothesis testing
what you expect to happen / prediction
ethnocentric bias
when perceptions of others are influenced by the culture of someone’s own ethnic group
androcentric
research from a male perspective
alpha-bias
research that exaggerates the difference between men and women and perpetuates gender stereotypes
beta-bias
research that minimises the differences between men and women when certain differences do exist
