Research & Methodology Flashcards

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1
Q

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE

A

A variable that can be changed or controlled, it is seen to have a direct effect on the DV
Eg the way the words are listed

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2
Q

DEPENDANT VARIABLE

A

The variable being tested / measured

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3
Q

EXTRANEOUS VARIABLE

A

Factors that could affect the results that you identify before the study is done and control them

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4
Q

CONFOUNDING VARIABLES

A

Factors that happen during the study and affect the results

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5
Q

PARTICIPANTS

A

Characteristics of the people taking part

Control: things like a age,gender, social class and ethnicity keep them the same if necessary for the study

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6
Q

SITUATIONAL

A

Environmental factors that may affect the results

Control: counterbalancing ie giving half the participants condition A and half condition B

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7
Q

EXPERIMENTER

A

Cues given by the researcher eg muscular tension, gestures, tone of voice
May affect results.
Control: minimise contact between experimenter and participants

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8
Q

Demand characteristics

A

When participants change their behaviour a a result cues from research situation

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9
Q

When operationalising an independent variable I need to…

A

Describe exactly what the independent variable is and how it is measured

By doing this, it helps ensure that you know what they are looking at/manipulating, allowing you to measure it and determine if it’s the IV that is causing the changes to the DV

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10
Q

When operationalising a dependant variable I need to ..

A

Use a set of techniques/methods that allow you to measure the variable in research

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11
Q

PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLE: memory
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION:

A

The number of words recalled from a list

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12
Q

PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLE: intelligence
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION:

A

The ability to learn from experience , solve problems and use our knowledge to adapt to new situations (tests)

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13
Q

PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLE:stress
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION:

A

Being in a state of worry/mental tension and feeling emotional strain and pressure (psychological questionnaire)

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14
Q

PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLE: happiness
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION:

A

Questionnaires/self report surveys
State of being emotionally well

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15
Q

To test cause and effect what is used?

A

An experimental and control group

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16
Q

How are the experimental and control group different to one another?

A

The experimental group is exposed to the independent variable whereas the control group is not

All conditions and variables are the same for the groups except the independent variable

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17
Q

What’s a baseline measure ?

A

The control group being used as a comparison to see how results differ from the experimental group

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18
Q

What happens if there’s a difference in performances between the control and experimental group?

A

It’s fair to assume that the difference was caused by the independent variable , explaining the cause and effect of the studied behaviour

19
Q

Give the independent variable and dependant variable of this:
More words will be remembered if they are grouped in an organised way than when they are listed randomly

A

IV: the way the words are listed (list will be organised
DV: how many words can be accurately memorised

20
Q

IV and DV of:
Boys score differently on aggressiveness tests than girls

A

IV: who’s taking it (boys or girls)
DV: aggressiveness test

21
Q

Give the IV and the DV of
Students who have a computer at home do better in exams than those who don’t

A

IV: seeing whether a student owns a computer or not
DV: testing students with an exam and assessing their score

22
Q

What are extraneous variables?

A

All other variables other than the independent variable and it is important that the experimenter controls these

23
Q

What should be done for extraneous variables before the experiment starts?

A

They should be identified and controlled

24
Q

Give examples of extraneous variables

A

Environmental variables such as noise, temperature, lighting, distractions etc.

25
Q

How is the lab experiment highly controlled?

A

It takes place in a room where the psychologist can have control over nearly if not all the confounding variables

26
Q

Give the extraneous variables of the following:
Testing drugs to enhance exam performance

A

What the exam is/ amount of hours of studying / background noise etc

27
Q

What are participant variables and how can you control it?

A

Characteristics of the people taking part

Have groups of people with similar characteristics and control them

28
Q

What are situational extraneous variables and how can you control them

A

Environmental factors that may affect the results

Try to control the noise levels/ temperature of the room/anything that could potentially influence this

29
Q

What are experimenter extraneous variables and how can you control them

A

Cues given by the researcher ie muscular tension, gestures, tone of voice may affect the results

Hire a different person to carry out the investigation so that no opinions are influenced

30
Q

What are demand characteristics

A

When participants change their behaviour as a result of cues from a research situation

31
Q

Independent measures description

A

A group of participants are selected to take part in the experiment. Then they are allocated to one or other of experimental conditions. Therefore it’s 20 participants are selected ten would be allocated experimental group and 10 would go in the control group. They would only completed all the tasks. The results of the two groups would then be compared.

32
Q

Repeated measures description

A

In this type of experiment, one group of participants chosen, and the participants take part in the conditions of the experiment. For example, in an experiment to see how lack of sleep affect memory, the participants are given a memory test. Then they are not allowed to sleep at night and give an alarm for memory test. They would complete both tasks. The results are compare to see if lack of sleep affects her memory.

33
Q

Matched pairs description

A

Have the participants are tested first on whatever skills involved in the experiment. Then the schools are compared and each participant is matched to someone who scored similar to them on the test. One of the matched pair is put into the experimental condition and one is put into the control. This is similar to the independent measures design as they only take part in one condition therefore only doing one of the tasks.

34
Q

Strengths / advantages of independent measures

A
  • No order effects less chance practice effects fatigue
  • less demand characteristics
35
Q

Strengths/advantagesof repeated measures design

A
  • Less chance participant variables impacting
  • less participants are needed
36
Q

Strengths advantages of the matched pair design

A
    • participant variables are reduced
37
Q

Weaknesses) disadvantages of independant measures designs

A

_ Participant variables impact results
- more participants are needed

38
Q

Weaknesses/disadvantages of repeated measures design

A

Order affects more chance of practice, effects and fatigue

More chance demand characteristics

39
Q

Weaknesses disadvantages of matching pairs design

A

Participant variables, But not removed completely. Difficult to match exactly

Time-consuming and expensive

More participants are needed

40
Q

For self selecting/volunteering write:

What is it?

Example of how to carry it out

Strengths

Weaknesses

A
  • Consists of participants becoming part of a studybecause they volunteer when assed or response to an adult
  • ask people to have themselves participate in the research
  • quick ,convenient and economicalican reach a wide variety of participants
  • Can be unrepresentative , people personal reason (personal gain/ self-interest, similar characteristics, so biased
41
Q

For stratified write:

What is it?

Example of how to carry it out

Strengths

Weaknesses

A

_ Classifying the population into categories and then choosing a sample which consists of participants from each category in the same proportion they are in the population

  • eg from sixth Som, important variables are sex, 1st and 2nd years age. identify many participants there are in each of these categories
  • representative
  • time consuming
42
Q

For random write:

What is it?

Example of how to carry it out

Strengths

Weaknesses

A
  • Gives every person from the forget population an equal chance of being selected
  • every name is given a number and a list of random numbers is then used to select the sample either magical or using a computer
  • can be representative every member has an equal chance of getting picked
  • can be unrepresentative eg a disproportionate amount of female studeres might be picked
43
Q

For opportunity write:

What is it?

Example of how to carry it out

Strengths

Weaknesses

A

-Opportunity samples are made up of anyone who is willing once available to take part at the time of the study taking place

-N/a

  • quick, convenient and economical
  • can be unrepresentative (Eg work hours- not include individuals who work, school )
44
Q

What is systematic sampling?

A

Every 4th or 10t person for example