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Research Methods Flashcards

1
Q

What’s an independent variable?

A

The different conditions e.g. hot room

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2
Q

What’s a dependent variable?

A

What you’re measuring e.g. how much orange juice consumed

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3
Q

What’s a confounding variable?

A

Variables that may have affected the DV and IV, so we cannot be sure of the changes to the DV

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4
Q

What’s an extraneous variable?

A

Third variable that co-varies with the IV that affects the DV

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5
Q

What is meant by ‘operationalise’?

A

Turning abstract conceptual ideas into measurable observations

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6
Q

What is primary data?

A

Original data gathered by the researcher themselves, specifically for the purpose of the investigation

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7
Q

What is secondary data?

A

Data gathered by someone other than the person conducting the research - Used data that already exists

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8
Q

What is meta-analysis?

A

A research strategy where instead of conducting new research with participants, the researchers examine the results of several previous studies

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9
Q

What is a 1 tailed, or directional, hypothesis?

A

States direction of effect (one group will do better than the other)

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10
Q

What is a 2 tailed, or non-directional, hypothesis?

A

Doesn’t state direction of effect (there will be a difference between the groups)

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11
Q

What is a null hypothesis?

A

States there will be no difference between the groups

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12
Q

What is random sampling?

A

Every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected

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13
Q

What are the + and - of random sampling?

A

+ Good chance to rid of bias

  • Can be time-consuming
  • Might not be representative of the target population
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14
Q

What is stratified sampling?

A

Dividing the target population into sub-categories, in proportion to the actual population (80% of Britain is white, thus 80% of sample is white)

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15
Q

What are the + and - of stratified sampling?

A

+ Represents the target population

  • Time-consuming
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16
Q

What is systematic sampling?

A

Every nth number of the target population is selected

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17
Q

What are the + and - of systematic sampling?

A

+ Avoids researcher bias

  • Time-consuming
  • Could coincidentally have particular traits within data set
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18
Q

What is volunteer sampling?

A

Individuals volunteer themselves to be in the study

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19
Q

What are the + and - of volunteer sampling?

A

+ Convenient
+ Ethical
- Unrepresentative of target population

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20
Q

What is opportunity sampling?

A

Selecting those available to you

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21
Q

What are the + and - of opportunity sampling?

A

+ Quick and convenient
- Very unrepresentative of the target population

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22
Q

What is event sampling?

A

Observed every time an event occurs - decided before

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23
Q

What is time sampling?

A

Observed during a set amount of time - decided before

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24
Q

What is point sampling?

A

Observing and recording the behaviour which occurs at a series of given points in time - eg, meal time

