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Psychology A2 > PY3 Definitions > Flashcards

PY3 Definitions Flashcards

1
Q

What is the independent variable?

A

Some aspect of the experimental situation that is manipulated by the experimenter to see if it causes a change in some other behaviour which is measured.

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2
Q

What is operationalisation?

A

How the concept is defined.

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3
Q

What are extraneous variables?

A

Any variable other than the IV that could affect the DV.

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4
Q

What are confounding variables?

A

Extraneous variables that have not been controlled and have had an effect on the behaviour being measured.

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5
Q

What is qualitative data?

A

Research findings that are in written or spoken form

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6
Q

What is quantitative data?

A

Data that are numerical in form

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7
Q

What are laboratory experiments?

A

A study that takes place in an artificial environment where variables being altered and measured are controlled and as many extraneous variables as possible are held constant or eliminated.

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8
Q

What is mundane realism?

A

When the artificial situation or activity is made to resemble a real-life situation, giving more ecological validity

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9
Q

What are demand characteristics?

A

This is when a participant attempts to work out the hypothesis being tested and provide results that they think are expected

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10
Q

What is evaluation apprehension?

A

Participants are apprehensive about being judged and this may affect the results.

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11
Q

What are experimented effects?

A

The experimenters behaviour, appearance and so on may have an effect on participants behaviour and may then effect the results.

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12
Q

What is experimenter bias?

A

How the experimenter treats the participants and the results in a way that supports his or hers own view.

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13
Q

What is a field experiment?

A

An experiment that takes place in a natural environment.

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14
Q

What is a natural experiment?

A

The IV is naturally occurring and is not under the control of the experimenter.

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15
Q

What is an independent groups design?

A

Two or more groups are used in different conditions of the experiment.

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16
Q

What are individual differences?

A

The variables between participants in different experimental conditions may affect the DV instead of the IV.

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17
Q

What are repeated measures?

A

One group of participants takes part in all conditions if the experiment

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18
Q

What is matched subjects design?

A

Two groups of participants are used, but the individual members if each group are matched on as many variables as possible.

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19
Q

What are order effects?

A

The effect that doing the experiment in a certain order has on the participant. Their behaviour in the second condition may change in the IV but because they are tired bored or have had practice at whatever they study is testing.

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20
Q

What is a naturalistic observation?

A

No interference in any way, generally used when studying non - human animals.

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21
Q

What is participant observation?

A

The observer joins in with the group to be observed. This can be done in two ways. The researcher either blends in with the group and hides his or her true identity or the observer can be introduced to the group and explain the research to the participants.

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22
Q

What is non-participant observation?

A

The observer studies behaviour without participating. There are two ways to do this: the observer can either be seen to observe the specific group and their behaviour or can remain hidden while studying the behaviour of the group.

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23
Q

What is an observation?

A

Simply observing and measuring the behaviour of animals and humans, generally in a natural setting with no interference from the researcher.

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24
Q

What is a correlation study?

A

A study that attempts to see how one variable is related to another.

