Practical Issues in the Design and Implementation of Research Flashcards

1
Q

What are practical issues?

A

The things a researcher has to think abot when trying to devise a credible and acceptable study which has few issues or criticisms that can lead to a lack of acceptance of findings

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2
Q

What does design refer to?

A

Broarder term for method - planning

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3
Q

What does implementation refer to?

A

How it is put into practice - doing

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4
Q

What is an issue with the use of correlations in biological psychology, is there anything that outweighs this negative?

A

Correlations do not show cause and effect meaning findings lack use, but they do allow us to research naturally occurring variables that would be unethical to induce e.g aggression

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5
Q

What issues exist with brain scans in biological psychology?

A

Sometimes they are unclear - Raine (1997) found some scans were blurry, can’t isolate regions of the brain, could be a lack in internal validity but they are most scientific method of studying the brain

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6
Q

What issues exist around self report data in biological psychology?

A

Use of questionnaires to measure aggression is open to SDB - aggression is an undesirable behaviour, internal validity likely to be lacking

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7
Q

What issues are there with twin and adoption studies in biological psychology?

A

Most people are not a twin or adopted meaning there is a lack of generalisability, could be something about being a twin or being adopted that leads to behaviour being studied

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8
Q

What outweighs the negatives of twin and adoption studies?

A

They are useful to look at nature and nurture, can identify whether aggression is due to the environment or our genes

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9
Q

How are the use of animals an issue in learning theories?

A

Lack of generalisability as humans live more complex lives. Also have to get a license to use animals. Potentially expensive to obtain and look after them.

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10
Q

What outweighs the issue of animals in learning theories?

A

Have shorter lifespan so can measure development quicker. Can conduct experiments that would be unethical on humans. No demand characteristics

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11
Q

What issues are there with overt observations in learning theories and how can they be overcome?

A

Participants likely to unconsciously change their behaviour if they know they are being observed (demand characs) Could use a false aim to overcome this

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12
Q

What is an issue with participant observations but how are they beneficial?

A

May lead to lack of objectivity as might form relationships with participants and interpret behaviour differently. Although, allow for a better understanding of behaviour.

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13
Q

What is an issue with non participant observations, what outweighs this?

A

Potentially demand characteristics - group become suspicious, although allows for objective interpretation of behaviour

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14
Q

What is an issue with covert observations, can this be outweighed?

A

Could be seen as unethical although if done in a punlic place - more ethical

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15
Q

What issues are there with content analyses in learning theories?

A

Descriptive - means you have to infer implications - may be wrong or inaccurate. However, they are useful to form a base for future research

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16
Q

What are the issues with case studies in cognitive psychology?

A

Brain damaged patients - unique, lack generalisability, ideographic - don’t provide general laws, but allow study of something that would be unethical otherwise

17
Q

What are the issues with lab experiments in cognitive psychology?

A

Demand characteristics - but could conceal aim. Ecological validity - lab may make participants behave unnaturally

18
Q

What issues are there with tests to study memory?

A

Digit span/primacy recency - lack mundane realism - not how we use memory in daily life

19
Q

What issues are there with repeated measures in cognitive psychology?

A

Order effects - performance in second condition likely to be better due to practice. Could use counter balancing - alternate the order in which participants do the conditions

20
Q

What is an issue with quantitative data analysis in cognitive psychology?

A

Lacks detail and is reductionist. Scientific though so more credible and can test for significance

21
Q

What issues are there with sampling in social psychology?

A

Participant variables - differing individual characteristics of ppts in an experiment. Can use random sampling to overcome this.

22
Q

What issues are there around self report data in social psychology?

A

SDB - can be overcome by including lie questions or keeping participants anonymous

23
Q

What issues are there with interviews in social psychology?

A

Unstructured lack reliability but allow for clarity. Structured more reliable but ppts can’t expand on answers. Experimenter effects can be overcome by using same gender.

24
Q

What issues are there with questionnaires in social psychology?

A

Leading questions - influence answers. Ambiguity - but can do pilot study. Response rates - better online than postal. Demand characteristics but can include filler questions.

25
Q

What issues are there with thematic analysis in social psychology?

A

Subjective interpretation of themes - lack validity. Lack reliability but can have multiple researchers.

26
Q

What issues are there with cross cultural research in clinical psychology?

A

Time consuming and are often ethnocentrically biased. Although, can take an emic approach which involves immersing yourself in the culture.

27
Q

What issues are there with the expression of disorders in clinical psychology?

A

Everyone expresses disorders differently. Must take culture into account as culture influences expression.

28
Q

What issues are there with grounded theory in clinical psychology?

A

May force data into categories which lacks internal validty. Imposing your own ideas without finding them. But, could have multiple researchers.

29
Q

What are the issues with longitudinal studies in clinical psychology?

A

Data may be irrelevent by the end of the study. Ppts likely to drop out - especially if overtested as quite invasive. But, no individual differences and no cohort effect.

30
Q

What are the issues with cross sectional studies in clinical psychology?

A

Comparions made between different groups. Individual differences and cohort effect. (differences in characteristics due to a shared temporal experience e.g WW2)

31
Q

What are the issues with primary data in clinical psychology?

A

Time consuming, smaller sample but more valid as done for the purpose of your research at the right moment in time rather than being historical

32
Q

What are the issues with secondary data in clinical psychology?

A

Undisclosed issues with control and validity. May be conducted for a different purpose so not valid. Larger pool of data, quicker, cheaper, no concern for ethics

33
Q

What are the issues with meta analyses in clinical psychology?

A

Publication bias - null results not published so may be percieved significance when not actually significant. Large pool of data

34
Q

What are the issues associated with attachment in child psychology?

A

Difficult to generalise from animal studies. Implications can be controversial. Ethnocentrism - different cultural norms, raise children differently.

35
Q

What issues are there with daycare research?

A

Individual differences - some children have a degree of natural ability. Parents may encourage development of skills at home. Often ignore social skills - important

36
Q

What issues are associated with privation research?

A

Small samples as it can’t be set up, must occur naturally. Few children that form no attachment e.g czech twins - lack internal validity

37
Q

What issues are there with autism research?

A

Sally Anne test - some children may misunderstand it as done on 5yr olds. Lack internal validity.

38
Q

What issues are there with deprivation research?

A

Individual differences, few instances, small samples, can’t generalise