Resaerch Methods

Question 0

What is a field experiment

Answer 0

Manipulation of the IV but measure it in the real world

Question 1

What is a lab experiment

Answer 1

A manipulation of the IV to see the effect on the DV
Controlling of extraneous variable to stop them be coming confounding variables.
Random allocation of participants to the conditions of the independent variables

Question 2

What is a natural experiment

Answer 2

Conditions already exist eg hair colour eye colour etc

Question 3

What are some strengths of a lab experiment

Answer 3

High internal validity

Question 4

What are some weaknesses of a lab experiment

Answer 4

Demand characteristics

Low ecological validity

Question 5

What are some strengths and weaknesses if a field

experiment

Answer 5

High population and high ecological validity
Low demand characteristics :)

Low internal validity :(

Question 6

What are some strengths and weaknesses of a natural experiment

Answer 6

High ecological validity :)

Low internal validity :(

Question 7

What is a volunteer sample

Answer 7

Participants willing to take part make and effort/ elect themselves to take part in the advertised study

Question 8

What is a opportunity sample

Answer 8

Participants that are available at the time for that study that are from the target audience are asked to take part and if Willing proceed

Question 9

What is random sampling

Answer 9

Participants all have an equal chance of getting selected as did people from the target audience who Weren’t picked everyone in target audience is identified.

Question 10

How do you write a experimental hypothesis

Answer 10

1- this group of people in this condition
Who have this characteristic

2- will do/be/more/less/higher/lower/worse on a measure
Or
Will be different in a measure of behaviour

3- than that group of people in that condition who have that characteristic are treated in that way.

Question 11

How do you write a correlational hypothesis

Answer 11

1- there will be 
2- positive or negative (directional)
A ( non directional)
3- correlation
Between operationalised variable (1)
And operationalised variable (2)

Question 12

What is a correlational study

Answer 12

A process rather than an actual method
It is the way the data is analysed which is important
The method of collecting data could be 
Questionnaires 
Interviews
Observational
Content analysis 
(Qualitative form)

Question 13

What are some strengths of a correlational study

Answer 13

Allows to look at the link between variables when it would be unethical to test
Allows to see strength of variables & relationship between them

Question 14

What are some weaknesses of a correlational study

Answer 14

Makes think there’s no link between variables
When there is
Cannot draw cause and effect conclusions from correlational data

Question 15

What are the three types of observational studies

Answer 15

Overt
Covert
Participant
Non participant

Question 16

What is a covert observation

Answer 16

Involves the researcher not informing members of the group the reason for their presence / keeping their true intentions secret
This raises ethical issues

Question 17

What is a overt observation

Answer 17

Refer to the research being open about their intentions in the field & ensuring all members of the social group are aware of what is happening

Question 18

What is a participant observation

Answer 18

Participant observation the observer participates in the going on activities and records observations. Participation observation extends beyond naturalistic observation because the observer is a player.

Question 19

What is non participant observation

Answer 19

Non participant is where data is collected by observing behaviour without interacting with the participants.

Question 20

What are the stats of observational techniques

Answer 20

Time efficiency - can take months to finish
Demand characteristics - covert no
Overt yes
Repleciablity - low people won’t act the same
Generaliseablity - not vet because people all act differently
Ethical issues - cover - deceitful
Researcher bias - researcher might what they want to see
Ecological - depends on how many observed
Analysis of data - hard because different people get different data

Question 21

What are ways to approach a study when using questionnaires

Answer 21

Fixed choice for easy analysis
Open choice for more individual data
Keep questions And instructions clear and easy to understand
Pre code closed questions for quick analysis of awnser’s
Carry out test run first making changes if needed
Use attitude scales to test strength of feeling

Question 22

Positives of questionnaires

Answer 22

People tested quickly 
It's time saving 
Easy to analyse 
Can collect large amounts of data
Ps are not rushed and convenient and researcher does not need to be present 
When awnser's were given

Question 23

Negatives of questionnaires

Answer 23

Social desirability : lies
If researcher is present can affect awnser’s
Surveys may have low response rate
Difficult to phrase questions properly can be misinterpreted

Question 24

What is an interview

Answer 24

Interviews are a face to face conversation these can be unstructured and structured apparently informal chats or formal when structured with predetermined questions

Question 25

What are the positives of an interview

Answer 25

Detailed Info can be gained and avoids over simplifying complex issues
Greater attention to individuals point of view
This is important in clinical psychology and unstructured

Question 26

What are some negatives of interviews

Answer 26

Difficult to analyse unstructured and qualitative in nature
Time consuming
Expensive
Possible interviewer effects such as attractiveness of the interviewer

Question 27

What are case studies

Answer 27

They are a in depth investigation of a single person group event or community
Typically data are gathered from a variety of sources by using several different methods

Question 28

What are some strengths of a case study

Answer 28

It provides detailed rich qualities data

Gives an insight for further research that Permits and investigation of otherwise impractical or ethical studies

Question 29

What are some weaknesses of case studies

Answer 29

Can't generalise findings 
Subjective feeling could influence the study 
Difficult to Replicate 
Time
Consuming

Question 30

What are the characteristics of independent groups

Answer 30

Control of participants - poor because there are different ps in each conditions so could be participant variables that affect behaviour not IV

Order effects - good due to the separate groups in two separate
conditions

Demand characteristics - good each group only does one condition and ps randomly selected

Time - good takes less time cause both conditions occur at the same time

Nof ps needed/amount of data collected

Question 31

What are the characteristics of matched pairs

Answer 31

Control of ps - okay (better than repeated measures but worse than independent groups.) due to similarity of ps

Order effects - good two separate groups doing separate tasks

Demand characteristics - okay better than RPM but worse than IG cause ps doing only one test rather than two

Time - bad takes time to match ps together

Nof ps / amount of data collected - bad if one of the ps drop out two sets of data is lost

Question 32

What are the characteristics of repeated measures

Answer 32

Control of p variables - good as one person doing both conditions same for both groups

Order effects - bad order effects could reduce internal validity behaviour in c1 could affect behaviour in c2

Demand characteristics - bad ps experience both Cs and could guess the study and change there behaviour

Time - takes twice as long as IG

No of ps needed / the amount of data collected - good don’t need many ps