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A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY > Paper 2 Research Methods > Flashcards

Paper 2 Research Methods Flashcards

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1
Q

Co-variables?

A

comparisons of two variables to see for correlations

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2
Q

Types of hypothesis?

A

Experimental
Directional
Non-directional
Null

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3
Q

Null hypothesis?

A

A statement of no difference or relationship

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4
Q

Non directional hypothesis?

A

A statement where a difference/relationship is present however the direction is not stated

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5
Q

Directional hypothesis?

A

A statement that states the direction of the difference/relationship

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6
Q

When is a directional hypothesis used?

A

When previous research suggests a direction in the difference/relationship

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7
Q

Experimental hypothesis?

A

A statement where the relationship of the IV and DV is stated and the direction of the relationship

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8
Q

Independent groups?

A

One group of participants do condition A and the second group do condition B

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9
Q

Repeated measures?

A

All participants take part in all conditions of the experiment

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10
Q

Matched pairs?

A

Two groups of participants are matched based on characteristics relevant to the study

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11
Q

Types of experimental designs?

A

Matched pairs
Repeated measures
Independent groups

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12
Q

What are the strengths of independent groups?

A

Order effects do not interrupt performance
Demand characteristics are reduced

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13
Q

What are limitations of independent groups?

A

More Ps are needed
Confounding variables may be present
individual differences

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14
Q

What are strengths of repeated measures?

A

Few Ps are needed
All Ps variables are controlled

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15
Q

What are limitations of repeated measures?

A

Order effects disrupt performance
Demand characteristics

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16
Q

What are strengths of matched pairs?

A

Ps variable can be controlled better

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17
Q

What are limitations of matched pairs?

A

Time consuming
Difficult to match accurately
Only known variables are matched

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18
Q

Counterbalancing?

A

When half of Ps do condition A then B whilst the other half does visa versa balancing out effect of the order

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19
Q

Order effects?

A

The change in performance due to the order of conditions

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20
Q

Extraneous variables?

A

Any variable other than the IV that can potentially affect the DV. They dont vary systematically with the IV.

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21
Q

How can we control demand characteristics?

A

Single blind design where Ps are unaware of condition they are in
Deception by lying or distracting questions

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22
Q

Investigator effects?

A

Cues from the investigator that encourages specific behaviours

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23
Q

Situational variables?

A

Features that influence Ps within situation/environment

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24
Q

Participant variables?

A

Individual differences between Ps that affect the DV

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25
Q

What happens if you fail to control variables?

A

They can become confounding variables

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26
Q

Preventions of investigator effects?

A

Double blind design - both investigator or Ps dont know aims/hypothesis
Inter rater reliability

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27
Q

Preventions of situational variables?

A

Standardisation so keep everything the same
Procedure, instructions, counterbalancing

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28
Q

Preventions of participants variables?

A

Consider your experimental design and use matched pairs or repeated measures
If using independent groups do random allocation

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29
Q

Types of experiments?

A

Field
Quasi
Natural
Laboratory

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30
Q

Labouratory experiments?

A

Variables are controlled
Special environment
Ps are aware of experiment

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31
Q

Field experiments?

A

Researchers go to Ps usual environment so they r not aware
IV is manipulated in a natural setting

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32
Q

Natural experiments?

A

Researcher has no control over the IV as it vaires due to something/someone (natural)
Measured in field or lab

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33
Q

Quasi experiments?

A

IV can’t be manipulated as based on existing differences (age)
DV can be naturally occurring

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34
Q

What are the strengths of laboratory experiments?

A

Control over variables
Establish cause and effect relationship
Ethics
Internal validity

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35
Q

What are the strengths of field experiments?

A

High ecological validity
Reduced demand characteristics
Higher mundane realism

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36
Q

What are the strengths of natural experiments?

A

High external validity
Research opportunities

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37
Q

What are the strengths of quasi experiments?

A

Research opportunity
High external validity
Ethics

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38
Q

What is the limitation of quasi and natural experiments?

A

Confounding variables due to lack of random allocation

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39
Q

What are the limitations of field experiments?

A

Lack of control over variables
Low internal validity
Ethics

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40
Q

What are the limitations of laboratory experiments?

A

Low ecological validity
Increased demand characteristics
Low mundane realism

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41
Q

What is a hypothesis

A

Cleat and concise prediction about the possibly outcomes of the result

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42
Q

3 types types of measurements of the DV

A

Nominal
Ordinal
Interval

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43
Q

Nominal level?

