Lessons 1-6

Question 1

What is Content Analysis?

Answer 1

An observational research method in which the researcher studies a large set of data with a coding system

Question 2

What are the 3 steps involved in Content Analysis?

Answer 2

Sampling (time/event), Recording

Method (write down/video) and Categorization (quantitative/qualitative)

Question 3

What are some strengths of Content Analysis?

Answer 3

High Ecological validity (simply observation, no IV manipulated) and Produces qualitative AND quantitative data (high quality data is produced)

Question 4

What are some weaknesses of Content Analysis?

Answer 4

Investigator may be reflexive (have preconceived ideas about the research topic) and research is subject to Cultural bias (different researchers may have different interpretations of what constitutes as recordable behaviors)

Question 5

What are Case Studies?

Answer 5

Real life situations that provide detailed insight into rare/fascinating behavior that can be used as evidence for theories

Question 6

What are some strengths of Case Studies?

Answer 6

Provide rich, detailed qualitative data (very valid) and Allows psychologists to investigate rare behaviors (and things that would be unethical to test by manipulating an IV e.g Genie the Feral Child)

Question 7

What are some weaknesses of Case Studies?

Answer 7

Can be very specific with small samples when looking at rare behaviors (difficult to generalise) and Low reliability of Data (if said scenarios are repeated results may be different)

Question 8

What is Reliability?

Answer 8

When an experiment is re-carried out and produces the same results as the first test, the research can be deemed as reliable

Question 9

What is Internal Reliability?

Answer 9

Whether measuring instruments can be used in research and produce the same results e.g a ruler. NOT something subjective like a rating scale

Question 10

What is Intra Researcher reliability?

Answer 10

The degree of consistency between different researchers results for the same experiment

Question 11

What is Inter Observer reliability?

Answer 11

Ensuring an observation isn’t biased by using multiple researchers for the same study and comparing their results

Question 12

What is a Pilot Study?

Answer 12

Small scale preliminary study with a small sample to identify any problems with a study making the actual experiment as efficient as possible

Question 13

What is Internal Validity?

Answer 13

The extent to which an experiments IV affects the DV

Question 14

What are Investigator effects?

Answer 14

Traits of the investigator that might have an effect on the DV

Question 15

What are Demand Characteristics?

Answer 15

When participants try to guess the aim of a study and change their behaviors based on this guess

Question 16

What are Confounding Variables?

Answer 16

Uncontrollable external variables that can affect the DV e.g Weather

Question 17

What is Social Desirability Bias?

Answer 17

When participants change their responses in a study to make themselves more acceptable/desirable to society

Question 18

What is Operationalisation?

Answer 18

Making a qualitative/subjective test measurable and quantifiable by assigning a scale

Question 19

What is Ecological Validity?

Answer 19

Extent to which you can generalise results from a study to real life

Question 20

What is Mundane Realism?

Answer 20

Extent to which the scenario in an experiment occurs in real life

Question 21

What is Temporal Validity?

Answer 21

Extent to which a studys results will be valid in the future

Question 22

What is Face Validity?

Answer 22

Way of measuring whether a test measures what is actually desired to be measured

Question 23

What is Concurrent Validity?

Answer 23

Comparing results from a new study to an older study and seeing how similar they are. If they score 0.8+ score in the correlation coefficient then the new test can be considered valid

Question 24

What is a Double Blind Procedure?

Answer 24

Variation of an experiment in which the investigator and participants don’t know the aim of the study

Question 25

What are the 4 stages of Deductive Reasoning?

Answer 25

Propose a theory
Develop a Hypothesis
Test the Theory
Draw Conclusions

Question 26

What are the 5 stages of Inductive Reasoning?

Answer 26

Observe Environment
Develop Hypothesis
Test Hypothesis
Draw Conclusions
Create Theory

Question 27

What are 3 things that make Psychology a Science?

Answer 27

Control of Confounding Variables
Operationalisation of DV
Large Sample Size

Question 28

What is Paradigm Shift?

Answer 28

When an emerging paradigm has contradictory evidence over the existing paradigm and a scientific revolution occurs, making the new paradigm the accepted theory

Question 29

What is an Empirical Method?

Answer 29

Method of gaining knowledge that relies on direct testing/observation

Question 30

What is Replicability?

Answer 30

The extent to which the same results of an experiment can be achieved in different contexts

Question 31

What is Falsifiability?

Answer 31

The idea that theories can be wrong/disproved through evidence. This makes a theory valid