Exam Numero Dos Flashcards
What is Naturalistic Observation?
Observing your participants in their natural environment, without controlling or manipulating variables.
-the natural environment is called the field
What are the two kinds of Naturalistic Observation?
Global Naturalistic Observation
Systematic Observation
What are some issues to consider when it comes to concealing or not concealing the researcher in naturalistic observation?
-if the researcher is not concealed, subjects may change their behaviour (reactivity) which affects the validity of your observations
- if the researcher is not concealed, you will want your subjects to habituate to their presence
What are some advantages and disadvantages of Naturalistic observation?
Disadvantages:
-people may behave differently if they know that they are being observed
-the experimenter has no control (they are descriptive methods; you can only speculate as to the causes of behaviour, you cannot make casual statements)
-inner states can only be inferred from behaviour, they are not actually seen
-data interpretation can be difficult
Advantages:
-we can observe behaiour as is occurs in the natural environment
-properly conducted, it has extremely high external validity
-it is exploratory in nature, so it often provides ideas for future research projects
What is Systematic Observation?
-involves observing a few specific behaviours in specific settings
-more structured and less global than naturalistic observation
-observations are typically QUANTITATIVE in nature
example:
Timing how long drivers wait at a stop sign in the country versus in the city
What is Global Naturalistic Observation?
-involves describing in detail that behaviours of your subjects in their natural environment
-the observations are typically QUALITATIVE
example:
Describing in detail the interactions between primary school teachers and their pupils over a one-month period
What is a case study?
One subject is studied in depth in the hopes of revealing results universally true of the population
-descriptive technique
-typically conducted when the individual possesses a rare or unusual condition (so that more can be learned about their condition
-they allow us to learn about certain physiological concepts that we would not have been able to otherwise given ethical concerns
what is random assignment?
when every participant has an equal likelihood of being assigned to either the experimental or control groups
what effect does random assignment have?
it neutralizes individual differences, making the two groups essentially the same
What is ‘Control’?
holding all other factors in an experiment consistent so that an experimenter can tell if the IV had an effect on the DV
make the groups exactly the same, treat them exactly the same = control
what is a control group?
the group that is not exposed to the treatment.
what is the experimental group?
the group that is exposed to the treatment / manipulation
If she asks, “is this a true experiment” on the exam, what do you look for?
look for random assignment
(not the presence of a control group)
what is a confound variable?
a variable that varies along with the IV (due to a lack of control), so its difficult to say which variable causes the change in the DV
–> can serve as an alternative explanation for the change in DV
- discredits the whole thing
if an experimenter successfully controls confound variables, then what are they said to have achieved?
internal validity in the experiment
what is internal validity?
it means that you can say that the IV causes the DV
- it is the ability of your design to test the hypothesis it was designed to test.
(the extent to which the experimenter controls confound variables, they are said to have internal validity in the experiment)
What is a threat to internal validity?
confound variables!
what are confound variables?
variables that co-vary with the IV; they are alternative explanations for the results
what are 4 examples of threats to internal validity
Skeletons Intervene even months (e)after birth
1) Selection
2) Instrumentation
3) Experimental Mortality
4) Experimental Bias
threats to internal validity:
what is Selection?
if the two groups are different somehow before the experiment begins.
it is an unequal distribution of subject-related variables across the two groups
threats to internal validity:
What is Instrumentation?
confounds may be introduced by changes in the criteria used by observers or changes in the mechanical measuring devices
e.g. two different ways of measuring something (no operational definitions) or like your machine breaks between experiments
threats to internal validity:
what is experimental mortality?
loss of subjects in an experiment, if loss is different across groups then the study will lack internal validity
e.g. a bunch of people drop out / die… then its no longer an equal representation of a population of people (because certain people didn’t want to participate … died)
threats to internal validity:
what is experimenter bias?
expectations of an outcome by persons running an experiment may significantly influence that outcome
- when an experimenter is working with both groups and treats them differently
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a case study?
Advantages:
-Can provide us with a great deal if info on a particular condition
Disadvantages:
-Time consuming
-Descriptive, so you cannot determine the causes of the behaviour observed
What is archival research?
The researcher analyzes existing data (they do not collect the original data themselves)
-manuscripts, letters, photos, videos, books, diaries, music, artwork, computer databases, statistical records, etc.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of archival research?
Advantages:
-valuable as a supplement to traditional data collection methods
Disadvantages:
-may have difficulty obtaining records
-cant be sure of the accuracy of info collected by someone else
-completely descriptive so you cannot establish causal relationships
What is content analysis?