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25
What is Repeated Measures?
Participants experience all conditions
26
What are the + and - of repeated measures?
+ No participant variables + Requires few participants - Practice effects - have already done 1 condition, thus 2nd will be easier (this can be eliminated using counterbalancing - ABBA) - Demand characteristics
27
What is Independent Groups?
Participants only experience 1 condition
28
What are the + and - of Independent Groups?
+ No participants with order effects + Cheap + Quick to recruit participants - More participants needed than with repeated measures - May be important participant variables between people that are not controlled for
29
What is Matched Pairs?
Participant is matched with someone with similar traits - Experience 1 condition each
30
What are the + and - of Matched Pairs?
+ Controls for individual differences + No difference between the people in the different conditions - Difficult to match people - Time-consuming - Can be costly
31
What is a questionnaire?
Pre-list of written questions
32
What are the + and - of questionnaires?
+ Large samples can be questioned efficiently + No investigator effects - People may not tell the truth - not valid - Clarity of questions can pose an issue
33
What is an interview?
Face to face questions
34
What are the + and - of interviews?
Structured + Easy to replicate + Standardised format Semi-Structured + Flexible + Easier to replicate than unstructured Unstructured + More flexibility + Participants can express themselves - Runs risk of being difficult to analyse - Interviews take longer - Increased risk of investigator effects
35
What are the 3 different types of interview?
Structured - follows set questions Semi-Structured - follows set questions, but allows room for other questions to be asked Unstructured - No set questions at all - informal, like a conversation
36
What are the + and - of Open Questions?
+ Respondent can write in their own words + Valid answers - Takes time to read - Analysis can prove difficult
37
What are the + and - of Closed Questions?
+ Predetermined responses allows quick, quantitative data + More reliable data - Less valid - can't write in own words
38
What's a case study?
Gathering of detailed information concerning an individual
39
What are the + and - of a case study?
+ Produces data rich in detail + Challenges theories - Lacks external reliability - Low population validity
40
What is the meaning of reliability?
Refers to the consistency of research
41
What is 'internal reliability'?
Measures the extent of which a test or procedure is consistent within itself
42
What is 'external reliability'?
Measures the consistency from one occasion to the other
43
What are the two ways to measure internal reliability?
- Inter-observer Reliability Researchers should produce similar test results, or similar observations to each other - Split-half Method Compare participants' performance on 2 halves of the test
44
What are the two ways to measure external reliability?
- Test-Retest Take the same test on different occasions - Replication Replicate the same experiment, but with different participants
45
What is meant by validity?
Degree to which an experiment measures what it sets out to
46
What is 'internal validity'?
The tool is measuring what it is intending to measure
47
What is 'external validity'?
Findings can be generalised beyond the context of the research situation
48
What are the two ways to measure internal validity?
- Face Validity Does our measuring tool appear to be doing what it should? - Concurrent Validity New measure test scores are correlated from those from the first established valid test
49
What are the two ways to measure external validity?
- Temporal Validity Do our findings endure over time or are they era-dependent? - Replication Doing experiment again with different participants and a more real-life setting
50
What are the two ways to improve validity when conducting an experiment?
- Single-Blind Technique Make sure the participants don't know the aim of the experiment - Double-Blind Technique Hire an experimenter to do the experiment for you, without knowing the aim, thus participants and the experimenter do not know the aim of the experiment
51
What is a laboratory experiment?
Experiment conducted in a highly controlled environment
52
What are the + and - of laboratory experiments?
+ Highly controlled - assume cause and effect + Replicable - Highly artificial - lacks ecological validity - Demand characteristics - Can have ethical issues - Lacks mundane realism
53
What is a natural experiment?
Experiment that isn't deliberately manipulated by the researcher, but occurs naturally
54
What are the + and - of natural experiments?
+ High ecological validity + Reduced demand characteristics - unaware of experiment - Can't assume cause and effect - Events may happen rarely
55
What is a field experiment?
Experiment that is performed in a natural setting IV is manipulated by researcher
56
What are the + and - of field experiments?
+ Good external validity + Reduced demand characteristics + High mundane realism - Less control - Hard to replicate - Can have ethical issues
57
What is a quasi experiment?
Experiment where IV isn't manipulated by anyone
58
What are the + and - of quasi experiments?
+ Controlled conditions + Replicable - Can't assume cause and effect - confounding variables - Cannot randomly allocate
59
What are the different types of naturalistic observations?
Controlled Observations - Carried out in a lab Participant Observations - Psychologist will join in the group Non-Participant Observations - Researcher remains outside of the group Covert Observations - P's behaviour is watched and recorded without knowing Overt Observations - P's behaviour is watched and recorded and they know
60
What are the + and - of controlled observations?
+ More control over variables - high internal validity + Easy to replicate + Avoids ethical problems (usually) - Awareness of being observed - demand characteristics - Low ecological validity - place of observation is artificial
61
What are the + and - of participant observations?
+ High ecological validity + Rich in detail - May be ethical issues - Issues with reliability - observer bias - Less reliable as psychologist can't write observations in real time - have to wait, thus relying on memory
62
What are the + and - of non-participant observations?
+ No demand characteristics - Results can be less ecologically valid - may change behaviour as they know the psychologist is present
63
What are the + and - of a covert observation?
+ Reduced demand characteristics + High ecological validity - Ethical issues
64
What are the + and - of overt observations?
+ Reliable data + No ethical issues - Increased demand characteristics

Psychology (14 decks)

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