Key Terms Flashcards
Aim
A general statement about the purpose of the research
Hypothesis
A precise statement about the expected outcome of the investigation
Null hypothesis
A statement stating that no difference will be found between variables in the research
Directional hypothesis
A hypothesis which is specific in stating what the effect will be between variables
Non directional hypothesis
A hypothesis which states that there will be an effect however is does not state exactly what the effect will be
Independent variable
Something that the experimenter manipulates
Dependent variable
A variable that is affected by the changes in the independent variable
Extraneous variables
Variables that can affect all participants in the sample equally
Confounding variables
Variables that might affect some participants behaviour but not all
Participants/ situational/ experimenter variables
A form of extraneous variables
Bias
Some form of distortion so that we do not get a clear reflection of the attitude or behaviour being studied
Representative
A group that is a true reflection of that overall population
Standardised procedure
Ensuring all steps and instructions of the research are kept exactly the same for all participants
Counterbalancing
Balancing out order effects
Demand characteristics
Anything the experimenter does or any piece of equipment where the participants could end up discovering the purpose of the research
Double blind
The participant nor the experimenter know what condition they are in
Single blind
The participant is unaware of which condition they are in
Inter rater reliability
Two separate experiments complete and document the same research and check they have the same results
Order effects
Any differences in results due to the order that the experimental tasks are presented in
Independent measures design
One group does task A another group does task B
Repeated measures design
The whole group does one task and then does the other task
Matched pairs design
The independent groups are prior matches based on similar characteristics
Target population
The whole group with which the study is concerned
Systematic sampling
Every nth person on a list is selected to take part in the study
Random sampling
Participants all have the same chance of being selected
Opportunity sampling
Individuals that are available to the researcher at the time
Volunteer sampling
Individuals that put themselves forward to participate
Stratified sampling
Population is divided into sub groups. Sample is representative of these groups
Informed consent
Participants must fully understand and agree to participate
Deception
Lying or hiding the true purpose of the research
Right to withdraw
Participants can stop or leave the study at any time and their data
Confidentiality
Participants personal details aren’t shared
Protection from harm
Participants have the right to be protected from any type of harm throughout the study
Debrief
After the research participants should be told the true aims
Lab experiment
Controlled artificial settings
Standardised procedure
Extraneous variables controlled
Field experiment
Takes place in a natural environment
Manipulates variables
Quasi experiments
IV is not controlled as it is naturally occurring
Time sampling
Recording your behaviour at set time intervals
Event sampling
Recording the behaviour when it happens
Cross sectional study
Data is collected at one point in time
Longitudinal study
Data collected repeatedly over time
Questionnaires
Non-experimental, self report method
Open questions
Give the participant the freedom to say what they want, no fixed answer
Closed questions
Provides a fixed set of responses
Quantitative data
Numerical
Qualitative
Non- numerical (description)
Interviews
Researcher ask questions in real time
Correlation
A relationship between two variables
Reliability
The test produces CONSISTENT results
Internal reliability
Test is CONSISTENT in itself
External reliability
CONSISTENT over time
Internal validity
Things are ACCURATE inside the study. Effected by lack of mundane realism and confounding variables
(External) temporal validity
The findings from a study can be generalised to other historical times
(External) population validity
The findings can be generalised to other populations of people
(External) ecological validity
The findings can be generalised beyond the present situation to other settings
(Content analysis) coding
Quantitative data
Information categorised and places in meaningful units
(Content analysis) thematic analysis
Qualitative data
An idea that keeps coming up in your study
Face validity
Whether the test appears to measure what it claims to do is objective
Predictive validity
A test accurately forecasts a future outcome
Concurrent validity
Validating a measurement by comparing it with an established measurement that has known validity
Primary data
Information collected or observed first hand by the researcher
Secondary data
Information used in a study that was collected by someone else
Nominal data
Data classified in categories
Ordinal data
Rank to the data and has no equal intervals
Interval data
Equal units and precisely defined with no true zero like temperature
Ratio data
Equal units and has a true zero
Measures of dispersion
How spread out data items are.
Range, standard deviation
Measures of central tendency
Central values for a set of data
Mean, median and mode
Bar chart/ pie chart
Use for nominal data
And distinct categories
Frequencies of non-continuous data
Histograms
No categories
data is ratio or interval
Set in specific order
Line graph
Used when showing a change over time
Drawn with a straight line
Key is needed is there are 2 categories
Scatter diagram
Correlation research between 2 or more co variables
PET scans
Shows brain activity
Radioactive 2-DG is injected into the carotid artery and taken up by cells and accumulates in active neurons
Structural MRI
High resolution images are made from waves of hydrogen atoms whi CG are activated by magnetic field. They can show structural abnormalities
Functional MRI
An increase in oxygen flow in the blood to active areas of the brain is showed
It provides both structural and functional information on the same image
Inferential statistics table
I(ndependent)R(epeated)C(orrelation)
N(ominal).
C(hi-squared)S(ign test)
O(rdinal)
M(annwhitney)W(ilcox)S(pearmmans)
Social psychology
Scientific study of how peoples thought, feelings and beliefs are constructed within a social context
