Introduction to psychological Investigations Flashcards
Name the 7 features of science
objective theoretical empirical rational replicable falsification paradigm
objective
free from opinions
factual based
theoretical
to be theory based
empirical
to be based on evidence therefore its not just a theory
rational
to be logical - make sense consistent follows facts
replicable
to be able to make an exact copy of
so that the results are consistent and therefore reliable
guards against fruad
falsification
to prove a theory/hypothesis wrong by another theory
paradigm
something that psychology lacks
a general agreed followed principle understanding of a method
list the scientific process
observations made general truths/ theories to explain the observation theories made about the observation scientific predictions hypothesis tested
what is peer review?
the process in which an article is assessed by people of the same field when submitting it for publication.
why is peer review important?
it helps make sure the article is of good quality
helps allocate research funding - to invest in establishing research projects that are most worthwhile
ensure relevance of the research
to suggest improvements/ amendments
single blind review research
single blind review research is where the participants in an investigation do not know the aim of the research conducted. This helps prevent any abnormal behaviour displayed when collecting evidence and also bias
double blind review research
the process in which neither the participant nor the researcher know the aim of the research being conducted
this helps ensure quality research that is not altered by bias when collecting results or abnormal behaviour within participants making the research as genuine and natural as possible to ensure authenticity of the research being conducted
Name the 7 BPS ethical guidelines
informed consent deception protection from harm privacy and confidentiality withdrawal from an investigation debrief socially sensitive research
what is informed consent and how can this be overcome?
involves making participants aware that they are being studied. that they know about the aims of the research, the procedures , their right such as withdrawal and also what their data will be used for. Participants should then decide whether to partake in the research or not
what is deception and how can this be overcome?
deception is deliberately misleading or withholding information from participants. this can be overcome by again expressing the participant rights
what is protection from harm and how can this be overcome?
protection from harm is to do with both physical and psychological harm. this can be overcome by giving participants the right of withdrawal at any point and debriefing the participant
what is privacy and confidentiality and how can this be overcome?
keeping the participant data and not publishing anything personal - keeping them anonymous. this can be expressed in the consent letter where it should reassure participants that their data is safe
what is withdrawal from an investigation and how can this be overcome?
is having the right to leave the research at any point and your data collected not being used in the results of the study.
what is a debrief and how is does it work to ensure ethics?
a debrief is something that is done after an investigation where participants are told what the research was done for. again this helps reassure participants helping them leave the investigation with the same mindset they came in with
what is a socially sensitive research and how is does it work to ensure ethics?
socially sensitive research is research to do with sensitive topics such as race, gender or mental illness
privacy and confidentiality should be respected and the participants should be warned about the sensitive topic in the consent form and also should be reminded about their right of withdrawal
strengths and limitations of volunteer sampling :
easier to get participants
unrepresentative sample
strengths and limitations of stratified sampling :
avoids researcher bias
somewhat unrepresentative sample - cant reflect all the ways people are different
what is a naturalistic observation?
where observations take place in the setting or context the target behaviour would normally occur
what are the benefits of a naturalistic observation?
high external validity - the target are in its natural environment so the findings will be more valid as it will not be altered by abnormal behaviour
what are the disadv of a naturalistic observation?
replication would be difficult as there is no control over the research situation - you have a different environment
ethics can be questioned as the participants dont know they are being observed
what is controlled observation?
there is no control over the variables including manipulating environments
what are the benefits of a controlled observation?
replication can be done easily - control over behaviour in a way
what are the disadv of a controlled observation?
not in a naturalistic environment or situation - research may not be as valid
what is a participant observation?
where the observer becomes part of the target group to get a firsthand insight/account
what are the benefits of a participant observation?
more validity
increased insights of the experiments
comparisons between behaviour results can be made
what are the disadv of a participant observation?
objectivity may be lost - undetailed data
line between being a researcher and being a participant may be blurred
ethics - breach of privacy
what is a non-participant observation?
the observer is seperate from the targeted group
what are the benefits of a non-participant observation?
moe professional - less biased no breach of privacy
what are the disadv of a non-participant observation?
observations being made may be inaccurate due to the researcher having an outsider point of view. this could result in losing valuable insight
questionnaires benefits
cost and time effective - lots of data collected fast
can be distributed to a large number of people - wider range of data
little effort required - researcher does not need to be present
straightforward answers that can be assessed into patterns easily
questionnaires disadv
may not be truthful answers
limited answers not as detailed
social desirability can affect results
response bias - failing to read questions accurately
interview benefits
easy to replicate
ethical - no breach of privacy
easier to ask follow up questions and so easier to elaborate and explain
interview disadv
not as straightforward
feelings may affect accuracy of answers
what is correlational analysis?
to investigate the strength of a relationship between two variables