Lecture 7 - Measuring Variables

Question 1

Self Reports

L7, P.1

Answer 1

• Used commonly in research and in everyday life
• Exs. Surveys & Interviews
• You provide the researcher/interviewer with information about you
• Has important limitations such as, social desirability bias, question bias and human fallibility

Question 2

Social Desirability Bias

L7, P.1

Answer 2

• When we ask someone a question about themselves the nature of their answer can have social ramifications
• We are naturally inclined to shade answers that may make us look bad

Question 3

Question Bias

(Interviewer Bias)

L7, P.1

Answer 3

• How a question is asked can have an impact on the answer
  1. “Do you agree with the utterly discusting use of animal testing?”
  2. “Do you agree with the justifiable use of animal testing?”

Question 4

Reports by Others

L7, P.2

Answer 4

• You tell researchers about someone else
• Avoids social desirability bias but your relationship with person may taint answers
• Subject to observer bias and human fallibility

Question 5

Observer Bias

L7, P.2

Answer 5

• Our observations of others are situation specific
• We arent always around others so we cant be 100% sure

Question 6

Physiological Measure

L7, P.2

Answer 6

• Looks at what is going on inside the body
• Usually pretty objective (straightforward and easy to measure)
• Not subject to biases
• Must be described as operational definitions
• Not always the best definition for the psychological construct that we are interested in*

*How good is our operational definition?

Question 7

Behavioural Observations

L7, P.3

Answer 7

• Direct behavioural measurment by a trained observer
• Used in labratory research
• Pretty reliable though still subject to human fallibility, Experimenter bias, Hawthorne effect, Placebo effect and situation specifity
• Can be solved through undergoing a double-blind procedure

Question 8

Placebo Effect

L7, P.3

Answer 8

• When the subject knows what is expected of them so they respond and act accordingly

Question 9

Hawthorne Effect

L7, P.3

Answer 9

• Act of measuring ones behaviour can change thier behaviour if they know that it is being measured
• We act differently when we know people are watching

Question 10

Experimenter Bias

L7, P.3

Answer 10

• If a researcher has expectations of the research outcomes they become more inclined to look for signs there

Question 11

Situation Specifity

L7, P.3

Answer 11

• Researchers only watch in certain situations
• Subject behaviour, feelings, etc. can changewhen they are not being watched
• Is only an issue if a study is looking at more than a certain situation

Question 12

Double-Blind Procedure

L7, P.3

Answer 12

• Researcher making observations doesnt know what they are looking for so they cannot expect anything or make assumptions
• Subjects also do not know what group they are in