Research Meathods

Question 1

Define participants

Answer 1

People that take part in psychological research

Question 2

What is a group of participants called

Answer 2

A sample

Question 3

What is a generalisable sample

Answer 3

One which is applicable to the general public

Question 4

What is opportunity sampling

Answer 4

Obtaining participants who are easy to find at the time of research

Question 5

What is self selecting sampling

Answer 5

When participants volunteer to take part in response to an “advert” posted

So,e researchers may provide pay as an incentive

Question 6

What are the advantages of self selecting sampling

Answer 6

• they are likely to cooperate due to choosing to take part
• the choice of participants is not biased

Question 7

What are the disadvantages of self selecting samples

Answer 7

• people who volunteer may not be representative of the population as a whole

Question 8

What are the advantages of opportunity samples

Answer 8

• they are quick, easy and cheap to obtain

Question 9

What are the disadvantages of opportunity samples

Answer 9

• they are often unrepresentative as the people available may not be typical of the whole population

Question 10

Define the independent variable

Answer 10

The aspect we manipulate or change between conditions

Question 11

Define the dependent variable

Answer 11

The factor being measured as a result of the IV changing

Question 12

What are the advantages of laboratory experiments

Answer 12

• cause and effect can be established because high level of control can allow the researcher to measure what they want to measure
• can be replicable and run again to check the findings

Question 13

What are the disadvantages of laboratory experiments

Answer 13

• can be artificial and may alter peoples behaviour
• participants may respond based off of what they think is being investigated

Question 14

What is quantitative data

Answer 14

Data represented by numbers

Question 15

What is qualitative data

Answer 15

Data represented by words

Question 16

What are the advantages of quantitative data

Answer 16

• easier to analyse and see patterns
• can easily be summarised and presented into graphs

Question 17

What are the disadvantages of quantitative data

Answer 17

• less detailed due to no words
• unexpected behaviours may not be counted

Question 18

What are the advantages of qualitative data

Answer 18

• often more detailed
• unexpected behaviours can be captured and commented on

Question 19

What are the disadvantages of qualitative data

Answer 19

• difficult to analyse and see patterns
• difficult to present in a summarised form

Question 20

Define mean

Answer 20

Average value of all scores

Question 21

Define mode

Answer 21

The score occurring most frequently

Question 22

Define mode

Answer 22

The score occurring more frequently

Question 23

Define median

Answer 23

The middle value when all scores are placed in rank order

Question 24

Define range

Answer 24

The difference between the lowest and highest value

Question 25

What is the “individual-situational” debate

Answer 25

Does a person behave in a certain way because of who they are or because of the situation they are in

Question 26

Define the individual side of the “individual-situational” debate

Answer 26

The way a person behaves is according to their natural personality no matter on the situation

Question 27

Define the situational side of the “individual-situational” debate

Answer 27

The way a person behaves in dependent on the circumstances, they will alter their actions to fit in with the relevant situation