Methodological Issues Flashcards
reliability
refers to how consistent a test/measurement is
internal reliability
refers to the consistency of results across items within a test/the consistency of a measuring device
Does it work in a consistent [standardised and replicable] way with all participants?
eg do the first 10qs on an IQ test five a similar score to the second 10qs on an IQ test
external reliability
refers to the extent to which the results vary from one time it is used to another/the consistency of study’s findings
Would the same findings be obtained if the study was repeated?
eg if you take an IQ test on a Monday, do you get the same results if you take it on a Wednesday or a Friday
what are the 3 methods to check reliability of a test or study
split half
test retest
inter rater reliability
what is the split half method?
involves comparing results of two halves of the research instrument and seeing if they are the same
if the scores are roughly the same the research instrument has high internal reliability
what is test-retest method?
the same participants are tested once using the research instrument and later tested again using the same research instrument and the results are then compared
what is inter rater reliability?
used in observations
measured by conducting a correlation between the ratings of the first observer and the ratings of the second observer
validity
whether a measure accurately measures what is claims to be measuring
internal validity
refers to if the researcher is measuring the effect of the IV on the DV or if there is an effect of extraneous variables
face validity
refers to how good the research looks to be at testing what it claims to be testing
based on subjective opinion
construct validity
if research measures every construct that it should measure
concurrent validity
where one study of a behaviour gives the same results as another test or study that claims to measure the same behaviour
eg Loftus and Palmer’s first and second studies had a high concurrent validity
criterion validity
refers to how well a tool can predict future behaviour
external validity
if the results of the research can be generalised out of the research setting
population validity
refers to the extent to which the results from the sample can be generalised to the general population
ecological validity
refers to the extent to which the settings of the study are similar to the natural environment
what reduces validity?
order effects
researcher bias
social desirability bias
demand characteristics
response bias
extraneous variables
generalisability vs representativeness
Representativeness refers to the SAMPLE used in the research – if the sample is diverse and includes people from different ages, genders, occupations, education levels, etc., it will be more representative of the target population
Generalisability refers to the RESULTS of the research – if the sample used is biased and not diverse, the results cannot be generalised to everyone in the target population
demand characteristics
Demand characteristics occur when participants work out the aim of the research either because it is (obvious or repeated measures design being used)
Participants then change their behaviour and act in the way they think the researcher wants them to act.
social desirability bias
Social desirability refers to when participants change their behaviour to present an image of being a good member of society or to fit into social norms, rather than showing their true behaviour.
Researcher bias (observer bias)
refers to the way the researcher collects and interprets the results of research, may interpret behaviour based on their prior expectations lowering validity of the findings
