Evaluating research

Question 1

accuracy and precision

Answer 1

used to evaluate the correctness of measurement and therefore how prone measurements were to error

Question 2

accuracy

Answer 2

how close a measurement is to the true value of the quantity being measured, not expressed numerically only more/less accurate

Question 3

precision

Answer 3

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

Question 4

types of measurement errors

Answer 4

systematic and random

Question 5

systematic errors

Answer 5

errors in data that differ from the true value by a consistent amount

Question 6

systematic errors occur due to…

Answer 6

environmental factors, observational/researcher error, incorrect measurement instrument calibration

Question 7

random errors

Answer 7

errors in data that are unsystematic and occur due to chance, they do not occur in a consistent way

Question 8

systematic errors affect…

Answer 8

accuracy

Question 9

random errors affect…

Answer 9

precision

Question 10

random errors may occur due to…

Answer 10

poorly controlled/varying measurement procedures, faulty measurement tools, variations in measurement contexts, environmental differences

Question 11

random errors can be reduced by..

Answer 11

repeating more measurements, calibrating measurement tools correctly, refining measurement procedures, controlling extraneous variables, increasing sample size

Question 12

uncertainty in data

Answer 12

the lack of exact knowledge relating to something being measured due to potential sources of variation in knowledge, should be acknowledged by researcher

Question 13

repeatability

Answer 13

the exttent to which successive measurements or studies produce the same results when carried our under identical conditions within a short period of time

Question 14

reproducibilty

Answer 14

the extent to which successive measurements or studies produce the same results when repeated under different conditions

Question 15

what is the purpose of repeating a reproducing investigations

Answer 15

ensure findings are robust - results remain valid across a variety of conditions

Question 16

validity

Answer 16

the extent to which psychological tools and investigations truly support their findings/conclusions (measures what it intends to measures)

Question 17

two types of validity

Answer 17

internal ad external

Question 18

internal validity

Answer 18

the extent to which an investigation measures or investigates what it claims to

Question 19

researchers should consider the following points if they are to achieve internal validity

Answer 19

adequency of measurement tools/procedures, experimental design, sampling and allocation procedures, iv truly affected the dv

Question 20

external validity

Answer 20

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)

Question 21

external validity can be improved by…

Answer 21

more representative sampling procedure, broad inclusion criteria, using a larger sample size

Question 22

conclusion

Answer 22

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

Question 23

things that should be considered when drawing conclusions

Answer 23

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

Question 24

what to include when writing a conlusion

Answer 24

1. 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)

Question 25

implications

Answer 25

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