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25
What are open questions?
Questions that allow for a wide range of answers to be produced verbally. This type of questions allows participants to give a free range of answers, with no restrictions. However the data gained are very difficult to classify and manipulate statistically.
26
What are closed questions?
These tend to produce either quantitative data or one-word answers, which can be changed into numerical answers. The responses to these questions can be analysed more easily using descriptive and inferential statistics. This type if question imposes certain responses on the participants and offers very little detail and insight into the behaviour being studied.
27
What is an interview?
A way of asking questions by face-to-face interaction, questions are usually asked verbally and can be open or closed.
28
What is social-desirability bias?
Participants change their normal behaviour in order to be viewed in a more favourable light.
29
What is a questionnaire?
A way of gaining information about a particular topic, generally through the use if written questions open and closed.
30
What is a case study?
Generally this is an in-depth study of just one person or group, collecting detailed information.
31
What are inferential statistics?
A way if drawing conclusions from the results about the wider population from which the sample of participants used has been drawn.
32
What is nominal data?
Data that falls into categories.
33
What is ordinal data?
Data that can be ranked.
34
What is interval data?
Data that has fixed units. With equal distance between all parts on the scale concerned, no real zero exists.
35
What is ratio data?
Data that has fixed units with equal distance between all points on the scale concerned, a real meaningful zero exists.
36
What is reliability?
Dependable or consistent, you can repeat the experiment with the same participants and get the same results.
37
What is validity?
Accuracy, the study measures what it sets out to measure.
38
What is internal validity?
The effects observed are accurate and are caused wholly by the manipulation of the independent variable.
39
What is external validity?
The extent to which any findings can be generalised to any population in any real- world setting.
40
What is experimental realism?
When participants are fooled into believing that an artificial set-up is real.
41
What is culture?
The artistic and social pursuits, expression and behaviour valued by a society or class at a particular period.
42
What is bias?
Irrational preference or prejudice
43
What is gender?
The state of being make or female.
44
What is free will?
The apparent human ability to make choices that are not externally determined.
45
What is determinism?
The idea that all acts, choices and events are the inevitable consequence of internal/ external causes.
46
What is the dependant variable?
Anything whose value is free to change
47
What is random sampling?
A sample where every member of the target population has an equal chance of being selected.
48
What is opportunity sampling?
A sampling method which uses people from the target population who are available at the time.
49
What is a self-selecting sample?
A sampling method where participants volunteer to take part in the study through means such as responding to an advert in a newspaper.
50
What is systematic sampling?
Uses a predetermined system to identify every nth participant on a list.
51
What is quota and stratified sampling?
A sampling method that aims to reflect as many variables that are present in real life population as possible are represented in the same proportions in the sample.
52
What is test-retest?
A study is replicated exactly to the same participants using the same test in more than one occasion.
53
What is split half reliability?
Where the test is split into two halves and scores from each half are compared. If the two sets if results are similar we can assume the test is reliable.
54
What is inter-rater reliability?
Where other researchers observe the study and collect results independently. If they collect the same results, we can conclude the results are reliable.
55
What is concurrent validity?
Is the measure of how well the studies measurement agrees with any currently existing measurements. Concurrent validity can be ensured by using the study's measurement the the existing measurement and if there is a high consistency between the results, there is a high current validity.
56
What is content validity?
Measures if the method is appropriate for what the study is measuring. To ensure content validity a panel of experts in the the field the study is measuring would asses the measure of validity.
57
What is construct validity?
The extent to which the study is measuring what it hypothesised to measure and not something else.
58
What is an overt observation?
An observation which is conducted with the participants knowledge
59
What is confidentiality and privacy?
Protects the participants personal details by complying with the data protection act where their identity and details musth remain hidden.
60
What is deception?
Outlines that the researched must try not to deceive participants and about any aspect of the study.
61
What is protection of participants?
Outlines that the researcher must never ask participants to take risks they would not normally take. Also the researcher must always check for any medical conditions that may affect the study.
62
What is consent?
Needs to be obtained from participants in order for the study to take place as it outlines to the participants the reasons for the study and what is expected of them.
63
What is informed consent?
Involved the participants knowing the full extent of the activity they are taking part in. It should be obtained where possible to avoid participant distress
64
What is debriefing?
Involves talking to the participants after the study to discuss the findings and conclusions of the study and making sure that the participants leave the study in the state they arrived in.
65
What is withdrawal?
Participants must be made aware to the participants that they can pull out of the study without penalty at any stage
66
What is a directional (one-tailed) hypothesis?
When a hypothesis predicts a particular effect.
67
What is a non-directional (two-tailed) hypothesis?
When a hypothesis predicts a general outcome.
68
What is a null hypothesis?
When a hypothesis predicts no effect.
69
What is a correlation?
The measurement of the relationship between two variables.
70
What is correlation co-efficient?
Measures the direction and extent of two variables.
71
What is a structured interview?
Have predetermined questions.
72
What is a semi-structured interview?
Have some pre-determined questions and new questions are developed during the interview.
73
What is an unstructured interview?
Have much less structure and mostly consist of questions that are developed during the interview.
74
What are standardised procedures?
Making sure the method is the same every time, extinguishing extraneous variables and ensuring high reliability.

Psychology A2 (3 decks)

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