Research methods 1 revision cards Flashcards
What is the scientific method of investigation?
The use of scientific methods and techniques that aim for objectivity
Experiments are the most scientific
What is meant by objectivity?
Methods of investigation in psychology often use techniques, which aim for objectivity.
Objectivity is to carry out an investigation without personal bias
What is a hypothesis?
Write a testable hypothesis for the following?
A study about estimates people would give for a car they were told ‘crashed’ another car versus a car they were told ‘bumped into’ another car
Men’s attraction levels to pictures of a woman with dilated pupils versus pictures of the same woman without dilated pupils
Why people behave badly in gangs
A hypothesis is a precise and testable statement of what the researcher predicts will be the outcome of the study
It must have BOTH conditions and a sense of bot the IV and the DV
Answers:
Write a testable hypothesis for the following?
- A study about estimates people would give for a car they were told ‘crashed’ another car versus a car they were told ‘bumped into’ another car
- There will be a difference between the estimates of people who were told the car ‘crashed’ another car and those that were told ‘bumped into’ another car
- Men’s reactions to pictures of a woman with dilated pupils versus pictures of the same woman without dilated pupils
- Men will report more attraction in response to the pictures of the women with dilated pupils than the same pictures of the women without dilated pupils
- Why people behave badly in gangs
- People will commit more antisocial acts when in gangs than when alone
What is an aim?
What is an experiment?
What is an aim?
The aim identifies the purpose of the investigation e.g. find/ investigate
What is an experiment?
An experiment is the method of research in which all variables other than the IV and he DV are controlled. This allows the researcher to identify cause and effect
What it the IV?
What it the DV?
Identify the IV and the DV in the following experiments:
A study to see if sunshine affects people’s moods
Will people obey an authority figure more if he is wearing a lab coat?
The brains of People with APD and people without Apd were scanned to investigate if there were any brain differences
An investigation of the effect of systematic desensitisation versus flooding on phobia symptoms
Is mum happier with Dad when he wears tidy clothes?
- _The independent variable i_s the variable that the researcher manipulates to see if it has an affect on the dependent variable [this variable produces the 2 conditions of the study]
- The dependent variable is the variable that the researcher measures to see if the IV has affected it
A study to see if sunshine affects people’s moods
IV = Level of sunshine experiences
DV = People’s moods
Will people obey an authority figure more if he is wearing a lab coat?
IV=(Authority figure) wearing a lab coat or not
DV=obedience levels
The brains of People with APD and people without Apd were scanned to investigate if there were any brain differences
IV = having APD or not
DV= brain differences
An investigation of the effect of systematic desensitisation versus flooding on phobia symptoms
IV = treatement type (Systematic desensitisation or Flooding)
DV=phobia symptoms
Is mum happier with Dad when he wears tidy clothes?
IV = Dad’s clothes (tidy or not tidy)
DV= mum’s level of happiness
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of experimental versus natural methods
Experimental method
Advantages
Control Extraneous variables can be controlled better in an experimental setting, therefore it is easier to identify cause and effect. In a natural setting it is more difficult to control extraneous variable and this could affect the outcome of the experiment
Replicable Research in an experimental setting is controlled and standardised and therefore can be replicated by other researchers. Research carried out in a natural setting is very difficult to replicate due to the changing nature of the setting.
Objective experiments are objective because they’re set up to limit researcher bias
Disadvantages
Ecological Validity In a natural setting behaviour is more likely to be a true reflection of what people really do, in an experimental settings can be artificial. There is a lack of ecological validity because people aren’t acting as they usually would in real life/ carrying out everyday tasks, activities etc.
Demand characteristics Participants often know that they’re in an experiment and this can affect their behaviour.
In a natural setting there are less demand characteristics, as people in their natural environments may not know they’re being studied. However this might raise ethical issues in not being able to give participants the right to withdraw or to inform them adequately
What are standardised procedures? Why are they important
Explain
Standardised instructions
Briefing
Debriefing
Standardised procedures are a set sequence that applies to ALL participants in a study.
It is important to use standardised instructions
- because in an independent groups design both groups need to be treated exactly the same to make sure that the results are unbiased, reliable and valid
- if instructions were not the same, one group might have an advantage over the other group/ one group might receive more help than another group etc.
Briefing
What is said to encourage participants to take part in a study. Must include ethics, right to withdraw, explanations of the study, consent etc.
