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Psychology - Research Methods > Experimental Methods > Flashcards

Experimental Methods Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the four types of experimental methods?

A
  • Laboratory experiments
  • Field experiments
  • Natural experiments
  • Quasi experiments
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2
Q

What is an independent variable (IV)?

A

The variable that is deliberately manipulated by the researcher to see if it has an effect on the dependent variable.

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3
Q

What is a dependent variable (DV)?

A

The variable that is measured by the researcher.

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4
Q

What is the purpose of experimental methods?

A

To establish a cause and effect relationship between the IV and DV.

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5
Q

What are extraneous variables?

A

Any variable other than the IV that might affect the DV if it is not controlled.

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6
Q

What are the four types of extraneous variables?

A
  • Participant variables
  • Investigator effects
  • Environmental variables
  • Demand characteristics
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7
Q

What are participant variables?

A

This refers to any characteristics or traits of the participants that might unfairly influence the results.

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8
Q

What are some examples of participant variables?

A
  • Age
  • Gender
  • Fitness level/weight
  • Sexuality
  • Tiredness
  • Hunger
  • IQ
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9
Q

What are investigator effects?

A

This refers to any cues from the investigator that may encourage certain behaviours from the participants and therefore unfairly influence the results.

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10
Q

What are some examples of investigator effects?

A
  • Tone of voice
  • Body language
  • What is being said (influences)
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11
Q

What are environmental variables?

A

This refers to any environmental factors within the research that may unfairly influence the results.

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12
Q

What are some examples of environmental variables (EV)?

A
  • Time of day
  • Temperature
  • Weather
  • Noise level
  • Light level
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13
Q

What are demand characteristics?

A

Any cues that may reveal the aim of the study to the participants. These cues may influence the behaviour of the participants because they have figured out the aim of the study.

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14
Q

How may participants change their behaviour if they find out the aim of the study (demand characteristics)?

A
  • They may try to please the researcher and give them the results they want.
  • They may try to ‘spoil’ the experiment and the results (the ‘screw you’ effect).
  • They may become more self-conscious if they know they are being tested.
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15
Q

What are some examples of demand characteristics?

A
  • Investigators instructions
  • How instructions are said
  • Socially sensitive research
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16
Q

What are the two methods for controlling variables?

A
  • Standardisation

- Randomisation

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17
Q

What is standardisation?

A

This means putting in ‘controls’ to ensure that every aspect of the research is the same for each participant.

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18
Q

What are three things that can be standardised in an experiment?

A
  • Environment
  • Procedures
  • Instructions
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19
Q

What is randomisation?

A

This is where any choices within the research are selected by chance rather than the researcher to avoid researcher bias.

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20
Q

What are some examples of randomisation?

A
  • Ensuring random allocation of participants to conditions.

- Making a random order word list rather than the researcher determining the order.

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21
Q

What are confounding variables?

A

Any extraneous variable that has not been controlled and may have ‘spoiled’ (confounded) the results.

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22
Q

What does validity refer to?

A

The accuracy of the results.

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23
Q

What are the two main types of validity?

A
  • Internal validity

- External validity

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24
Q

What is internal validity?

A

Refers to whether the research has measured what it intended to measure.

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25
Q

What does high internal validity mean?

A

This is when EVs and CVs are successfully controlled, therefore meaning that the IV did cause a change in the DV.

26
Q

What does low internal validity mean?

A

This is when EVs and CVs are not successfully controlled and therefore may have affected the results.

27
Q

What is external validity?

A

Refers to whether the research can be generalised to the outside world.

28
Q

What are the three types of external validity?

A
  • Ecological validity
  • Population validity
  • Temporal validity
29
Q

What does ecological validity refer to?

A

Real-life settings.

30
Q

What does population validity refer to?

A

Other people in the target population.

31
Q

What does temporal validity refer to?

A

Modern times/ the modern world.

32
Q

What does reliability refer to?

A

The consistency of the results.

33
Q

What should the results be if a study is replicated?

A

Similar.

34
Q

What method do we use to test the reliability of a study?

A

The ‘Test-Retest Method’.

35
Q

What does the ‘Test-Retest Method’ consist of?

A

Completing the exact same study with the same participants and conditions.

36
Q

What is the first advantage of laboratory experiments? (PEEL)

A
  • A high degree of control over variables.
  • This means that it is conducted in a controlled setting, allowing external variables to be controlled.
  • For example, light, temperature, and noise levels can be standardised.
  • Strength: research will measure what it is intended to measure, giving it a high internal validity.
37
Q

Why is it a strength that lab experiments are easy to replicate? (PEEL)

A
  • Easy to replicate.
  • This means that the conditions for one study can be easily replicated because the conditions are controlled.
  • For example, the same light, noise, and temperature can be achieved every time.
  • Strength: allows the study to be easily tested for reliability.
38
Q

What are two advantages of laboratory experiments?

A
  • High degree of control over variables

- Easy to replicate

39
Q

Why is it a disadvantage that lab experiments are high in demand characteristics? (PEEL)

A
  • High demand characteristics.
  • This means that because of the standardised nature, participants are more aware that they are taking part in the research.
  • For example, participants may figure out the aim of the study and change their behaviour to give the researcher the results they think they want.
  • Problem: the study is not measuring what it intends to measure, lowering internal validity.
40
Q

Why is it a disadvantage that lab experiments have low ecological validity? (PEEL)

A
  • Low ecological validity.
  • This means that the research may not reflect participants natural behaviour because of the artificial settings of a laboratory experiment.
  • For example, some participants may behave differently in public, at home, or at work.
  • Problem: findings cannot be generalised to real-life settings.
41
Q

What are two disadvantages of laboratory experiments?

