Planning And Conducting Research Flashcards
Research question
The question the researcher asks
Research aim
What the researchers are intending to investigate
Research hypothesis
The hypothesis for any study
Experimental hypothesis
The hypothesis written for a experiment
Null hypothesis
States there will be no difference between the conditions
Alternative hypothesis
Predict the effect of the IV on the DV
One tailed hypothesis (directional)
The specific effect is predicted
Two tailed hypothesis (non directional)
The effect is predicted, but isn’t specified. It has two possible outcomes
Random sampling
Every member has an equal chance of being selected
Strengths of random sampling
Sample should represent the target population
Disadvantages of random sampling
Hard to achieve - time effort money
Snowball sampling
Psychologist will find one ppt with a characteristic and ask them to introduce them to someone else and ask that person to introduce them to someone else
Advantages of snowball sampling
Researchers can investigate populations have are hard to find
Disadvantages of snowball sampling
Sample could be biased as they may all be from the same place or be same age
Opportunity sampling
Researcher selects the most convenient people to study
Strengths of opportunity sampling
Researchers have access to large groups of people
Quick and easy
Disadvantages of opportunity sampling
Could be a biased sample and might not be representative of everyone
Self selected sample
When people choose to take part in research
Strengths of self selected sampling
Can rely on ppts to take part
Disadvantages of self selected sampling
May not be representative as only some people will see the advertisement
May be certain characteristics about the people who volunteer
Repeated measures design
Each ppt is tested in every condition
Related design
When each pair of scores for the conditions is only from one participant
Strengths of repeated measures design
Participant variables are controlled for as they do both conditions - increases internal validity
Uses less ppts so time effective
Weaknesses of repeated measures design
Order effects
Ppts may work out the IV by picking up on the demand characteristics
Counterbalancing
Controlling variables, such as order effects (varying the order of conditions)
Matched pairs design
Each ppt is paired up with someone else in the sample on the basis of the variables that matter to the study (gender, age, aggression, intelligence)
Strengths of matched pairs design
Not effected by order effects or demand characteristics
Controls ppt variables
Weaknesses of matched pairs design
Time consuming to match participants
Impossible to match ppts enough to be sure that the study isn’t effected by EV’s
Independent measures design
Each ppt is only tested in one condition
Unrelated design
Compares the whole experimental condition scores with the whole of the control condition scores
Strengths of independent measures design
Not affected by order effects or DC’s
Less time consuming
Weaknesses of independent measures design
Participant variables aren’t controlled for
Large samples are needed to ensure the effect of the DV is caused by the IV
Independent variable
The variable which psychologists are testing, they predict that it will have an effect on behaviour
Dependent variable
The behaviour which psychologists are measuring and recording
Operationalising variables
Clearly stating how the variables are being measured
Participant variables
Factors within a person that can vary over time or vary with a situation (gender age ethnicity)
Situational variable
Factors which can vary in the environment (level of noise, time of day)
Confounding variables
An EV that hasn’t been controlled for
How are EV’s controlled for
Standardisation
Randomisation
Counterbalancing
Standardisation
Keeping test conditions the same for every participant, this controls situational variables
Randomisation
Where ppts are randomly allocated to experimental conditions on a chance basis - this is to stop researcher bias
Counterbalancing
Method of controlling variables, order effects controlled by varying the order of tasks to ppts so there is no effect of the order
Behavioural categories
Researcher makes an observation schedule, so what is going to be observed and how it will be observed is all decided before the observation takes place
Advantages of behavioural categories
Provide quantitative data
Disadvantages of behavioural categories
Could give a restricted view of what is actually happening as researcher could miss important behaviour and then data won’t be as in depth
Coding frame
Groups of categories which shows how qualitative data has been turned into numbers. Researchers need to observe the behaviour and identify key features of the behaviour and then code the behaviour. Then categories can be identified and the observation can continue with each behaviour being noted in the right category
Advantage of coding frame
Enables researcher to analyse data
Time point sampling
Where the observer records what the ppt is doing at fixed intervals (every 5 seconds over 20 mins)
Time event sampling
Where a fixed period of time is set for an observation (first 10 mins of every hour)
Advantages and disadvantages of time sampling
Researcher has a manageable way of sampling the behaviour that they are interested in, however in the time periods that they are observing they may miss some behaviours so the data won’t be valid
Event sampling
When an event is recorded each time that it happens. Observers use observation schedules or observation categories
Open questions
Ppts can respond how they like
Advantages of open questions
Qualitative rich detailed data
Validity is increased as ppts aren’t forced to answer in a certain way
Disadvantages of open questions
Hard to analyse and compare and can’t be repeated so can’t be tested for reliability
Closed questions
Give the ppt a limited range of responses to choose from
Advantages of closed questions
Quantitative data which can be easily summarised and compared between participants or conditions and can be tested for reliability
Disadvantages of closed questions
Low EV as ppts are forced to answer in a certain way, something important might be missed as they can’t explain answers
Ppts might feel frustrated by the limited range of responses available which could affect their attitude so they might answer randomly
Likert scale
A scale which provides a range of answers for people to select the one which represents the extent to which they like/dislike or agree/disagree with something. Researchers can assign numbers to the responses which provides quantitative data. Increases EV as ppts have a range of verbal responses to choose from
Rating scale
Set of values or categories which allow feelings and behaviours to be rated
Semantic rating scale
A scare in which ppts are asked to rate something in terms of its position between 2 opposite descriptive words. Ppts have to have good vocab to understand this, so children might not understand it.
Hypothesis
A statement of what you believe is true
