Methodological issues

Question 1

Validity

Answer 1

The idea of ensuring research measures what it aims to measure
Making sure it measures how the IV affects this behaviour etc

Question 2

Types of validity

Answer 2

Ecological validity
Population validity
Construct validity
Face validity
Concurrent validity
Criterion validity

Question 3

Ecological validity

Answer 3

Considers whether the experiment resembles real life so participants show naturalistic behaviour
Ensures we are measuring how real people act

Question 4

Population validity

Answer 4

How accurately the test or study measures behaviour in the general population
Thus can be generalised to the rest of the population

Question 5

Construct validity

Answer 5

Ensuring the study measures what the researcher says it’s measuring and not measuring an extraneous variable’s affecf

Question 6

The benefit of ensuring a study is ecologically valid?

Answer 6

So behaviour is naturalistic and can therefore be translated to real life

Question 7

What is the benefit of ensuring a study is population validity?

Answer 7

Ensures we can measure how the rest of population may respond

Question 8

What is the benefit of ensuring a study has construct validity?

Answer 8

So the research is an actual measure of what it set out to measure

Question 9

Internal validity

Answer 9

The research within the study measures the influence on the independent variable

Question 10

External validity

Answer 10

The findings of the study can be generalised to other settings due to being done in a realistic setting and having a representative sampl

Question 11

Social desirability bias

Answer 11

When participants behave in a way which is based on society’s norms to appear as a better person

Question 12

Demand characteristics

Answer 12

Bias in research caused by participants guessing the aim of the study and increase pd behaviour accordingly to aid the researcher

Question 13

Reliability

Answer 13

Refers to consistency of research and findings: if it shows a consistent effect

Question 14

Internal reliability

Answer 14

If the research is reliable within the study by the variables consistently measuring the same concepts
And having a large enough sample to show consistent effect

Question 15

External reliability

Answer 15

How a test can be repeated over time to give consistent results because the procedure has been standardised so it is replicable

Question 16

Observer bias

Answer 16

When observers can project their own interpretations when observing behaviour so it is measured subjectively than objectively

Question 17

Inter rater reliability

Answer 17

2 observers rate and observe the same behaviour which their scores are correlated to decrease subjectivity
Inter rater reliability over 80 = good

Question 18

Face validity

Answer 18

How accurately the research looks to be testing what it’s meant to test at face value

Question 19

Concurrent validity

Answer 19

When a test/research gives the same results as another study which is measuring same behaviour

Question 20

Criterion validity

Answer 20

How much one measure predicts the value of another measure such as grades predicting success in life and if this is accurate