Research in Psychology Flashcards
Psychology
Scientific study of behaviour and mental processes
falsifiable
possible to be proven wrong
Behaviour
External, observable manifestations that can be registered by an independent observer Includes: Overt reactions Gestures Facial expressions Verbal responses Endocrine reactions
Mental processes
Internal patterns of information processing that cannot be directly observable. Includes: Attention Perception Memory Thinking
Quantitative research
Research that uses numerical data
Main types of quantitative research
Experimental studies
Correlational studies
Descriptive studies
Variable
Something that can take on varying values and any characteristic that is objectively registered and quantified
Construct
Any theoretically defined variable that cannot be directly observed
E.g.:
Violence
Aggression
Operationalisation
Expression of a construct in terms of observable behaviour
Experimental studies
Includes:
1 independent variable(manipulated by researcher)
1 dependent variable(measured)
Other variables are controlled
Only method that allows cause-and-effect inferences
Inferences
Change in the IV causes a change in the DV
Correlational studies
Does not manipulate any variable(no DV/IV variables)
Variables are measured and the relationship between them is quantified
Can only conclude that as one variable changes, the others change too
Limitations of correlational studies
Cannot make cause-and-effect indifferences, as a result of not being able to manipulate the variables
Unable to conclude direction of influence(what caused the change)
There could be a third variable
Descriptive studies
Relationships between variables are not investigated and variables are approached seperately
Mainly used for conducting boarder investigations of a phenomenon before ‘delving deeper’ into specifics
Example:
Public opinion survey
Qualitative research
In depth study about a particular phenomenon
How qualitative data can be measured
Interviews
Observations
Qualitative data can be measured in texts:
Interview transcripts
Observations
Sampling
the process of finding and recruiting individuals for the study
Sample
A group of individuals taking part in a research study
Credibility
Refers to the degree to which results of the study can be trusted to reflect the reality
It is closely linked to bias
Generalisability
The extent to which the results of the study can be applied beyond the sample and the settings
Population validity
generalised to a wider population
Ecological validity
whether research conducted in artificial settings can be generalised to a natural setting in daily life
Confounding variable
Variable that can potentially distort the relationship between the IV and the DV
Need to be controlled by eliminating them or keeping them constant in all groups of participants
Target population
Is the group of people you want to know more about
Group of people to which
Representativeness
The key property of a sample
It is achieved if a sample reflects all of the key populations’ essential characteristics
Sampling techniques
Random sampling
Stratified sampling
Convenience/opportunity sampling
Self selected sampling/ volunteers
Random sampling
Every member of a target population has an equal change of becoming a sample
It is the ideal approach to make the sample representative
Not always possible for practical reasons
Stratified sampling
More theory-driven, ensures theory-defined essential characteristics of population are fairly and equally represented in a sample
Convenience (opportunity sampling)
Participants that are more easily available and recruited
E.g. University students
When convenience (opportunity) sampling is mostly used
Financial resources and time are limited
People are not that different in terms of the phenomenon under their study
Useful when wide generalisation of findings is not the primary goal of the research
Limitation of convenience (opportunity) sampling
Lack of representativeness
Self selected sampling
Refers to recruiting volunteers
Strength of self-selecting sampling
Quick and relatively easy way to recruit individuals while at the same time having a wide coverage
Limitation of Self-selected sampling
Lack of representativeness
Motivation- by financial incentives
Hypothesis
An educated guess
