Evaluating research Flashcards
accuracy and precision
used to evaluate the correctness of measurement and therefore how prone measurements were to error
accuracy
how close a measurement is to the true value of the quantity being measured, not expressed numerically only more/less accurate
precision
how closely a set of measurement values agree with each other but gives no indication of how close the measurements are to the true value
types of measurement errors
systematic and random
systematic errors
errors in data that differ from the true value by a consistent amount
systematic errors occur due to…
environmental factors, observational/researcher error, incorrect measurement instrument calibration
random errors
errors in data that are unsystematic and occur due to chance, they do not occur in a consistent way
systematic errors affect…
accuracy
random errors affect…
precision
random errors may occur due to…
poorly controlled/varying measurement procedures, faulty measurement tools, variations in measurement contexts, environmental differences
random errors can be reduced by..
repeating more measurements, calibrating measurement tools correctly, refining measurement procedures, controlling extraneous variables, increasing sample size
uncertainty in data
the lack of exact knowledge relating to something being measured due to potential sources of variation in knowledge, should be acknowledged by researcher
repeatability
the exttent to which successive measurements or studies produce the same results when carried our under identical conditions within a short period of time
reproducibilty
the extent to which successive measurements or studies produce the same results when repeated under different conditions
what is the purpose of repeating a reproducing investigations
ensure findings are robust - results remain valid across a variety of conditions
validity
the extent to which psychological tools and investigations truly support their findings/conclusions (measures what it intends to measures)
two types of validity
internal ad external
internal validity
the extent to which an investigation measures or investigates what it claims to
researchers should consider the following points if they are to achieve internal validity
adequency of measurement tools/procedures, experimental design, sampling and allocation procedures, iv truly affected the dv
external validity
only considered when internal validity is present, the extent to which the results of an investigation can be applied to similar individuals in different settings (time/setting)
external validity can be improved by…
more representative sampling procedure, broad inclusion criteria, using a larger sample size
conclusion
a statement that summaries the findings of a study, including whether the hypothesis was supported/rejectted OR refers to the final section of a written report or article in psychology that summaries the findings and makes final recommendations for future research
things that should be considered when drawing conclusions
the extent to which the data supports or rejects the hypothesis, whether further evidence is required and whether there are clear recommendations for further studies
what to include when writing a conlusion
- an overall statement of what the results show with a clear direction reported 2. your answer must refer to all of the data (relevent to each IV condition)
implications
the impact the study may have on the population to relevent theory or future research, phrase the implications as ‘advice’ to tthe general public/population
