Research Methodologies & Locations Flashcards
Define an experiment
- a research method where cause and effect are measured through the control and manipulation of key variables, and where participants are randomly assigned to experimental/control groups
What are the pros and cons of experiments?
- PROS: allow for the precise control of extraneous and independent variables, clear cause and effect, internal validity.
- CONS: artificial setting could produce unnatural behaviour, low ecological validity, expensive and time consuming
Explain lab experiments and +/-
- conducted under controlled and artificial conditions
- manipulate IV to measure DV
- experimental and control conditions
L&P:
pros - high levels of control and easy to replicate
cons - low ecological validity and problems of demand characteristics
Explain field experiments and +/-
- experiment conducted in a natural environment
- allow causal relationships to form and Ps unaware they’re being researched
Hofling:
pros - higher colonial validity than lab experiments and less demand characteristics
cons - unethical and more chance of extraneous variables
Describe online research, including +/-
- often involves questionnaires over social networking sites
Pros - accessible and cost effective, replicable due to closed questions
Cons- consent is hard to gain and there is social desirability bias
Explain quasi and natural experiments
- natural experiments take advantage of a naturally occurring change in behaviour and the ability to measure the DV. Where unethical to manipulate IV
- quasi are not true experiments as researcher has not manipulated IV and Ps not randomly allocated to control/experimental.
Pros and cons of natural experiments (no manipulation by researcher, natural variables)
Pros - allows research in areas the IV cannot be manipulated for ethical or practical reasons (ie you cannot make a person schizophrenic). Allows researchers to investigate real problems which helps more people.
Cons - cannot demonstrate causal relationships because IV isn’t manipulated. Threat to internal validity as less control of extraneous variables
Non-experimental RM: questionnaire, +/-
- RM that includes a list of questions which generate closed and/or open answers
- produce qualitative and/or quantitive data
Pros - used to assess psychological variables that are not obvious from observation & data can be collected quickly from large numbers
Cons - no guarantee of honesty and varied interpretations of a question
Describe structured interviews and +/-
- standardised questions known as an interview schedule, asked face to face
- elicit verbal responses
- pros - same questions each time = easier to analyse, replicable and so more reliable
- cons - restrictive and don’t allow for spontaneous questions
Describe semi-structured interviews and +/-
- asking Ps questions with interview schedules and follow up questions (like a clinical interview)
- pros - more qualitative info and higher validity
- cons - difficult to analyse as not same questions used each time and not replicable, therefore less reliable
What are the 2 types of observational studies?
- covert: Ps unaware of research
- overt: Ps aware
Explain participant observation and +/-
- researcher takes on role of participant whilst observing others
- remains anonymous
Pros - less chance of demand characteristics and can research people who would otherwise be difficult to observe.
Cons - researcher may suffer from observer bias
Explain non-participant observation and +/-
- researcher watches and records Ps behaviour from a distance with no interference
Pros - less chance of observer bias and researcher clearly sees behaviour so more valid and reliable findings
Cons - observer bias and unethical, consent and deception
Explain unstructured and structured observation
- unstructured: researcher writes a detailed description of what is being observed. No preset categories. Qualitative data
- structured: researcher records behaviour precisely. Preferable to unstructured as more objective and rigorous. Uses behavioural categories and sampling procedures
Describe the 2 types of sampling
- event sampling: count the number of times a particular behaviour occurs in a target individual
- time sampling: record the behaviours in a time frame
Describe case studies, including pros and cons
- a method high involves an in-depth investigation of a phenomenon using a descriptive analysis of a person, event or group.
- involves many diff RM and usually is qualitative
Pros - rich qualitative data with high ecological validity and allows researchers to study cases they couldn’t ethically manipulate in an experiment
Cons - researcher bias and difficult to generalise findings, so low population validity
Describe correlations and refer to +/-
- comparing to covariables to see if there’s a relationship between them. Illustrated by a scatter diagram.
Pros - shows direction and strength of relationship which can be used to make prediction about behaviour. Used when experiments are inappropriate
Cons - correlations only show that there is a relationships. Difficult to establish cause and effect
Describe quantitative data and the +/-
- type of data that can be measured numerically so stat analysis can be completed
Pros - easy to analyse and easier to collect from large group of Ps
Cons - tends to lose human level of behaviour and offers a shallow view
Describe qualitative data and the +/-
- type of data that is observed but not measured numerically. Difficult to analyse
Pros - more individual and human view of behaviour and in-depth data
Cons - difficult to analyse and is room limited range and number of people
Describe primary resources and the +/-
- information/data collected first hand by the researcher
Pros -researcher can control format and relate it to aims of research
Cons - may lack validity due to social desirability and/or demand characteristics
Describe secondary resources and the +/-
- information not collected by the researcher
Pros - could be more valid
Cons - researcher cannot control format of data produced
What is an experimental/ group design
- the way we organise the control and experimental conditions
Describe a repeated measures design including pros and cons
- experimental design where Ps take part in both control and experimental condition, and the performance in the control is compared to the experimental
- significant difference between indicates the IV affects the DV
PROS: participant variables & number of participants
CONS: order effects & demand characteristics
Describe an independent group design including pros and cons
- experimental design where Ps take part in only one experimental condition and Ps are randomly allocated to either experimental or control
PROS: demand characteristics & order effect
CONS: number of Ps & P variables
Describe the matched pairs design including pros and cons
- type of independent groups where experimental and control Ps are deliberately similar in a way relevant to the study ie gender or age or IQ
- matching can be time consuming and expensive
CONS: number of Ps & P variables
PROS: demand characteristics& order effects
Random sampling
Where every person in the target population has an equal chance of being chosen for the sample via random generation ie number generator
Volunteer sampling
When the study is advertised and people come forward to be tested ie social media questionnaire
Opportunity sampling
Where researchers use Ps who are on hand at the time ie clinical psychologists patients
Snowball sampling
Ps recruited by psychologist and then they further recruit Ps
Stratified sample
Divided into categories and then Ps randomly selected from each group
Quota sampling
Ps chose at convenience so not random. Chosen until quota is met
Systematic sampling
Every nth person is chose - generate random number and choose every nth
Describe and evaluate content analysis
- exploration of behaviour to see what categories, codes or themes emerge
- qualitative data turned to quantitive
P: less chance of demand characteristics, can be repelicated
C: observer bias can affect validity of findings, cannot draw cause and effect relationships
What is a self report?
- method which involves a P reporting on their own thoughts and feelings through methods like interviews or questionnaires or diaries
Pros and cons of self reports
P: offer insight into why people behave how they do so less reason for researchers to guess behaviour. Qualitative info can be gathered
C: risk of social desirability bias and people may have inaccurate recall
Disadvantages of quota sampling
- researcher bias leading to low representation
- not representative as relies on quota being filled
- time consuming
An advantage of using event sampling
- allows for all behaviour to be recorded
- findings could be more valid as nothing is missed
Weakness of independent groups
Participant variables are not controlled