Debriefing
Explains the study in detail. Why and what participants were doing in each condition. Ethical issues e.g. the right to withdraw their data
Standardised instructions
The written or verbal info given to participants during the study/ experiment. The instructions might affect the way they do the study; therefore they need to be as clear and detailed as possible, and the same for ALL participants
What are extraneous variables?
Results of study were that people who ate meat in Hardday restaurant had a low mood the next day compared to a control group of people who hadn’t eaten in Hardday Restaurant. What might be a possible extraneous variable in the study other than the IV (eating / not eating in the restaurant)?
What are extraneous variables?
EVs are variables other than the IV that could affect the DV
If not controlled we cannot be sure what has caused the results of the experiment. They need to be controlled so that we can be sure that only the IV is affecting the results
Results of study were that people who ate meat in Hardday restaurant had a low mood the next day compared to a control group of people who hadn’t eaten in Hardday Restaurant. What might be a possible extraneous variable in the study other than the IV (eating / not eating in the restaurant)?
The interactions / dynamics of the particular group of people they were with in the
Individual differences (such as levels of health versus depression)
Time of day that they dined. Late nights could have affected their moods the next day
What is randomisation?
Describe how a student could randomise a list of 20 towns in a memory study about lists of places.
Randomisation is using chance to produce an order for a procedure
All 20 names are written on separate pieces of paper and placed in a container. The order in which they are pulled out of the bag determines their place in the list.
What is random allocation?
A researcher has decided to use independent groups design for his study on obedience. Describe how he could use random allocation to decide on which participants would be in group 1 and which would be in group 2
Random allocation is a procedure for putting participants into groups by chance
A researcher has decided to use independent groups design for his study on obedience. Describe how he could use random allocation to decide on which participants would be in group 1 and which would be in group 2
Either
Put all his participants names into a container. The first name drawn out would work in condition 1, the seconding in condition 2 and so on until all the names have been drawn
OR
Putting an equal number of pieices of paper with condition 1 and 2 written on them into a container. Get participants to pick out a piece of paper to determine what group they’re in.
I
Indicate which of the following are examples of randomisation, random allocation or random sampling
- The target population for a study of job satisfaction was nurses in Merthyr Tydfil. Researchers gathered a list of all the registered nurses in the area of which there were 439. They then placed all of the names in a computer programme that scrambled them and highlighted twenty names. They used this sample of 20 people for the study.
- In a study of forgetting a researcher gave 2 groups of participants a list of words to learn and recall when on shore, and when underwater. In order to make sure there were no biases in the procedures the researcher wrote all 20 words on separate pieces of paper and put them in a bag. The first word se pulled out was written at the top of the list. She repeated this with all of the words on the list, and this is the order she used in the experiment.
- In order to decided which participant would go in group 1 and which in group 2 for a study on postural echo the researcher wrote condition 1 on 10 pieces of paper and condition 2 on 10 pieces of paper and got the 20 participants to take one at a time out of a hat. This determined which group they were in.
- …Researchers gathered a list of all the registered nurses in the area of which there were 439. They then placed all of the names in a computer programme that scrambled them and highlighted twenty names. …ANSWER= RANDOM SAMPLE
- In a study of forgetting a researcher gave 2 groups of participants a list of words to learn and recall when on shore, and when underwater… ANSWER = RANDOMISATION
- In order to decided which participant would go in group 1 and which in group 2 for a study on postural echo …ANSWER = RANDOM ALLOCATION
What is counterbalancing?
How would you use counterbalancing in the following study?
A repeated measures design was used in which participants took a test in a cold room and then took a test in a warm room. In order to rule out order effects explain how you would get the participants to complete the conditions using counterbalancing.
What is counterbalancing?
- A procedure for evening out the order in which participants complete both conditions of an experiment
When the design is repeated measures (where participants take part in both conditions) this can cause order effects. In order to even these out counterbalancing is often used. It won’t get rid of order effects but it will share the effects between the two conditions
In Counterbalancing
Half of the participants complete condition A and then B; the other half complete condition B and then A. [ABBA]
This shares the effects between the conditions.
How would you use counterbalancing in the following study?
A repeated measures design was used in which participants took a test in a cold room and then took a test in a warm room. In order to rule out order effects explain how you would get the participants to complete the conditions using counterbalancing.