A method used to analyze qualitative data. It allows a researcher to take qualitative data and transform it into quantitative data.
What is a survey?
A descriptive technique designed to gather into from many people, usually by administering a questionnaire
-used to evaluate specific attitudes or behaviours
-called a self-report
what is the trade off between internal and external validity?
tight control = high internal validity
(measures what its supposed to measure)
high internal validity from tight control lowers external validity
(the world isn’t controlled, so it won’t represent the real world as well)
What is a Questionnaire?
Asks people questions about themselves, usually using a paper and pencil format of online testing
-called a self-report
what is the aim of the experimental method?
to tell if the IV actually manipulated the DV
what is POWER?
the ability to detect the effects of the IV if they actually exist. (statistical significance)
What do you do when designing a questionnaire?
-clearly define the topic of your study
-collect demographic info from your participants
what are some ways to increase power?
(5)
- control for confounds
- let other variables that are not of interest vary randomly.
- use large sample sizes
- use a sensitive dependant measure (not too hard that everyone fails / too easy that everyone passes)
- use strong manipulation
What are the two types of questions in questionnaires and surveys?
-Open-ended
-Closed-ended
(definitions on different card)
What is generalizability?
one’s ability to say something about a population based on an observed sample
= external validity
what is external validity?
the extent to which the results of an observation generalize to there situations or are represented in real life.
the degree to which the results of a study can be extended beyond the research setting.
What are open-ended questions? (surveys +questionnaires)
-allow the participant to provide a response in their own words
-they may provide more complete info but are difficult to analyze
-analysis is more qualitative in nature
Example: “Comment on whether you believe a student should or should not arrive to class on time:”
what are the 4 threats to external validity
1) lack of random sampling
2) Mortality (loss of participants from a study)
3) data obtained in a tightly controlled lab setting may not generalize to natural settings
4) reactivity on part of the subjects
Why is mortality bad for external validity?
also what is selective attrition
= the loss of participants from a study..
is bad because if subjects who drop off are significantly different than those who remain (SELECTIVE ATTRITION) then the sample may not be representative of the population
selective attrition = when a certain kind of person drops out
What are closed-ended questions? (surveys+questionnaires)(also called fixed alternative)
-Provide alternatives for the participant
-More control over responses and they are easier to analyze, but the info is not a rich
What are rating scales?
-a variation of closed-ended
-provide a graded response to a question
-Likert scales are part of this - used for measuring attitudes
-provide a series of statements and participants indicate degree of agreement/disagreement
Example:
-Scale 1-10 how sad are you
-how much do you agree with this statement? 1=strongly disagree 5=strongly agree
why is not random sampling a threat to external validity?
if your sample is not random it may not be representative of the population you wish to study.
if your sample is not representative then you cannot generalize to that population.
no generalization = no external validity
What are partially open-ended questions?
-they provide an “other” category so the participant can specify an answer
Example:
If a student is late for class, they should: (circle best response)
a) not enter the classroom
b) enter through back doors only
c) enter through any door
d) other (specify)__________
What are combination questions?
-they have a closed-ended portion and an open-ended portion so the participant can comment on their choice
Example:
A student should arrive to classes on time
1=strongly disagree, 5=strongly agree
Comment:_____________
what are 2 explanations if there is a difference between groups in an experiment? (if there are no confounds)
1) the IV had an effect
2) chance
how do we figure out if our results occurred by chance in an experiment?
inferential stats
if our inferential stats reveal that the results were not due to chance, what will be true for the LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE?
the level of significance will be less than .05
(the p-value is less than 0.05)
means that it occurred by chance less than 5% of the time
also
level of significance and p-value are the same thing. (just so you know)
experimental method:
what is the null hypothesis?
states that there is no difference between the two groups. (the IV had no effect [didn’t work / results are due to chance])
experimental method:
what is the alternative hypothesis?
There IS a difference between the two groups
(the IV did have an effect)
when can we reject the null hypothesis?
when our inferential stats reveal that the level of significance is less than 0.05
what is a statistical test
a procedure used to determine statistical significance
what is a t-test
a statistical test used to access the likelihood that differences between two means occurred by chance
“is the difference between my two group means statistically significant or due to random error”
what is the level of significance?
a predetermined probability below which the results of a test must be before they are called statistically significant
typically p < .05
what is error variance?
- variability in the scores caused by variables than other than your IV
(e.g. some subjects will be tired / others won’t) - it could be extraneous or subject-related variables
(extraneous = confound) (subject variable = age, intelligence, ect)
what are the two ways that you can measure your IV?
