Research methods

Question 1

What is an Independent and dependent variable?

Answer 1

Independent variable-This is the variable that is being directly manipulated
dependent variable- This is the variable that is being observed/measured after the manipulation of the Iv

Question 2

Examples of extraneous variables

Answer 2

participant variables- moods, emotions
situational variables- distractions, noise, temperature lighting.

Question 3

How should we control the extraneous variables

Answer 3

A standardised procedure

Question 4

what is a single blind technique and how does that affect results of a study

Answer 4

When information about the study is withheld from the participant.
It can control demand characteristics.

Question 5

what is a null hypothesis

Answer 5

that the results of a study will have very little or no effect of your IV on the DV

Question 6

what are all the experimental methods

Answer 6

-Lab experiment
-Natural experiment
-Field experiment

Question 7

Advantages of Field experiment

Answer 7

• High ecological validity
  -limited demand characteristics

Question 8

disadvantages of Natural experiment

Answer 8

Difficult to establish a cause and effect
Difficult to replicate since this is naturally occurring

Question 9

When are some situations we would need lab experiments

Answer 9

-for all controls to be controlled
-To establish the cause and effect
-For reliability/ replicating
-to be standardised

Question 10

what are all the 4 types of questionnaires

Answer 10

-Likert scale
-Rating scale
-closed questions
-open questions

Question 11

what are weaknesses to giving out questionnaires

Answer 11

-may give socially desirable answers
-may force an answer (closed questionnaires)

Question 12

what are the types of interviews

Answer 12

-structured
-semi structured
-unstructured

Question 13

What are observations

Answer 13

A research method that involves watching human or animal behaviour

Question 14

what is a non-participant observer

Answer 14

An observer who is not involved in the situation.

Question 15

advantages of being a participant observer

Answer 15

-it’s a real life setting
-able to understand the motives for behaviours in that group.

Question 16

What is a controlled observation?

Answer 16

This is when the environment or the social setting has been directly manipulated by the researcher to observe the participant

Question 17

What are the strengths and weaknesses of Correlations

Answer 17

+can establish a cause and effect
-A 3rd variable could be present

Question 18

what is an experimental design

Answer 18

the process of carrying out research in a controlled manner to establish a cause and effect for a conclusion

Question 19

what is an independent measures design and when can we use it?

Answer 19

This is when groups of participants are exposed to only ONE condition of the study.
We use it when the IV is either gender or age.

Question 20

What is the difference between repeated measures design and Matched pairs design?

Answer 20

Repeated- Has ONE participant being exposed to all conditions to the study
Matched pairs- Have TWO participants being exposed to each/either condition but are matched based on their similarities.

Question 21

what are order effects?
Which experimental design can be a victim to it?

Answer 21

this refers to the ordering of the conditions having an effect on the participant.
e.g feeling tired on the second condition
Repeated measures design

Question 22

Quantitative VS Qualitative

Answer 22

Quantitaive- Collecting numerical data that indicates the quality of that psychological measure
Qualitative- Collecting in-depth/ descriptive data that indicates the quality of that psychological measure

Question 23

What are the strengths of Quantitative

Answer 23

+Easily comparable
+It is objective and scientific

Question 24

What are all the sampling methods

Answer 24

-Opportunity
-Volunteer
-random
-stratified
-systematic

Question 25

When should we use Volunteer sampling

Answer 25

When participants are willing to participate and apply.

Question 26

When should we use stratified sampling

Answer 26

When different types of people(gender, races) are present and researcher wants to replicate this in their study.

Question 27

what are some strengths to systematic sampling

Answer 27

+easy method
+less bias influencing

Question 28

what is validity

Answer 28

The extent to which the researcher is testing what they claim to be testing

Question 29

Internal validity VS External validity

Answer 29

Internal validity- these are measures used in a test to test what they are actually testing
External validity - This is whether findings can generalise to the target population