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AP psychology > research methods > Flashcards

research methods Flashcards

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1
Q

what is applied research

A

focuses on solving problems, curing illnesses and innovating new technology

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2
Q

what is basic research

A

theory driven, hypothesis-testing science driven by a quest for fundamental understanding

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3
Q

what is sampling

A

group of people that are being studied through the experiment. how they are selected is the sampling. Sample must represent the population

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4
Q

what are the sampling methods

A

random selection
stratified sampling
volunteer/self-selection
convenience sampling

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5
Q

what is random selection

A

every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. Random sampling increases the likelihood that the sample represents the population

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6
Q

what is stratified sampling

A

A process that allows researchers to ensure that the sample represents the population on some criteria. proportion of people selected to the population

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7
Q

what is volunteer/self-selection

A

sample has similar characteristics (bias) therefore it isn’t representative of the population

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8
Q

what is convenience sampling

A

the researcher sets out to find a sample group of people to speak to but only to the researcher’s convenience does he choose the people. Results are biased as all sections aren’t representative of the population

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9
Q

what is quantitative research

A

statistical research, experiments, numerical value, objective

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10
Q

what is qualitative research

A

descriptive data, subjective

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11
Q

what is a causal relationship

A

relationship between the independent variable and the dependent and how they affect each other

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12
Q

give an example of manipulating the IV to see its affect on the DV

A

measuring caffeine and its effect on concentration
giving group 1 5g of coffee and obseriving
giving group 2 10g of coffee and observing
IV is being changed and its affect on the DV is being observed

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13
Q

what is a control group

A

doesn’t receive IV/experimental treatment used for comparison

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14
Q

what are extraneous variables

A

variable that isn’t being investigated but could potentially affect the outcomes of the research
if left uncontrolled the extraneous variable could cause an inaccurate finding in the research

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15
Q

what is a confounding variable

A

if an extraneous variable affects the experiment then it is known as a confounding variable
this affects the validity of the experiment hence creating bias

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16
Q

what is a participant confounding variable

A

this is an extraneous variable that is present within the participant
e.g participant has adhd then they wouldn’t be able to concentrate even with coffee

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17
Q

what are the pros and cons of an artificial setup

A

pros:
Extraneous variables can be controlled perfectly and the causal relationship between IV AND DV is prominent. the experiment has high validity
cons
ecological validity is low as the fact that the subjects know they are in an experiment could hinder their performance

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18
Q

what is ecological validity

A

how the experiment matches with how the subjects perform in real life outside the experiment

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19
Q

what are demand characteristics

A

participants find out about the aim of the experiment before it takes place and they alter their behavior to suit the researchers’ needs. this decreases validity

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20
Q

what is a field/naturalistic experiment and what are the pros and cons of a field experiment

A

research taken place in a neutral real-world study
pros
no demand characteristics
ecological validity is high
cons
Extraneous variables might be hard to control as it is in a real-world habitat

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21
Q

what is a neutral experiment and what are it is pros and cons

A

is set in a real-world setting but IV is naturally occurring and cannot be manipulated.
eg effect of rain on mood, we cannot manipulate the amount of rain

pros
they can be effectively used to study real-world issues, enables researchers to investigate variables that would not be practical or ethical to manipulate
cons
possible only when differences occur naturally, control over extraneous variables is difficult

22
Q

what is the independent measure design

A

in independent measure design different participants are used in each level of the IV so there are no order effects.
participants see only one level of the IV reducing effect of demand characteristics.
Random allocation to levels of the IV can reduce the effects of individual differences.

23
Q

what are the pros of independent measure design

A

order effects are lowered
demand characteristics are lowered
individual differences are lowered

24
Q

what are the cons of independent measure design

A

participant variables can distort results if there are individual differences between participants in different levels

25
Q

what is the repeated measure design

A

same people are used fot the diffrent levels of IV
pros:
participant variables are unlikely to distort the effect of the IV as they are all the same people
cons
order effects could distort the results
practice effect could also distort results

26
Q

what is an order effect

A

the influence of the order in which treatments are administered,
such as the effect of being the first administered treatment (rather than the second, third)

27
Q

how can a researcher reduce order effect

A

counterbalancing
arranging a series of experimental conditions or treatments in such a way as to minimize the influence of extraneous factors, such as practice or fatigue, on experimental results

28
Q

what is the practice effect

A

influence on test results if taken more than once as subject has experience

29
Q

what is matched pair experiment design

pros and cons

A

different people in different groups, groups are matched based on similar characteristics
doesnt have to be a ‘pair’ can be a group of 3-4 people as well
pros
individual differences are minimal
cons
matched pair cannot be used on an experiment with a large sample as making pairings could be hard

30
Q

what is a hypothesis

A

statement/prediction we are trying to prove in research. If proven right it is then labelled a theory

31
Q

what is the Hawthorne effect

A

people will modify their behaviour since they are being observed

32
Q

human ethics for experiments by APA

A
  • no coercion
  • informed consent
  • anonymity
  • risk
  • debriefing
33
Q

animal ethics for experiments

A
  • least amount of feesable suffering
  • need to be purchased from accredited companies, if wild need to be treated humanely
  • shouldn’t be mutated
  • veteranary doctor should be on standby
34
Q

what is an operational definition

A

operational definition is the statement of procedures the researcher is going to use in order to measure a specific variable.

35
Q

what are correlational studies

A

a non-experimental research method that studies the relationship between two variables with the help of statistical analysis. They do not prove cause and effect

36
Q

what is random assignment

A

Random assignment means that each participant has an equal chance of being placed into any group.
The benefit of random assignment is that it limits the effect of participant-relevant confounding variables and bias

37
Q

random assignment is specifically unique to _____

A

experimental design

38
Q

what is experimenter bias

A

Experimenter bias is the unconscious tendency for researchers to treat members of the experimental and control groups differently to increase the chance of confirming their hypothesis.
eg if the experimenter is trying to prove something right he might give clues/hints to the participant so that they can prove his hypothesis right

39
Q

what is the single blind technique

A

single blind occurs when only the participants do not know to which group they have been assigned
this strategy minimizes the effect of demand characteristics

40
Q

what is the double blind technique

A

A type of clinical trial in which neither the participants nor the researcher knows which treatment or intervention participants are receiving until the clinical trial is over
this reduces the effect of demand characteristics as well as experiementer bias

41
Q

what is social desirability

A

the tendency to try to give answers that reflect well upon them, is called social desirability

42
Q

what type of graph is used for correlation studies

A

scatter plot

43
Q

what are correlation studies

A

Correlational research involves measuring two variables and assessing the relationship between them. Not knowing which variable affects which
dont have IV DV
doesnt imply causation

44
Q

what is a causation study

A

Correlational research involving measuring two variables and assessing the relationship between them, understanding which variable affects which

45
Q

what is a positive correlation

A

positive correlation between two things means that the presence of one thing predicts the presence of the other.

46
Q

what is a negative correlation

A

A negative correlation means that the presence of one thing predicts the absence of the other.

47
Q

what is correlation coefficient

A

stastic used to compute the correlation.
ranges between -1 and +1
-1 is a perfect negative correlation and +1 is a perfect positive correlation

48
Q

how do the points look on a graph with a strong correlation

A

seem to fall into a line

49
Q

what is null hypothesis

A

hypothesis deemed true until proven wrong based on experimental data

50
Q

what is alternative hypothesis

A

statement that contradicts the null hypothesis

AP psychology (16 decks)

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