1) quantitatively
2) qualitatively
what is more powerful, between or within designs?
within designs!
what are some ways of reducing error variance?
x3
1) hold extraneous variables constant by treating the groups exactly the same exact for the manipulation
2) match subjects on characteristics that contribute to error variance
e.g. age
3) use a within-subject design
How to handle error variance you might ask?
3 main things
1) reduce error variance
2) increase the effectiveness of IV by using strong manipulations
3) Randomize error variance across groups with random assignment
main difference in ‘between’ and ‘within’ research designs
between = participants are randomly assigned to conditions so there are different subjects in each group.
within = the same participants are tested in all conditions.
(indicates whether the same participants are tested in all of the conditions or not)
What are things to consider when creating questionnaires?
-include positively and negatively keyed items to avoid response set bias (neutral wording)
-precise questions that only elicit the info you are interested in
-wording should not communicate a point of view
-avoid loaded questions (those with biased wording)
-avoid double negatives (ex. not being on time for class is not acceptable)
-give precise time references (ex. not “how many times did you golf last year?”. Say “in the past 12 months” or “in 2019”
-do not ask double-barrelled questions (asking two questions at once)
What are the four methods of administering a survey?
- Face-to-face interviews
- Telephone interviews
- Mail questionnaires
- Online questionnaires
(definitions on separate slide)
What are face-to-face interviews? List advantages + disadvantages
The questions are asked in the presence of the researcher
Advantages:
-can gauge the respondent’s state
-can judge comprehension and clear up misunderstandings
-can probe for additional info
Disadvantages:
-expensive, so limits the number that can be administered
-interviewer can bias the results
-respondent may not be honest, particularly with sensitive issues
What are telephone interviews? List advantages and disadvantages
Interviews administered over the phone lol
Advantages:
-More cost effective than face-to-face interviews
Disadvantages:
-Respondents may get lost in long questions
-Respondents may be suspicious
-You may anger respondents by “catching them at a bad time”
What are mail questionnaires? List advantages and disadvantages
Questionnaires sent by mail, go figure
Advantages:
-Inexpensive and can be administered to large samples over large areas
-Participants may respond more honestly than face-to-face or on the phone
Disadvantages:
-They may not be returned (percent not returned is nonresponse rate)
-With a very low return (a high nonresponse rate) you may have a biased sample (nonresponse bias)
What are online questionnaires? What are the advantages and disadvantages?
You’ll never get this one - questionnaires administered online
Advantages:
-Inexpensive and can be administered to large samples over large areas
-Participants may respond more honestly than face-to-face or on the phone
Disadvantages:
-They may not be returned leading to the potential of a biased sample
-Nonresponse rate - the percentage of surveys that are not returned
-Nonresponse bias - with a very high nonresponse rate you may have a biased sample
What is social desirability?
The tendency for participants to tell the experimenter, or report on a questionnaire, what they think is socially acceptable or desirable rather than what they truly feel or think
What is probability and non-probability sampling?
Probability: a type of sampling procedure in which one is able to specify the probability that any member of the population will be included in the sample
Non-probability: a type of sampling procedure in which one cannot specify, or does not know, the probability that any member of the population will be included in the sample
What is simple random sampling?
Each member of the population has an equal probability of being included in the sample
What is stratified random sampling?
The population is divided into strata (subgroups) followed by random sampling from each stratum (subgroup).
What is cluster sampling?
Researchers divide a population into smaller groups known as clusters. They then randomly select among these clusters to form a sample.
what are between subject designs?
are also called INDEPENDENT GROUP DESIGN because they are different participants in the group (the groups are independent)
for these designs participants are randomly assigned to the groups
what are within- subject designs?
are also called REPEATED MEASURES because the same group of participants is exposed to all levels of the IV (they are tested repeatedly)
for these designs, a single group of participants are exposed to all levels of the IV
what are some similarities between Between and within subject designs?
1) there is data collected for each group (or condition), which is averaged and analyzed
2) the difference among means are tested statistically to determine the probability that the differences could have arisen by chance
3) if this probability is acceptably low, one concludes that the differences are reliable and attributes these differences to the IV
what are the two kinds of between-subject designs, and their subfields?
1) Single Factor randomized group designs
- randomized two group design
- randomized multi group design
2) Matched Group design
- matched pair design
- matched multi group design
Between Subject Design:
what is randomized two-groups design?
- randomly assign participants to two groups
(two levels of the IV)
Between subject design:
what is randomized multi group design?
- 3 or more levels of the IV
- subjects are randomly assigned to the groups