research methods

Question 1

situational variable

Answer 1

an extraneous variable in the environment

Question 2

order of effects

Answer 2

participants improve or worsen the second time round because they have done it before or became tired

Question 3

demand characteristics

Answer 3

participant changes the way they behave becuase they can guess what the aims of the study are

Question 4

investigator effect

Answer 4

a reasearcher unintentionally gives clues to what the experiment is about to their participants, making them change their behaviour

Question 5

participant variables

Answer 5

a participants mood, ability or personallity (an extraneous variable)

Question 6

standardised procesure

Answer 6

procedure of the study is the same across all conditions

Question 7

counterbalancing

Answer 7

half experience condition A then B, while the other half experience condition B then A

Question 8

randomisation

Answer 8

participants are randomly assigned to condition A or B as their first or second test condition

Question 9

single-blind technique

Answer 9

when information about the study is withheld from participants

Question 10

double-blind technique

Answer 10

when the aims of the study are withheld from both participants and researchers

Question 11

random allocation

Answer 11

when participants are randomly assigned to a condition of the study

Question 12

null hypothesis

Answer 12

a prediction that the results will fail to show any difference (or relationship) that is consistent or systematic

Question 13

alternative (experimental) hypothesis

Answer 13

a prediction of the outcome of a study based on what is expected to happen

Question 14

directional hypothesis

Answer 14

a hypothesis that predicts the direction the results will go in

Question 15

non-directional hypothesis

Answer 15

predicts that a difference / relationship will be found, but does not specify what the difference / relationship will be

Question 16

experimental hypothesis

Answer 16

the name given to a hypothesis when used in field and laboratory experiments

Question 17

target population

Answer 17

the group of people being inviestigated in a study

Question 18

sample

Answer 18

a selection of the target population that is directly studied in an investigation

Question 19

generalisability

Answer 19

the extent to which the results of a study represent the whole population, not just the sample used

Question 20

sampling method

Answer 20

a technique used to gather a representative group of people as a sample from the target population

Question 21

random sampling technique

Answer 21

a technique used to gather a representative group of people as a sample from the target population

Question 22

stratified sampling technique

Answer 22

a technique that ensures subgroups of the target population are proportionatley represented in a sample

Question 23

stratified sampling technique

Answer 23

a technique that ensures subgroups of the target populaiton are proportianatley represented in a sample

Question 24

sample error

Answer 24

when a sample differs in qualities from the target population it intends to represent

Question 25

volunteer sampling techinque

Answer 25

a technique that asks for participants by placing an advert for volunteers

Question 26

biased sample

Answer 26

when the sample recruited is made up of a particular type of person, which may not reflect the target population

Question 27

opportunity sampling technique

Answer 27

a technique that recruits participants who are readily available at the time

Question 28

research design

Answer 28

how participants are allocatied to the conditions of the study

Question 29

experimental design

Answer 29

the name given to research design when used in an experiment

Question 30

independent measures design

Answer 30

participants are split into groups, with each group tested in only one condition of the study

Question 31

repeated measures design

Answer 31

the same participants are used in all conditions of the study

Question 32

matched pairs design

Answer 32

different participants are used in each condition of the study, but are matched on likeness on important characteristics

Question 33

reliability

Answer 33

the consistency of an outcome or result of an investigation (a measure)

Question 34

validity

Answer 34

whether the test measures was intended

Question 35

internal validity

Answer 35

whether the measures in a test genuinley test what they were desniged to test

Question 36

external validity

Answer 36

whether the findings are generalisable to the target populaiton

Question 37

qualitative methods

Answer 37

ways of conducting research that find new information rather than testing a prediction: often resulting in gathering qualitative data

Question 38

researcher bias

Answer 38

when the researcher interprets the outcome of a study according to their own view (subjective)

Question 39

triangulation

Answer 39

when more that one measure is taken for a behaviour to cross-validate the findings

Question 40

objective

Answer 40

not open to interpretation, unbiased

Question 41

quantitative methods

Answer 41

ways of conducting a research that test a prediction and gather quantitative data

Question 42

ethical issues

Answer 42

researchers follow codes or rules or conduct when carrying out research to protect participants from harm

Question 43

right to withdraw

Answer 43

ensuring that participants are clearly aware of theri right to leave the study at any point