Quants Flashcards
First Quant textbook released in 1938
Experimental Psych - Robert Session
Purpose of experiment?
To demonstrate causality
3 requirements for causality?
- Temporal Precedence
- correlation
- No confounds
Early psych research was linked to what kind of science?
hardline sciences, more quantitative, focused on proving
Best friend in research
Control
Three key features of an experiment
E.C.M
Establish IVs - create conditions that are under control of researcher
Controlling Ext Vrs - avoid confounding
Measuring dep vars - must be precisely defined
Minimum no. of levels for IVs?
2
List 4 categories of IVs
- Manipulated or subject Vs
- Situational
- Task
- Instructional
What do we need to control?
EVERYTHING that is not of interest to us
How could one control for observer expectancy?
A double blind study
What is a vital element in establishing credibility in an experiment
The operational definitions
Should op defs be based on context, culture, times etc?
Yes
List 4 types of validity in experimental research
(ICES)
- Internal
- Construct
- External
- Statistical conclusion
Components of Stat conc val? (4 points)
- Correct analysis, no violation of assumptions
- report all analyses
- don’t fish for any and all sig analysis result
- use reliable measures (so you can find effects)
Two questions surrounded construct validity?
- Do your test measure what it claims to?
- Are your operational definitions adequate?
Central issue around external validity
GENERALIZABILITY
- across pops
- across environments
- across time
Definition of Internal validity
The degree to which a study is methodologically sounds and confound free
General process of exp studies?
OXO
Threats to Internal Validity
HMTSIAR
HOW MANY TEA SPOONS IN A REACTOR
(History, Maturation, Testing, Selection Bias, Instrumentation, Attrition, Regression to the mean)
History
what happens between the pre- and post-test that is outside of the study (war, protest, life change, retrenchment)
Maturation
Improvement or decline in abilities due to age/maturation (mostly bio/physiological, and mostly relevant to young/old pops)
Testing (threats to Int Val)
And possible solution
process of pre-test (rather than intervention) that affects change seen in post-test. (learning skills, gaining insight into own lives, asking big questions of their own life etc)
Distinction between testing and history/maturation is that is was the process of the pre-test which stimulated the change.
Possible sol: use a distractor
Instrumentation (threats to int val)
Lack of reliability and poor op defs introduce confounds (decrease int val)
Sol: Have good Rel and Op Defs
Selection bias (threats to IV)
And possible solution?
Sub-con selection of people who may respond better.
Sol: RA (needs LS)
Reg to mean (threats to Int Val)
And possible solution:
V high/low scores in pre-test and normal scores in post-test (eg nervous in pre-test and calm in post). Seems like intervention is effective or not when it’s the opposite.
Sol: LS
How could one protect against history?
Pre- and post-test in a single sitting. Or, try collect data on what happened to participants between tests.
Name two basic experimental research designs and briefly explain them and one problem with each
- Between subjects - each P takes part in only one condition of research. Problem: Creating equivalent groups
- Within-subjects (repeated measures) - each P in all conditions of research. Problem: sequencing effect (having been in one condition may affect behav in other condition
When should one use between subject designs (2 marks)
- When IV is a Subject variable (eg intro/extrovert). things researcher cannot control
- When sequencing effect prevent within-subject design (eg given coping skills one can’t unlearn)
What is needed for groups in between-subject designs, and list two ways to make the groups so
Equivalence.
1. Random assignment
2. Matching
Benefits of random assignment in Between-subjects design experiments (4 points)
Helps nullify:
- Bias selection
- History
- Maturation (control group controls for this)
- Implementation
Discuss matching in creating equivalent groups in between-subjects design (4 points)
- try make sure everyone is equal on things that are linked to DV (eg get people with brain lesions and group them according to what lesions affect)
- Not as good as RA
- not a true exp with matching
- useful when only a few Ps are available (no RA possible)
Advantages of within-subjects/repeated measures designs (3 points)
- Need fewer people
- no worries about equivalent groups
- decrease error variance (no indi diffs affecting results)
Problems with within-subjects/repeated measures designs (3 marks)
- Carry-over effects (does it matter if condition A or B comes first?)
- fatigue effects
- practice effects
Explain factor vs level
Factor = the IV
Level = number of “states” of that variable you’re testing
Indep groups, 1-factor
groups of cats in 2 visual environments, horizontal vs vertical stripes. Factor and Level?
Factor = vis enviro
Level = vertical or horizontal stripes
Matched groups, 1 factor
Effect of sleep dep on influence of misleading questions? Factors and Levels
Factor = sleep deprivation
Level = no. of hours of sleep dep
Nonequivalent groups, 1 factor
Are gifted children good at emotional problem solving compared with average IQ kids.
(non-eq groups as Ps can’t be randomly assigned)
Factors and Levels?
Factor = IQ
Levels = gifted or average IQ
Within subjects, 1 factor
Will kids shift balance to moving stimuli as if their balance has shifted?
Factors and Levels?
Factor = visual stimuli
Levels = Forwards and backwards
Between-subjects, multilevel designs
Effect of caff on reaction time (varying levels of caffeine exposure)
* NB to looks at enough levels, as relationship may not be linear
Factor and level?
Factor = Caffeine
Level = amount of caffeine
2 factor study with 3 levels is called a…. and has … conditions
3x2 factorial design and has 6 conditions