A
  • High demand characteristics

- Low ecological validity

42
Q

Why is it an advantage that field experiments have high ecological validity? (PEEL)

A
  • High ecological validity.
  • This means that the research takes place in real-life settings and should reflect participants’ natural behaviour.
  • For example, participants are studied in natural environments and therefore shouldn’t act unnaturally as they might do in an artificial environment (lab).
  • Strength: findings can be generalised to other real-life settings.
43
Q

Why is it an advantage that field experiments have low demand characteristics? (PEEL)

A
  • Low demand characteristics.
  • This means that because the research doesn’t take place in the artificial setting of a lab, participants are less aware of the fact that they’re being studied,
  • For example, participants will not be able to work out the aim of the study if they are unaware of the fact that they are being studied.
  • Strength: the study is measuring participants true behaviour which increases internal validity.
44
Q

What are two advantages of field experiments?

A
  • High ecological validity.

- Low demand characteristics.

45
Q

Why is it a disadvantage that field experiments have low control over variables? (PEEL)

A
  • Low degree of control over variables.
  • This means that because the research is conducted in natural environments, it is difficult to control extraneous variables.
  • For example, noise, light, and temperature cannot be standardised and may vary between conditions.
  • Problem: research can’t measure what it intends to measure and has low internal validity.
46
Q

Why is it a disadvantage that field experiments are difficult to replicate? (PEEL)

A
  • Difficult to replicate.
  • This means that the conditions used for one study are difficult to repeat in future replications of the study.
  • For example, noise, light, and temperature may vary each time the study is repeated.
  • Problem: findings cannot be easily tested for reliability.
47
Q

What are two disadvantages of field experiments?

A
  • Low degree of control over variables.

- Difficult to replicate.

48
Q

What is a natural experiment?

A

It is where the IV varies naturally and researchers take advantage of these natural events.

49
Q

Why is it an advantage that natural experiments have high ecological validity? (PEEL)

A
  • High ecological validity.
  • This means that the research usually takes place in real-life settings so it should reflect the participants’ natural behaviour.
  • For example, participants are studied in natural environments and therefore shouldn’t act unnaturally as they might do in an artificial environment (lab).
  • Strength: findings can be generalised to other real-life settings.
50
Q

Why is it an advantage that natural experiments provide opportunities for other research? (PEEL)

A
  • Provides opportunities for research that may not otherwise take place.
  • This means that it allows researchers to study situations where it is not possible to manipulate variables.
  • For example, situations where it would be unethical to manipulate variables or impractical.
  • Strength: allows researchers to gain increased knowledge and understanding of situations where it is not possible to do so otherwise.
51
Q

What are two advantages of natural experiments?

A
  • High ecological validity.

- Provides opportunities for research that may not otherwise take place.

52
Q

Why is it a disadvantage that random allocation is not possible for natural experiments? (PEEL)

A
  • Random allocation to conditions is not possible.
  • This means that because the IV occurs naturally, the conditions also occur naturally and can cause bias.
  • For example, it could mean that all the people in one condition are naturally more intelligent than the people in another.
  • Problem: research will not measure what it intends to measure and gives it low internal validity.
53
Q

Why is it a disadvantage that it is difficult to replicate natural experiments? (PEEL)

A
  • Difficult to replicate.
  • This means that the conditions used for one study are difficult to replicate in the exact same way because they take place in natural environments.
  • For example, noise, light, and temperature may vary a lot each time the study is repeated.
  • Problem: findings cannot be easily tested for reliability.
54
Q

What are two disadvantages of natural experiments?

A
  • Random allocation to conditions is not possible.

- Difficult to replicate.

55
Q

How are quasi-experiments different to other experiments?

A

The IV does not vary because the conditions already exist (e.g. age or gender).

56
Q

Why is it an advantage that quasi-experiments have high ecological validity? (PEEL)

A
  • High ecological validity.
  • This means that the research usually takes in real-life settings so it should reflect the participants’ natural behaviour.
  • For example, participants are studied in natural environments and therefore shouldn’t act unnaturally as they might do in an artificial environment (lab).
  • Strength: findings can be generalised to other real-life settings.
57
Q

Why is it an advantage that quasi-experiments provide opportunities for new research?

A
  • Provide opportunities for research that may not otherwise take place.
  • This means that it allows researchers to study situations where it is not possible to manipulate variables.
  • For example, when studying the effects of age, gender, or personality type of the participants.
  • Strength: findings can be generalised to other real-life settings.
58
Q

What are two advantages of quasi-experiments?

A
  • High ecological validity

- Provides opportunities for research that may not take place otherwise.

59
Q

Why is it a disadvantage that random allocation is not possible in quasi-experiments? (PEEL)

A
  • Random allocation to conditions is not possible.
  • This means that because the conditions of the IV already exist the conditions of the participants also already exist, which may create bias.
  • For example, it could mean that all the people in one condition are naturally more intelligent than the people in another.
  • Problem: research will not measure what it intends to measure and gives it low internal validity.
60
Q

Why is it a disadvantage that quasi-experiments are difficult to replicate? (PEEL)

A
  • Difficult to replicate.
  • This means that the conditions for one study will be difficult to replicate because they take place in natural settings.
  • For example, noise, light, and temperature may vary a lot every time the study is repeated.
  • Problem: findings cannot be easily tested for reliability.
61
Q

What are two disadvantages of quasi-experiments?

A
  • Random allocation to conditions is not possible.

- Difficult to replicate.

Psychology - Research Methods (11 decks)

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