Research Methods Flashcards
What is a Laboratory Experiment
These are conducted under controlled conditions, in which the researcher deliberately changes something (I.V.) to see the effect of this on something else (D.V.).
Strengths of Laboratory Experiment
Control – lab experiments have a high degree of control over the environment & other extraneous variables which means that the researcher can accurately assess the effects of the I.V, so it has higher internal validity.
Replicable – due to the researcher’s high levels of control, research procedures can be repeated so that the reliability of results can be checked.
Limitations of laboratory experiments
Lacks ecological validity – due to the involvement of the researcher in manipulating and controlling variables, findings cannot be easily generalised to other (real life) settings, resulting in poor external validity.
What is field experiment
These are carried out in a natural setting, in which the researcher manipulates something (I.V.) to see the effect of this on something else (D.V.).
Strengths of Field experiment
Validity – field experiments have some degree of control but also are conducted in a natural environment, so can be seen to have reasonable internal and external validity.
Limitations of Field Experiment ?
Less control than lab experiments and therefore extraneous variables are more likely to distort findings and so internal validity is likely to be lower.
Natural experiments
are studies where the experimenter cannot manipulate the IV, so the DV is simply measured and judged as the effect of an IV.
Strengths of natural experiment?
- The natural settings where such experiments take place mean that results will have high ecological validity (i.e. they should relate well to real life behaviour).
- Demand characteristics are often not a problem, unlike laboratory experiments (i.e. participants are less likely to adjust their natural behaviour according to their interpretation of the study’s purpose, as they might not know they are taking part in a study).
Weakness of natural experiments?
- Being unable to randomly allocate participants to conditions means that sample bias may be an issue (e.g. other extraneous variables that change with the pre-set IV group differences may confound the results, meaning a causal IV-DV effect is unlikely).
- Ethical issues such as lack of informed consent commonly arise, as deception is often required; debriefing, once the observation/experiment has ended, is necessary.
Quasi experiment
Quasi-experiments contain a naturally occurring IV. However, in a quasi-experiment the naturally occurring IV is a difference between people that already exists (i.e. gender, age). The researcher examines the effect of this variable on the dependent variable (DV).
Strengths of Quasi experiment?
High ecological validity – due to the lack of involvement of the researcher; variables are naturally occurring so findings can be easily generalised to other (real life) settings, resulting in high external validity.
Limitations of Quasi experiment?
Lack of control – natural experiments have no control over the environment & other extraneous variables which means that the researcher cannot always accurately assess the effects of the I.V, so it has low internal validity.
Not replicable – due to the researcher’s lack of control, research procedures cannot be repeated so that the reliability of results cannot be checked.
Questionnaires ?
Questionnaires are a written self-report technique where participants are given a pre-set number of questions to respond to. They can be administered in person, by post, online, over the telephone, or to a group of participants simultaneously.
What are closed questions ?
Closed questions – where there is a pre-determined set of answers to choose from
e.g. ‘Do you exercise?’ may have set responses of ‘yes/no’, or ‘I exercise 0/1/2/3+ times a week’)
What are open questions?
Open questions – where there is no restriction on how participants make their response
e.g. ‘How does the sight of seeing dogs in a public place without a lead make you feel?’
Strengths of questionnaire?
- Questionnaires are a relatively cheap and quick way to gather a large amount of data.
- Since questionnaires can be completed privately (and often anonymously), responses may be more likely to be honest. However, not having an experimenter to supervise its completion could present a problem.
Weakness to questionnaire?
- Social desirability issues may arise, where participants give incorrect responses to try to put themselves in a socially acceptable light.
- Distributing questionnaires en masse (e.g. via post or the internet) means that any data collected relies on responses to be returned; response rates are often poor, plus it may be that only a certain type of person returns questionnaires, so generalising the sample of results to a large population can be unconvincing.
- Questionnaires may be flawed if some questions are leading (i.e. they suggest a desired response in the way they are worded).
- If any questions are misunderstood, participants completing questionnaires privately cannot get clarification on the meaning/responding accurately from an experimenter, so may complete them incorrectly.
Self report techniques?
Self-report techniques describe methods of gathering data where participants provide information about themselves without interference from the experimenter.
Such techniques can include questionnaires, interviews, or even diaries, and ultimately will require giving responses to pre-set questions.
Strengths of self report ?
- Participants can be asked about their feelings and cognitions (i.e. thoughts), which can be more useful than simply observing behaviour alone.
- Scenarios can be asked about hypothetically without having to physically set them up and observe participants’ behaviour.
Weakness of self report methods?
- Gathering information about thoughts or feelings is only useful if participants are willing to disclose them to the experimenter.
- Participants may try to give the ‘correct’ responses they think researchers are looking for (or deliberately do the opposite), or try to come across in most socially acceptable way (i.e. social desirability bias), which can lead to giving untruthful responses.
Interviews
Interviews are self-report techniques that involve an experimenter asking participants questions (generally on a one-to-one basis) and recording their responses.
What are structured interviews?
Structured – where the interviewer has a set list of questions to lead the conversation, a framework which will be rigidly stuck to
