psychological research Flashcards
what are ‘participants’
people that take part in the research
what is a self-selecting sample
someone volunteers to take part
positives of a self-selecting sample (4)
- varied samples
- prevents bias
- people consent to take part
- more willing to take part
negatives of a self-selecting sample (3)
- not enough people may volunteer for the study
- advertising requires time and money
- volunteers may not represent population as a whole
what is an opportunity sample
people who are available at the time take part in the study
positives of an opportunity sample (2)
- can pick people specific to the study
- quick and easy
what is a lab experiment
experiments that take place in a controlled setting
three key features in a lab experiment
- independent variable
- dependent variable
- high level of control
independent variable definition
the aspect being changed in the study
dependent variable definition
the aspect being measured in the study
high level of control meaning
as much of the study as possible is kept the same for all participants
advantages of lab experiments (3)
- no risk of error
- no unpredictable events (everything controlled)
- can be replicable (copied or reproduced easily), to check if the results are consistent
disadvantages of lab experiments (2)
- artificial, may not reflect real life
- participants may respond to suit what they think is being tested
name the two formats of data
- quantitative
- qualitative
what is quantitative data
when the data is in number format (numerical)
what is qualitative data
when the data is in written format
advantages of quantitative data (2)
- easy to compare and spot trends in data
- can summarise and present in tables and graphs
disadvantages of quantitative data (2)
- less detailed
- unexpected behaviours (anomalies) may not be counted
advantages of qualitative data (2)
- more detailed
- unexpected behaviours can be captured
disadvantages of qualitative data (3)
- based on opinions
- data may not be accurate/varied
- difficult to analyse and present data in summarised forms
what is demand characteristics
participants look for how to behave to fit the aim of the study
what is conforming
behaving like those around you even if you disagree
what is a situational explanation
the way a person behaves ss dependent on their circumstance. they will alter their actions to fit with the relevant environment
what is an individual explanation
the way a person behaves is according to their natural personality, no matter on the situation
what are ‘confederates’
people who pretend to be participants in a study