Half of the participants would complete their test in a cold room and the in a warm room; the other half complete their test in a warm room and then a cold room [ABBA]
Give the 3 types of experimental design:
…………. ………… design
….……. ……… design
..……….. ……………… design
Explain how you carry out each experimental design
…………. ………… design
….……. ……… design
..……….. ……………… design
Independent groups design
The available people for the experiment are divided into 2 groups. Each group is independent of the other. 1 group takes part in one of the conditions of the experiment; and the other takes part in the remaining condition of the experiment.
Assigning them to groups should be by random allocation so that everyone has an equal chance.
Repeated measures design
There is 1 group of participants. Every participant goes through both experiences (the experimental condition and the control condition). F
To combat order effects or demand characteristics on the results counterbalancing should be carried out.
Matched pairs design
Available people are matched for qualities into pairs on the basis of variables relevant to the study, such as age, gender, intelligence, reading ability or socioeconomic background. This may require pre-tests in order to ensure good matching, and then one of each pair is randomly assigned to the experimental condition and the other to the control condition. The perfect matched-pairs design is one that used identical twins, assigning one to each condition.
Give 1 advantage and 1 disadvantage of matched pairs design
Give 1 advantage and 1 disadvantage of Repeated measures desig
Give 1 advantage and 1 disadvantage of Independent groups design
Independent groups design
Advantages
- It’s the quickest and easiest way of allocating participants;
- There are no order effects (which occur with repeated measures) because participants are only taking part in one condition
- The same materials can be used in both conditions (because they wont see it because participants are each only taking part in 1 condition)
- The participants are less likely to work out the aim of the experiment, because they only take part in one condition meaning there will be less likelihood of demand characteristics therefore their performance will be less affected by expectations
Disadvantages
- You need more people for the study because to get e.g. 10 in each group you need 20 people
- Participant variables might affect the outcome, as one group might be better at the task than others. This would mean that the researcher was not measuring the DV appropriately. You therefore need more people to reduce this effect.
Repeated Measures Design
Advantages
- The same material can be used in both conditions therefore you will have double the results than for independent measures design. You only need 10 people to get 20 results because each participant will give 2 scores
- The participants in both conditions are the same so there are no participant variables
Disadvantages
- Order effects: Experiencing both (the experimental and control) conditions in a repeated-measures design may affect participants’ performance by damaging it (because they have become bored or tired of repeating the task) or improving it (because they have already done a similar task – the practice effect.
- Because they take part in both conditions participants may guess the aim of the study when they take part in the second condition, so demand characteristics might affect the results i.e. their expectations of what the study is about / the researcher wants them to do might affect their performance
Matched pairs design
Advantages
- Because participants experience only one condition of the experiment there are no order effects (so no need for counterbalancing)
- Often the same material can be used for the task in both conditions
Disadvantages:
- This method can be more expensive and time consuming that the others and is not always successful
- Some participant variables are still present
What are the 4 sampling methods? Explain them
………………….. sampling
………………….. sampling
…………………. sampling
………………….. sampling
The sample is made up of the participants in the research. They should be as REPRESENTATIVE as possible of the target population. The more representative the sample the more confident the researcher can be that the results can be GENERALISED to the target population. However in reality very few samples are truly representative because of the difficulties of sampling methods (choosing participants).
The sampling methods we could use are:
[ROSS]
- Random sampling;
- Opportunity Sampling
- Systematic sampling
- Stratified sampling.
Random Sampling
Every member of the target group has an equal chance of being selected. All members of the target population are identified and then selected out of a hat/ with a computer programme.
Opportunity Sampling
Opportunity sampling means choosing people who are members of the target population and are available and willing to take part (e.g. friends and in field studies).
Systematic Sampling
Systematic sampling means selecting participants at fixed intervals from the target population. ( “nth” member). EG if the researcher decides that ‘n’ will be ‘7’ – every 7th person in the target population is selected.
Stratified Sampling
To obtain this type of sampling, the different sub groups in the target population are identified; then people are randomly selected from these subgroups in proportion to their numbers in the target population. It’s the most complex of the sampling methods. The researcher must identify the subgroups in the target population and work out what proportion of that target population each group represents.
E.g. conducting a survey of women to ask questions about their attitude to childcare. You pick out the relevant characterises as the types of work women do, so you need to find out what proportion of females in the whole population are: self-employed, professions, manual workers. Unemployed etc. (You can get this info from census data). These categories must be represented in the same proportion in your sample. E.g. If 10% are self employed then in a sample of 50, 5 should be self employed and so on. To get the required number in each category, participants should be random-selected from the target population.
