L2 - Intro to research methods Flashcards
what is the independent variable?
variable that’s controlled and manipulated by the experimenter
what’s the dependent variable?
variable that’s measured by the experimenter
what’s a within subjects (repeated measures) design?
The same group of ppts is exposed to all levels of the IV.
The dependent variable is measured for each ppts under every IV level
+/- Within / repeated groups
+ reduces individual differences —> each ppt is directly compared to themselves this also reduces confounding variables
- order effects
what is a confounding variable
variables that are related to both the IV and the DV and can’t be controlled
what’s a between subjects (independent groups) design?
different groups of ppts are exposed to different levels of IV –> each group is exposed to 1 level of the IV
the DV is measured for each group
+/- between/ independent groups
+ no order effects and allows for a comparison between groups
- doesn’t control for individual differences as effectively as a within subjects design
What is nominal data?
Categorical data that can’t be ranked or ordered e.g., gender
What is ordinal data?
Categorical data that can be ranked/ ordered e.g., a likert scale
What’s interval data?
Continuous data with equal intervals between values but no true 0 point e.g., temperature in Celsius
What’s ratio data?
Continuous data with equal intervals and a true 0 point e.g., weight
What are ppt variables
individual characteristics of each ppt that may impact how they respond in the experiment
What are the 4 non-experimental research designs?
Observational
Archival
Case study
Survey/ interview
What is an observation as a research design?
records behaviour as it naturally occurs
no manipulation of conditions by the experimenter
What’s and archival?
uses existing data for analysis
no manipulation of conditions
what’s a case study?
examines an existing situation or individual in depth
no manipulation of conditions
what’s a survey/ interview?
records responses as received from ppts
no manipulation of conditions
What kind of data does non-experimental research provide?
quantitative
+ of non-experimental research
Describing behaviour - provides a detailed description of a particular behaviour or phenomenon
Predicting behaviour - by analysing patterns and relationships
Explaining behaviour - explain why certain behaviours can occur by identifying factors that are associated with them
what does a t-test do
compares the means of the groups and assesses whether the difference us statistically significant
what’s quasi-experimental research
involve manipulation of variables but doesn’t involve random allocation of ppts.
used when random allocation isn’t possible or ethical
- quasi experiment
due to lack of random allocation it’s impossible to be sure of the effects on the DV due to the IV
not always ethical
+ quasi-experiment
provide valuable insights and evidence
What are non-experimental designs + what are they used for?
Don’t involve manipulation of variables or random allocation of ppts + are used to describe relationships between variables
What are experimental designs + what are they used for?
involve manipulation of variables and random allocation of ppts to different groups + are used to establish a cause and effect.
what’s a null hypothesis?
states there’s no difference between groups or no relationship between variables