A

Categorical data E.g participants choosing the responses yes or no

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44
Q

Ordinal variable?

A

Used to rank data or put the data in some sort of numerical order E.g. 0-10 scale

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45
Q

Interval variable?

A

Where data consists of equal intervals or equal measurements. This is much more objective and scientific E.g. swimmers in a race can be measured in mins and secs

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46
Q

Operationalising variable

A

Where the experiment needs to define the variables and state exactly how accurately and precisely they intend to measure or manipulate it

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47
Q

What are the issues with experiments

A

Demand characteristics
Researcher bias
Order effects/practice effects/fatigue effects

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48
Q

How do you overcome issues with experiments

A

-single blind test
-double blind test
- standardised procedures
- counterbalancing
- randomisation

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49
Q

What are participant variables

A

Variables the participants bring to the study that may affect the measurement of the DV

50
Q

Situational variables?

A

Variables that should be controlled in the set up of the experiment E.g. temperature, lighting, time of day

51
Q

Extraneous variables

A

Variables that may affect the measurement of the DV and therefore should be controlled by the experimenter

52
Q

What are demand characteristics

A

Participants are unsure how to behave and they try working out what is required of them

53
Q

What is researcher bias

A

When either consciously or subconsciously researchers may impose a bias on the collection of data to be favourable towards there hypothesis

54
Q

Randomisation?

A

Random allocation of participants to a group to reduce the chances of individual differences

55
Q

What are pilot studies

A

Small scale prototype of a study
They use smaller scale sample of the target population

56
Q

What is Reliability

A

A measure of consistency

57
Q

What is the test retest method

A

Where researchers ask the same participants to complete the same test at different times and expect to see the same results

58
Q

How can you improve the reliability of experiments

A

Pilot studies, standardised procedures and controlling extraneous variables

59
Q

internal validity?

A

the extent to what is intened to be measured, is measured IN DIRECT CONSEQUENCE to the IV

60
Q

Ways to increase internal validity?

A

control over cofounding/extraveous variables, bias from researchers/Ps
standardisation
operationalisation

61
Q

External validity?

A

how outside factors are relevant to the experimen
e.g. generalisation

62
Q

types of external validity?

A

ecological - to what extent can this be generalised to other settings
population - to what extent can this be representative to populations
temporal - to what extent can this be applied over a range of time

63
Q

ways to assess validity?

A

face validity - self report using intutive
concurrent validity - comparision with well established test

64
Q

what is a high concurrent validity?

A

+.80

65
Q

ways to improve validity?

A

experiments - standardise, control group
questionaires - lie scale
observations - covert
qualitative research - triangulation

66
Q

ways to assess reliability?

A

test retest
measuring reliability (0.80)
inter-observer reliability

67
Q

test retest?

A

measuring tools such as IQ tests/questionaires used for a retest after a sufficient amount of time

68
Q

correlation coefficient?

A

0.80 (correlation analysis)

69
Q

inter-observer reliability?

A

subjective data obtained by 2+ observers from observation through pilot studies

70
Q

ways to improvement reliability?

A

Questionaires - no complex/subjective questions
interviews - structural
observations - behavioural catergories
experiments - precise replication

71
Q

samples are used for?

A

representation
less time consuming and costly

72
Q

sampling techniques?

A

volunteer
systematic
random
stratified
opportunity

73
Q

so what? volunteer sampling?

A

less time-consuming
more enaged sample
volunteer bias limits generalisation

74
Q

so what? random sampling?

A

increases internal validity
unbias
time-consuming
potentially unrepresentative

75
Q

so what? systematic sampling ?

A

objective method
time-consuming
need sample framework
sample units can refuse

76
Q

so what? stratified sampling?

A

time-consuming
representative so generalistion
need sample framework

77
Q

so what? opportunity sampling?

A

convient
less costly
reseacher bias
bias so no generalisation

78
Q

ethical issues?

A

present when there is conflict between Ps rights and the goals of the research conducted

79
Q

BPS code of ethics?

A

quasi legal document that instructs the behaviours acceptable when dealing with Ps

80
Q

BPS 4 principles?

A

responsiblity
respect
intergrity
competence

81
Q

informed consent?

A

what? Ps are aware of aims of the study + what dat will be used for
how? consent form/letter or parental consent

82
Q

so what? informed consent?

