Research Methods Flashcards
Lab experiment
Artificial controlled experiment. The researcher manipulates the IV to see what effect it has on the DV. Strict control on EV’s. Ppts are aware
Field experiment
More natural environment. Researcher manipulates IV to see the effect on the DV. Ppts don’t know
Natural experiment
IV = SETTING. everyday environment. IV is naturally occurring + in a natural environment
Quasi experiment
IV = PERSON. IV based on natural existing difference between people. Researcher doesn’t manipulate IV. Ppts can’t be randomly allocated
Standardised procedure
The process in which procedures used in research are kept the same
Ecological validity
Generalise results to another setting
Mundane realism
How the task is representative to every day life
Demand characteristics
Ppts work out the aim of the study from environment - change behaviour as a result. ‘Please you’-effects- ‘Screw you’
Direction hypothesis
Ppts who [IV1] will have higher/lower [DV] than ppts who [IV2]
Non-direction hypothesis
There will be a difference [DV] for ppts in [IV1] compared to [IV2]
Null hypothesis
No difference in [DV] for ppts in [IV1] compared to [IV2]
Experimental designs
How we use ppts
Independent groups design
Ppts take part in 1 condition only and 1 group only
How are ppts randomly allocated
‘Lottery method’ + ‘random name generator’
Repeated measures design
Ppts do both both conditions
Matched pairs design
Each ppt take part in 1 condition but ppts are matched on relevant considered variables — to match them you give out questionnaires then use random allocation
Aim
General expression of what the research intends to investigate
Independent variable
What you change in the experiment
Dependent variable
The measurable data in the experiment
Extraneous variable
The other parts that may lead to dependent variable changing therefore needs to be controlled
Hypothesis
Precise, testable statement of what the researchers predict will be the outcome of the study
Operationalisation
Making your hypothesis measureable and testable
Relationship between control and realism experiments
High control means low realism + vice versa
Cyclical process
Idea that research should start in a lab where we can establish cause+effect and test the results in the real world
Experimental realism
The extent to which the experiment is psychologically impacted and feels real
Confounding variables
Variables apart from the IV that have affected the DV
Uncontrolled variables
Variables that can’t be controlled e.g. weather. They’ll become confounding variables
experimental group
the group exposed to the IV
control group
not exposed to the IV and used as a comparison
independent groups design
when people only take part in one condition
situational confounding variable
feautures of the experimental situation that has affected the DV
participant confounding variable
able to do with differences between the ppts
randomisation
Any stimuli is an exp is presented in a random manner manner no effect on DV
single blind test
not letting ppts know which condition they are in
double blind test
neither ppt or researcher knows what condition they are in/doing
investigator effects
where a researcher acts in a way to support their prediction
target population
the group of people the researcher wants to study
sample
a small group of people who present the target population
random sampling
a sample technique in which every member of the target population has an equal chance of being chosen
sampling frame
a complete list of all members of the target population is obtained
opportunity sampling
a technique that involves recruiting anyone who happens to be available at the time of your study
volunteer sampling
people actively volunteer to be in a study by responding to a request which has been advertised by researcher
systematic sampling
involves selecting names from sampling frame at regular intervals
stratified sampling
ppts selected from sub groups. it is in proportion to subgroups frequency in the population
internal validity
refers to the extent to which a study establishes a cause and effect relationship between the IV and the DV
external validity
refers to the extent the results can be generalised to other settings
construct validity
degree to which a test measures what it claims to be measuring
concurrent validity
asks whether a measure is in agreement with a pre existing measure that is validated to test for the same concept correlating measures against each other
predictive validity
the degree to which a test accurately predicts a criterion that will occur in the future
