Psychology - Research Methods - Reliability, Validity and Extraneous Variables

Question 1

Reliability

Answer 1

Refers to the consistency of a research study especially when it is repeated again and the results are the same

Question 2

What are the two types of reliability?

Answer 2

external and internal

Question 3

External reliability

Answer 3

Whether a test and the results gained are consistent over time. Can use test-retest

Question 4

test-retest method

Answer 4

can be used to assess external validity. A research study is conducted once, and then it is conducted again in the future. If the results gained from the both tests are similar then the study can be said to be reliable.

Question 5

internal reliability

Answer 5

Whether a test and the results gained are consistent within itself. Can use split half technique

Question 6

What does the Split half technique assess?

Answer 6

assesses the internal reliability of questionnaires.

Question 7

What is the split half technique?

Answer 7

The questionnaire is split in half and if participants score similarly on both halves of the questionnaire then the questions are measuring the same factors and the questionnaire has internal reliability.

Question 8

Validity

Answer 8

Validity means that a study is measuring what it intends to measure when referring to the aim of the study.

Question 9

How many types of validity are there?

Answer 9

four

Question 10

what are the types of validity?

Answer 10

External, Participant, Temporal, Internal

Question 11

External validity

Answer 11

This is the extent to which the findings of a study can be generalised to other settings.

Question 12

Participant validity

Answer 12

The results from the participants used in the study can be generalised to the target population

Question 13

Temporal validity

Answer 13

The results from the study can be generalised to people in today’s contemporary society

Question 14

Internal validity

Answer 14

This is when the outcome of the study is a direct result of the manipulation of the independent variable (IV) upon the dependent variable (DV) and has not been affected by extraneous variables (EV).

Question 15

What are the three categories of extraneous variables

Answer 15

Participant variables, Situational variables, Experimenter variables

Question 16

participant variables

Answer 16

characteristics of the participants which may affect the DV (e.g. intelligence, age, gender, personality etc.)

Question 17

What can help avoid participant variables

Answer 17

Matched pairs and repeated measures design

Question 18

Situational variables

Answer 18

factors in the environment where the experiment is conducted that could affect the dependent variable (e.g. temperature, time of day, lighting, noise etc.).

Question 19

How would you resolve situational variables?

Answer 19

standardisation

Question 20

Standardisation

Answer 20

making sure that all the conditions, materials, and instructions are the same for all participants

Question 21

Experimenter variables

Answer 21

factors to do with the experimenter which can affect the dependent variable, for example personality, appearance, and conduct of the experimenter

Question 22

Standardised instructions

Answer 22

should ensure that the experimenter acts in a similar way with all participants and follows a script and speaks to everyone in the same manner and tone.

Question 23

Investigator effects

Answer 23

Investigators may inadvertently influence the results of their research

Question 24

how could you overcome investigator effects

Answer 24

double blind technique

Question 25

double-blind technique

Answer 25

when neither the participants nor the investigator knows the aim of the study and hopefully this will mean the data collected will be more valid.

Question 26

how would you overcome demand characteristics?

Answer 26

single blind technique

Question 27

Single blind technique

Answer 27

This involves making sure participants do not know what the aim of the study is so that hopefully this will not influence their behaviour unduly