A

could result in less natural behaviour

83
Q

types of consent?

A

presumptive - simple group of ppl are asked if study is acceptable ‘presumed’
prior general - Ps give permission to be in multiple studies which could involve decepton
retrospective - Ps are asked at debriefing so can be subjected to deception

84
Q

Deception?

A

what? Ps are deliberately lied to or have info withheld
how? no informed consent provided

85
Q

so what? deception?

A

Ps need a full debreif entailing true aims and what data will be used for IF given the right to use

86
Q

protection from harm?

A

what? Ps shouldn’t be put in risk of harm psychological/physical
how? embarassed, under preesure, inadequate

87
Q

so what? protection from harm?

A

BPS code of conduct to see if ethically acceptable by ethical comittees

88
Q

privacy and confidentiality?

A

what? Ps have to right to privacy so ares/ppl shouldn’t be named
how? confidentiality should be put in place

89
Q

so what? privacy and confidentiality?

A

keep anonymity by using no record of personal details
in de/breifing make sure data is protected

90
Q

event sampling?

A

an event is recorded every time it occurs
established by target behaviour/event

91
Q

why would event sampling be used?

A

when event is not frequent

92
Q

time sampling?

A

recording behaviour within a fixed time frame
a tagert individual/group needs to be established 1st

93
Q

why would time sampling be used?

A

to reduce the number of observations though this could be unrepresentative

94
Q

so what? qualitative data?

A

richness of detail so increase external validity
difficult to analyse so subjective interpretation due to no idetifcation of patterns/comparsions

95
Q

so what? quantitative data?

A

easier to analyse so comparisions can be made
narrower in meaning as less detail so decreases external validity

96
Q

so what? primary data?

A

information is directly relevant to research aims as designed to be
time consuming/costly

97
Q

so what? secondary data?

A

less costly
less quality as may be outdated or incomplete decreasing validity

98
Q

so what? meta analysis?

A

increase validity of conclusions so generalisation can be made
publication bias so may lack validity

99
Q

so what? questionaires?

A

straight forward to analyse so can be converted into grapghs/charts for comparision
can be distributed quickly so reduces effort
response bias
social desirability

100
Q

structured interview?

A

list of questions issued in a pre-fixed order

101
Q

unstructured interview?

A

no set of questions instead a general topic is discussed so free-flowing

102
Q

so what? structured interview?

A

easy to replicate so standardised format
interviewers cannot give subjective observation

103
Q

so what? unstructured interview?

A

greater flexibility so gain insight on unexpected info
risk of interviewer bias so opportunity for unconscious cues

104
Q

semi-structured interview?

A

same as structured THOUGH can ask further questions BASED OFF previous questions

105
Q

correlation?

A

the strength and direction of an association between 2 variables

106
Q

so what? correlation?

A

no cause & effect due to no manipulation so could lead to false conclusions
intervening variables could lead to false conclusions
less time-consuming
could start for a hypothosis if there is a strong correlation

107
Q

behavioural catergories?

A

set of observable catergories used in observing target behaviour

108
Q

so what? behavioural catergories?

A

difficult to make clear and unambiguous

109
Q

so what? observations?

A

insight onto sponteneous behaviours
risk of observer bias

110
Q

types of observations?

A

naturalistic
covert
overt
controlled
non/participant

111
Q

naturalistic observation?

A

takes place where the target behaviour would normally occur

112
Q

controlled observation?

A

some control/manipulation of variables including EV/CVs

113
Q

covert observation?

A

Ps are unaware they are being observed

114
Q

overt observation?

A

Ps are aware the are being observed

115
Q

P observation?

A

researcher becomes apart of the group being observed

116
Q

non-P observation?

A

researcher remains separate from the group

117
Q

so what? non-P observation?

A

more objective so increases internal validity
loss of insight reducing external validity

118
Q

so what? P observation?

A

greater insight so increases external validity
lose of objectivity so threatens internal validity

119
Q

so what? overt observation?

A

more ethically acceptble as given consent so right to withdraw
demand characteristics reduces internal validity

120
Q

so what? covert observation?

A

reduced demand characteristics so increases internal validity
not ethically right

121
Q

so what? controlled observation?

A

can be replicated due to standardised format
decrease in external validity

122
Q

so what? naturalistic observation?

A

high external validity so generalisation
low control as may uncontrolled CV/EVs so difficult to detect patterns

A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY (13 decks)

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