Doing research Flashcards
what is experiment
a method of collecting data which measures the effect of an IV on a DV by controlling other variables
what is interview
a method of collecting data that involves directly questioning people
what is questionnaire
a method of collecting data that involves people answering a series of pre-determined questions
what is case study
a method of collecting data that involves focusing on a small sample in detail
what is laboratory experiment
where an IV is manipulated in a controlled environment to test its effect on a DV
what is field experiment
where an IV is manipulated in a natural environment to test its effect on a DV
what is natural experiment
where an IV is not directly controlled by the experimenter but its effect on a DV is still tested
W and L of lab experiment
they have more control over extraneous experiments, more reliable than field experiments and easier to recreate
they have low ecological validity because of their artificial settings, they suffer from demand characteristics as participants are aware that they are in a lab experiment
W and L of natural experiment
experiment can be ethic as nothing is manipulated
difficult for researchers to match up the participants they are comparing if the IV is already in place
W and L of field experiment
higher ecological validity over laboratory experiments as the environment is authentic even if the IV is set up
less control over extraneous variables and affect the reliability of results
structured interview
an interview with pre-determined questions
unstructured interview
an interview where questions vary depending on the interviewee’s answers
W of interview
they can access people’s thoughts and feelings
they can clarify what questions or answers mean and increase chance of more valid responses
L of interview
people may lie or exaggerate when answering questions, which affects the validity of results
they rely on people being able to explain their thoughts and feelings
close questions
questions which have set responses to choose from
open questions
questions that have no fixed responses so participants can respond how they wish
rating scales
a way of answering a close question that requires the respondent to select a number to represent their response
W and L of close
they give quantitative data and easy to quantify participant’s responses and identify patterns
lack construct validity
W and L of open
more qualitative data, more in-depth responses, more valid results
data is difficult to analyse for trends
W and L of questionnaire
access people’s thoughts and feelings
possible to compare answers and look for reliable patterns and trends
misunderstand questions as they do them alone, unanswered or reliable answers
do not consider individuals, personal responses, affect validity
naturalistic observation
observing people in a real-life setting
lack of control over EV, less reliability
controlled observation
observing people in an environment that has been set up in some way
artificial, ecological validity
overt observation
observing people with their knowledge
behave differently, affect validity
covert observation
observing people without them knowing
cannot give consent, unethical
