Discussing research Flashcards
Field study
Carrying out research in naturalistic settings (observing behaviour in real life)
Laboratory study
Carrying out research in a controlled settings (can be controlled, variable being studied not influenced by other factors)
Retrospective
When a researched asks participants about past behaviour
Prospective study
When the researched measures a variable at the beginning of a study and then watches the effect of this variable overtime
Confirmation bias
seeking or interpreting evidence in ways that are preferential to existing beliefs, expectations, or hypotheses
Publication bias
the idea that studies that find null, or unexpected, effects are less likely to be published than those that find significant effects in the expected direction
Longitudinal study
Repeated observations of the same variables over long periods (observing the change of individuals over time)
Cross-sectional research
When a researched analysed data collected from a population at a specific point in time (more efficient than longitudinal studies – less time, lower risk of patients dropping out)
Application
How a theory or empirical study is used
Internal validity
How well an experiment is done + whether it avoids the influence of outside of extraneous variables (studies must be well controlled, variables must be carefully defined)
Construct validity
How well a test measures the concept it was designed to evaluate
External validity
The extent to which the results of a study can be generalised to other situations and to other people
Population validity
Type of external validity that describes how well the sample used can be generalised to a population as a whole
Ecological validity
Type of external validity that looks at experimental environment and determines how much it influences behaviour
Mundane realism
The level to which the situation represents a real-life situation
Reliability
Results can be replicated
