Research Methods Flashcards
What is an aim?
A statement of the study’s purpose
What is another word for a one-tailed hypothesis?
Directional
What is another word for a two-tailed hypothesis?
Non-directional
What is a directional hypothesis?
A hypothesis on which the direction of the change is indicated. E.g. the % of boys that play football is higher than the % of girls that play football.
When would you chose a directional hypothesis?
When there is previous research suggesting which way results will go
What is a non-directional hypothesis?
Predicts a difference, however doesn’t state where the difference lies.
When would you chose to use a non-directional hypothesis?
When there is no previous research
What is a null hypothesis?
Predicts no difference/relationship between your variables.
What type of data is used in a bar chart?
Nominal data - categories
(Non-continuous/discrete)
How is a bar chart different to a histogram?
Columns do not touch in a bar chart, whereas they do in a histogram.
What type of data is used in a histogram?
Interval - height/temperature
(Continuous)
What is correlational analysis?
Measure of how closely two variables are related.
What are advantages of using correlational analysis?
- Do not need to use a controlled experiment
- Can use sensitive data obtained from hospitals
What are disadvantages of correlational analysis?
- Cannot establish cause and effect - third variable
- Coefficient can be due to change
What is correlation coefficient?
A number between -1 and +1. The closer to these number, the stronger the relationship between the variables is.
What is a positive correlation?
As one variable rises, the other variable rises.
What is a negative correlation?
As one variable rises, the other variable fall.
Describe no correlation
Variables are not linked
Describe the mean median and mode of a negatively skewed distribution graph
Mode on the right, then median, then mean.
Describe the mean median and mode of a positively skewed distribution graph
Mode on the left, then the median then the mean.
Where can the peak be found on a negatively skewed graph?
Towards the higher end of the data set (right)
Where can the peak be found on a positively skewed graph?
Scores at the lower end of the data set (left)
What is the independent variable?
The variable that changes (or is manipulated)
What is the dependant variable?
The variable that is measured
What is meant by the term operationalisation?
The process by which a variable is measured. (E.g. using specific numbers)
What is an advantage of operationalisation?
Allows researchers to see how you are defining and measuring variables
Define random allocation
Each participants has an equal chance of doing either condition
Define counterbalancing
Mixing the order in which the conditions are taken in order to prevent order effects in repeated measures design
Define randomisation
Materials are presented to participants in a random order
Define standardisation
Everything should be as similar as possible for all participants
What are extraneous variables
Any variable (other an IV), that could affect what you are trying to measure
How can extraneous variables be controlled?
- Random sampling: more equality between groups
- Strict conditions/lab experiments
What are confounding variables?
Any variable that influences your dependent variable
What are 5 types of validity?
- Ecological validity
- Concurrent validity
- Population validity
- Temporal validity
- Face validity
What is ecological validity?
Generalisability to real-life settings
What is validity?
How accurate a study is, both internally and externally
What is concurrent validity?
How similar results are between a new test and a previously well-established test
What is population validity?
Whether you can generalise from your sample to a large group of people
What is temporal validity?
Assess to what degree findings remain over time
What is face validity
The extent to which the test is measuring what it says it is
What is reliability?
The overall consistency of a measure
What is internal reliability?
The extent to which a test is consistent within itself
What is external reliability
Ability to produce the same results each time it is carried out.
What are ethical guidelines?
Guidelines were developed for psychologists to follow when designing studies, to ensure participants were protected.
What are 5 different ethical guidelines?
- Informed consent
- Deception
- Right to Withdraw
- Confidentiality
- Protection from harm
What is informed consent?
Consent is given, after being told the aims and nature of the study. If Under 16, parent/guardian can give consent.
What is deception?
Withholding of information, as participants wouldn’t behave naturally if they knew what the aims were.
What is confidentiality?
Details should be kept private
What is protection from harm?
No harm to daily life - participants should leave as they entered.
What is a method of dealing with all ethical dilemmas?
Debrief
What is a debrief?
After the experiment, participants are returned to the state they were in before the study. Aims are known and can withdraw.
What is an independent group design?
Where participants are in different conditions e.g. male and female
When would it be best to use independent group design?
When groups are compared
What are advantages of using independent group design?
- No order effects
- Fewer demand characterisrics
What are disadvantages of using a independent group design?
- More participants needed
- Individual differences are in play
What is a repeated measures design?
Same participants in both conditions
What is an advantage of repeated measures design?
No individual differences
What are disadvantages of repeated measures design?
- Demand characteristics
- Order effects
What is the matched pairs design?
Participants in each conditions are matched on ability/characteristics
What are advantages of the matched pairs design?
- No order effects
- Controls for individual differences
What are disadvantages of the matched pairs design?
- Difficult to make perfect matches
- Costly + Time consuming
What is a field experiment?
- Takes place outside of the lab, natural environment using basic procedures
- Independent variable is manipulated
What are advantages of field experiment?
- Causal relationships
- Higher ecological validity
What are disadvantages of field experiments?
- Less easy to eliminate extraneous variables
- Ethical issues
What is a laboratory experiment?
Controlled artificial environment and independent variable is manipulated
What are advantages of laboratory experiments?
- Reliable
- Controlled
- Minimised extraneous variables
- Can be replicated
What are disadvantages of laboratory experiments?
- Low ecological validity (low mundane realism)
- Participants may behave differently
- Low external validity
What is a confederate?
Someone in on the experiment, who act on behalf of the researcher
What is an experimental group?
Participants in an experimental group
What is a control group?
Participants who do not do the experimental conditions.
What are demand characteristics?
Any cue from the researcher or the research situation that may be interpreted by the participants as revealing the purpose of the research.
- please ‘u’ effect
- screw ‘u’ effect
How can demand characteristics be controlled?
Deception
What is meant by the term ‘double-blind’ ?
Both participants and researcher aren’t aware of the conditions
What is meant by the term ‘single-blind’ ?
- Participants aren’t aware of what condition they are in
- Attempts to control confounding effects of demand characteristics
What is a natural experiment?
- Independent variable is not manipulated (takes advantage if naturally occurring event)
What are advantages of natural experiments?
- High ecological validity
- Can study real life problems
- Few ethical issues
- Little interference from researcher
What are disadvantages of natural experiment?
- Rarely seen (limited opportunity)
- Many extraneous variables - threat to cause and effect conclusion
- Participants aren’t randomly allocated to conditons