Research Method-experimental Method Flashcards
What does experimental method mean
⚫️research method
➡️using random assignments of participants
➡️and the manipulation of variables
➡️to determine cause and effect
What does research method mean
The means by which explanations are tested
What does casualty mean
Cause and effect of relationships
What does independent variable mean
⚫️The factor manipulated by researchers in an investigation
What does dependant variable mean
⚫️the factor measured by researchers in an investigation
What does laboratory experiment mean
⚫️experiment conducted in a controlled environment
➡️allowing the establishment of casualty
What are the strengths of laboratory experiments
⚫️high degree of control is maintained over variables
➡️with the Iv and Dv being precisely defined and measured
➡️leading to greater accuracy of objectivity
⚫️replicated
⚫️as extraneous variables are controlled
➡️casualty is established
⚫️individual pieces of behaviours
➡️can be isolated and rigorously tested
What are the weakness of laboratory experiments
⚫️operationalising Iv and DV
➡️for accurate measurements
➡️can make them over specific
➡️so it doesn’t really related to actual behaviours
⚫️high level of control
➡️make experiment artificial
➡️so lacks ecological validity
⚫️demand characteristics
What does field experiment mean
⚫️experiment conducted in a naturalistic setting
➡️where investigator manipulates variable
What does natural experiment mean
⚫️experiment conducted in a naturalistic setting
➡️with naturally occurring IV
What are the strengths of field and natural experiments
⚫️due to real world scenario
➡️participants results relate to real life environment and behaviour
➡️making finds more able to be generalised to other settings
⚫️participants behave in a natural way
➡they’re unaware they are in an experiment
➡️so no demand characteristics
What are the weakness of field and natural experiments
⚫️casualty harder to establish
➡️less control over experimental condition
⚫️difficult to replicate
➡️as conditions will never be the same again
⚫️ethical issue of lack of informed consent
➡️as participant not aware they’re in an experiment
What does correlation mean
⚫️Investigations that measure
➡️the degree of relationship
➡️between co-variables
What are the strengths of correlations
⚫️used where manipulation of variables
➡️would be difficult or unethical
⚫️once correlation found
➡predictions can be made from this
⚫correlation show
➡strength & direction of relationship
➡️can identify patterns among variables
What are the weakness of correlation
⚫️not conducted under controlled conditions
➡doesn’t show casualties
➡️making interpretation of results difficult
⚫️other non-measured unrelated variables
➡️can influence measured co-variables
➡️making interpretation of results difficult
What does naturalistic observation mean
Recording of naturally occuring events
What are the 4 types of observation
⚫️participant observation
➡️observers actively involved in behaviour of those being studied
⚫️non-participant observation
➡️observers not actively involved in behaviour of those being studied
⚫️overt
➡️participants aware of being studied
⚫️covert
➡️participants unaware of being studied
What does inter-rater reliability mean
⚫️different observers
➡️agree upon
➡️and categorise behaviours
➡️in the same way
What are the strengths of observation
⚫️high external validity
➡️participants behave naturally
➡️results can be generalised to other settings
⚫️demand characteristics are reduced
➡️participants unaware of of being studied
What are the weakness of observation
⚫️ethical issues of invasion of privacy and informed consent
➡️as participants are unaware of being studied
⚫️difficult to replicate
➡️lack of control over variables
➡️makes testing conditions difficult to repeat exactly
⚫️practical problems, difficult
➡️for observers to remain undetected
➡️to observe and record all behaviours
➡categorise observed behaviours correctly
What does self report mean
⚫️Investigation were participants
➡️give info about themselves
➡️without researcher interference
What does questionnaires mean
⚫️self report methods
➡️were respondents give written answers
➡️to pre-set questions
What are the two main types of questionnaires used
⚫closed questions ➡️response options are fixed by researchers ➡️easy to quantify ➡️restrict answer ➡️yes/no
⚫️open questions
➡️participants respond to their own words
➡️harder to quantify
➡️allow greater freedom of expression
What are the strengths of questionnaires
⚫️large amount of info collected
➡️in short amount of time
⚫️easy to replicate
➡️especially closed questions
⚫️researchers not acquired to be present
➡️can generalise large samples
What are the weakness of questionnaires
⚫participants may give
➡️socially desirable answers
⚫️difficult to design questionnaires
➡️participant can misinterpret and misunderstand answers
⚫️low response rate
➡️often biased and unrepresentative
