Research Flashcards
Describe 3 sampling methods.
Sampling methods:
Opportunity sample - A sample of participants chosen out of convenience. This is often whoever is available at the time, meaning the sample may be bias, however this is the quickest and easiest sampling method.
Random sample - includes a range of participants. This means that everyone in the population has an equal chance of being chosen. Participants are often chosen using a random number software. This can be a time consuming method to use, however it ensures a representative sample is used.
Self-selecting sample - (volunteer sample) This method involves advertising an experiment and allowing volunteers to respond out of their own choice. An advantage of this is that the experiment is ethically sound as participants volunteer, however these participants may not be representative and the sample has a chance of becoming bias.
Systematic sample - A method which uses a system for selection e.g. Flicking through a phone book and selecting the person from the top of each page is systematic. This makes the sample unbias, however some members of the population may be excluded from selection making the sample unrepresentative.
Stratified sample - When the researcher makes sure key population groups are fairly accounted for in a sample e.g. Selecting a 50:50 mix of male and female participants. This makes the experiment more representative of the population in some aspects, however the sample may not be representative of all aspects of a population.
Quota sample - When the sample is representative of the population i.e. If there are more males than females, the proportions will be the same in the sample. This helps to ensure that no minority groups are left out
Describe the IV and DV
IV - (Independent variable) In an experiment the IV is the thing that the experimenter changes in order to promote a response in the DV
DV - (Dependant variable) This is the reaction to changes in the IV
State an ethical concern of using children in an experiment.
An ethical concern of using children in research is that they must be given consent by an adult. This is because they are not mature enough to give consent on their own.
Distinguish between experimental and non experimental research
Experimental research involves manipulation of the IV to provoke a response in the DV.
Non-experimental research does not involve the experimenter manipulating variables. Non-experimental methods often rely on correlations, surveys, case studies.
Describe three research methods
Field experiment - Experiments conducted in participants’ everyday ‘natural’ environment e.g. Workplace or home
Laboratory experiment - Experiments conducted in any controlled environment
Natural experiment - Experiments that are not controlled by the researcher in any way. Variables are still measured but they occur naturally
Evaluate laboratory experiments as a research method
Laboratory experiment evaluation:
Advantages
- Its easier to replicate lab experiments as a standardised procedure is used
- Its easier to establish a cause and effect relationship with results because the IV and DV are controlled
Disadvantages
- Lab experiment settings can be very artificial, this can produce unnatural behaviour, making results less ecologically valid
- The results may be impacted by demand characteristics, making participant behaviour less natural and thus making results less valid
What are extraneous variables?
Extraneous variables are variables, except the IV, that could affect results (DV) - The extraneous variables should be controlled where possible
What are confounding variables?
A confounding variable is a variable that affects the results of the experiment but has not been controlled
Describe demand characteristics
Demand characteristics are any clues in the experiment which could lead participants to think they know the purpose of the experiment
What is ecological validity?
Ecological validity is the degree to which an experiment replicates real life situations
i.e
An experiment which strongly reflects real life will have HIGH ecological validity
Evaluate a non-experimental method
Survey
Strengths
- Quick and easy to gather data
- Data can be analysed easily
Weaknesses
- Participants are not given the opportunity to express opinions other than those offered, making it more difficult to establish a valid cause and effect relationship
- Options given in surveys may be bias
- Participants cannot ask for further explanation increasing the risk of misunderstanding
Interview
Strengths
- Questions can be clearly explained, face-to-face, helps to prevent any confusion
- Interviews can be personalised to the participant, which can lead to rich detailed information
Weakness
- Social desirability bias can affect participants more as questions are asked face-to-face
- Interviews can be time-consuming and costly to carry out
- Data from open ended questions can be difficult to analyse
Observation
Strengths
- Detailed records of real-life behaviour are taken as it happens, this can make results more applicable to real life
- Behaviour is recorded in its true social context reducing the effect of environmental factors on behaviour
Weaknesses
- Lacks control making it more difficult to establish a cause and effect relationship
- It can be difficult to replicate an observational study as the situation is often unique
Case studies
Strengths
- Allows the researcher to focus fully on one specific instance meaning more attention is payed to the process and variables involved
- Case studies are a source of rich qualitative data
- Insights from participants may reveal unusual and highly relevant insights
Weaknesses
- Results are usually specific to the individual and impossible to replicate
- Case studies are very time consuming and expensive to carry out
- The close relationship between the participant/s and the experimenter can potentially interfere with objectivity
Describe three ethical issues a researcher should consider before carrying out a study
Consent - ensuring that participants have given their permission to take part in the study
Deception - ensuring that participants are not mislead in any way about the nature of the study
Briefing/debriefing - details of the study should be explained to participants before the study is carried out. Any details missed, or other relevant aspects should be explained after the study has been carried out
Harm - ensuring that anything with potential to cause psychological or physical damage during the study should be avoided
Children - when working with children (age 18yrs and under) written consent must be given by the child’s parent or guardian
Confidentiality - all participants have the right to confidence when taking part in a study. Any personal details must be kept secure and cannot be published with results
Withdrawal - all participants have the right to withdraw from the study at any time if they no longer wish to take part
Distinguish between qualitative and quantitative data
Quantitative data is mostly numerical data whereas, qualitative data often often consists of verbal and descriptive data e.g. Videos
Describe the purpose of the mean, median and mode and explain how they are calculated
The purpose of the mean, median and mode is to calculate the ‘average’ in a data set
Mean - the mean is calculated by adding together all the numbers recorded in the data set and then dividing by the number of scores
Median - the median is the mid point of the data set when the data is ordered from lowest to highest score. If there is an even number of scores the median is calculated by working out the mean of the middle two scores
Mode - the mode is the most common score taken in the data set
What is a correlations study?
A correlational study is a study done with the aim of finding a relationship between two variables, rather than saying one variable will affect the other e.g. ‘The correlational hypothesis is that there will be a strong positive correlation between the number of hours sleep a student gets and their average grade’