➡️certain types of people are more willing to complete them
What does interviews mean
⚫️self report method
➡️were respondents give verbal answers
➡️to questions in face to face situations
What are the two types of interviews
⚫️structured interview
➡️identical quantitative questions
➡️read to participants
➡️interviewers simply record answers
⚫unstructured interviews
➡️involve less control
➡️informal discussion of pre-determined topics
➡️allowing further investigation of interesting response
➡️interviewers need skills ➡️to establish friendly relationship ➡️to gain a lot of details ➡️and understanding ➡️mainly qualitative data is produced
⚫️semi structured
➡️combination of structured and unstructured techniques
➡️to produce quantitative and qualitative data
What is the strengths of interviews
⚫️sensitive issues can be explored
➡️especially in unstructured interview
⚫variety of interview technique
➡️analyse both quantitative and qualitative data
⚫️misunderstandings can be clarified
➡️unstructured allow interesting follow ups to be asked
What are the weakness of interviews
⚫bias respondent answers
➡️through their appearance, attitude, gender
⚫️skills and training is required
➡️to conduct an unstructured interview
⚫️ethical issue of invasion of privacy
➡️interviewee are not aware of true purpose of interview
➡️can reveal more than they wish
What does case study mean
In-depth investigations of one individual or small group
What is the strength of case studies
⚫️more rich detail and understanding from individual
➡️than from an average gathered data
⚫️useful for theory falsification
➡️can be achieved
➡️with just one
➡️contradictory example
What are the weakness of case studies
⚫unrepresentative
➡️findings cant be generalised to others
⚫️relies on participants having full and accurate memories
➡️false memory syndrome can occur
➡️where participants can recall untrue suggested events
⚫️study method is prone to research bias
What does aim mean
Precise statements of why investigations are occuring
What does hypothesis mean
Precise, testable research predictions
What are the two types of hypothesis
⚫️experimental hypothesis
➡️predicts a difference in the DV
➡️due to a manipulation of the IV
⚫️null hypothesis
➡️predicts manipulation of IV
➡️will not affect the DV
What are the two types of experimental hypothese
⚫️directional
➡predicts which direction the difference will go
⚫️non-directional
➡doesnt predict which direction it will go
What does independent group design mean
⚫️experimental design
➡️where each participant performs
➡️only one condition of experiment
What are the strength of independent group design
⚫️demand characteristic reduce
➡️participant only doing one condition of the experiment
➡️less likely to guess the aim of the study
⚫️no order effect
➡️different participant are used in each condition
What are the weakness of independent groups design
⚫️double the participant needed than in a repeated measure design
➡️as participant only generalise on piece of data each
⚫️differences in findings between variables
➡️can be due to participant variables
➡️can be reduced by
➡️randomly allocating participants to conditions
➡️to balance out differences
➡️making each testing group similar in conditions
What does repeated measure design mean
⚫️Experimental design
➡️were participants perform all conditions of an experiment
What are the strength’s of repeated measure design
⚫️no participant variables
➡️each participant does all condition
⚫️half the number of participant needed
➡️than in an independent group design
➡️can generate twice as much individual data
What are the weakness of repeated measures design
⚫️order effect may occur
➡addressed by counter balancing
➡️half participant do one condition first
➡️other half do other condition first
⚫demand characteristic may occur
➡️can guess aim of study
What does matched participant design mean
⚫️experimental design
➡️where participants are in similar pairs
➡️one of each pair performing each condition
What are the strengths of matched participants design
⚫️no order effect
➡️different participant do each condition
➡️less chance of demand characteristics
⚫️fewer participant variable than independent group design
➡️as participants are matched
What are the weakness of matched participant design
⚫️lengthy process
➡️to achieve matched test
➡️by pre-testing
⚫️almost impossible to match participants on all important variables
What does behavioural categories mean
➡️target behaviours
➡️divided into sub-sets
➡️through use of coding system
What are the five important factors to consider when designing questionnaires in order to get a reasonable response
⚫️only ask relevant questions
⚫️keep them short
➡️as over long questions will not be completed
⚫️use successful questionnaires as guides
⚫️ask clear concise and easily understood questions
⚫initial question should be interesting
➡️to motivate people to complete
Likert scale
⚫️measuring scale
➡️to measure both direction
➡and strength of attitudes
