Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Psychology A-Level > Research Methods > Flashcards

Research Methods Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Psychology 101 flashcards GRE® Psychology flashcards AP® Psychology flashcards
1
Q

Academic Psychology

A

involves coming up with and discussing theories

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Aim

A

a statement about what you are researching; the purpose of the experiment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Applied Psychology

A

involves testing theories and doing experiments

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

ANOVA Analyses

A

a statistical test used to assess the difference between the means of more than two groups

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Bar Chart

A

a graph that shows the data in the form of categories that the researcher wishes to compare

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Behavioural Categories

A

key behaviours or collections of behaviour that the researcher conducting the observation will pay attention to and record

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Bonobo Chimpanzee

A

closest genetic relative to humans

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Briefing

A

before the study, the researcher must obtain consent and ensure the participants understand the task and that they can withdraw consent at any time. The participant must sign and date, confirming they fully consent

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Case Studies

A

an in-depth detailed examination of a particular case within a real-world context

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Causal Relationship

A

where one thing causes another

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Charlton et al (2000)

A

television was first introduced to St Helena, an island, in 2000, so Charlton went there to perform a series of observations on the children there to see the effect it would have on their behaviour; this was a natural experiment as it was happening anyway

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Closed Questions

A

questions where there are fixed choices of responses and generate quantitative data

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Chi Squared Test

A

difference, unrelated, nominal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Concurrent Validity

A

comparing a new test with another test of the same thing to see if they produce similar results; if they do then the new test has concurrent validity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Confederates

A

actors involved in experiments

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Confidentiality

A

all data should be confidential and all participants should be anonymous and unidentifiable unless prior informed consent has been given. This can be problematic in case studies as procedures should routinely anonymise participants through use of numbers and not recording names

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Confounding Variables

A

have affected results because they haven’t been controlled

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Content Analysis

A

technique used to analyse qualitative data which involves coding the written data into categories, converting qualitative data into quantitative data

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Control

A

methods of reducing confounding variables

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Cost-Benefit Analysis

A

deciding whether the value of research outweighs potential ethical problems, so if the risks are low but the value of the research is high then the study is likely to go ahead

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Counterbalancing

A

where half of the participants do condition one then two, and half do condition two then one, to counter any effect of the order the conditions were presented in

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Random Allocation

A

means to randomly allocate participants to conditions based on no prejudgements

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Randomisation

A

where materials are made random as opposed to participants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Standardisation

A

all participants are given exactly the same instructions, in the same room, with the same time, where the only difference is the IV

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Control Condition

A

a standard against which other results can be compared, as this standard lacks any manipulation of the independent variable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Control Group

A

a group that is treated normally and gives us a measure of how people behave when they are not exposed to the experimental treatment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Controlled Observation

A

an observation study where the researchers control some variables, often takes place in a laboratory setting

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Correctional Analysis

A

a mathematical technique where the researcher looks to see whether scores for two co-variables are related

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Correlations

A

checks to see if two numbers are related or corresponding in some way

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Co-Variables

A

the variables investigated in correlation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Covert Observation

A

also known as an undisclosed observation a the participants do not know their behaviour is being observed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Critical Value

A

the value that a test statistic must reach in order for the hypothesis to be accepted

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

Cross-Sectional Study

A

studies that involve studying a group of people at one age and another group at another, instead of following the same group

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

Current Analysis

A

a set of techniques that deal in part with the unconscious mind, generally used when studying mental disorders

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

CV

A

Confounding Variable

any variables that affect the DV, that is not the IV and should have been controlled for, such as males being in one group and not the other

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Debriefing

A

after the study, researchers should ensure that participants are returned to the their initial state and hence have been informed about the research they have participated in. They must explain the aims and nature of the study, explain any deceptions used, reassure the participants about their performance or behaviour, obtain feedback about the study, offer retrospective feedback, answer questions and widen public understanding of psychology

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

Deception

A

deception should be avoided if at all possible, especially where it would raise other issues such as whether the deception would cause stress or whether participants would participate if they knew the true nature of the experiment. The APA states that deception is only permitted where research is very important and no alternative method is available

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

Demand Characteristics

A

when participants try to behave in the way experimenters want them to

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

Deontological Ethics

A

the correctness of an action lies in itself, not the consequences

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

Descriptive Statistics

A

analysis of data that helps describe, show or summarise data in a meaningful way

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

Difference Effects

A

where there is a difference between participants in each group

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

Difference Tests

A

used to test whether one condition is harder than another

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

Dispersion Measure

A

shows how a set of data is spread out, examples are the range an the standard deviation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

Double Blind Control

A

participants are not told the true purpose of the research and the experimenter is also blind to at least some aspects of the research design

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

Doubly-Subjective

A

happens in introspection, where subjective evidence is interpreted subjectively

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

DV

A

Dependent Variable

the variable you measure

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

Ecological Validity

A

a measure of how test performance predicts behaviour in real-world settings

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

Ethical Guidelines

A

issued by the British Psychological Society or equivalent professional bodies such as the APA and clarify what is ethically acceptable in psychological research

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

Ethical Issues

A

problems arising from conflict between what is necessary for our research and our moral obligation towards our participants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
50
Q

Ethics Committee

A

will assess all research proposals to decide whether there are any risks to participants or researchers, whether these are acceptable and to perform a cost-benefit analysis; if they approve, research can go ahead

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
51
Q

EV

A

Extraneous Variable

any variable that affects the DV that are difficult to control, such as the weather

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
52
Q

Evaluation Apprehension

A

participants’ behaviour is distorted as they fear being judged by observers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
53
Q

Event Sampling

A

a target behaviour is identified and the observer records it every time it occurs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
54
Q

Experimental Group

A

the group that received the experimental treatment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
55
Q

External Validity

A

the extent to which the study’s results can be generalised beyond the research situation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
56
Q

Extraneous Variables

A

variables not being studied which may hinder results

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
57
Q

Face Validity

A

a measure of how test performance appears effective in terms of its stated aims

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
58
Q

Fatigue Effects

A

where a participant does worse on later conditions because they are tired

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
59
Q

Festinger (1957)

A

Festinger carried out a covert naturalistic participant study in which he infiltrated a cult who prophesised the end of the world to observe their behaviour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
60
Q

Field Experiments

A

an experiment that takes place in a natural setting where the experimenter manipulates the IV and measures the DV

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
61
Q

Hawthorne Effect

A

refers to people’s tendency to behave differently when they become aware that they are being observed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
62
Q

Histogram

A

a graph that is used for continuous data, such as test scores, where there should be no space between bars, because data is continuous

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
63
Q

Hypothesis

A

the prediction, using the aim but making the IV and DV measurable and testable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
64
Q

Correlation Hypothesis

A

hypothesis examining the relationship between two co-variables

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
65
Q

Directional Hypothesis

A

hypothesis that is formed using previous research

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
66
Q

Non-Directional Hypothesis

A

hypothesis where there has been no previous research in the area

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
67
Q

Null Hypothesis

A

states that there will be no significant findings

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
68
Q

Independent Groups

A

an experiment design whereby two groups and exposed to different experimental conditions

69
Q

Individual Effects

A

where groups are not the same to begin with

70
Q

Inferential Statistics

A

ways of analysing data using statistical tests that allow the researcher to make conclusions about whether a hypothesis was supported by the results

71
Q

Informed Consent

A

participants must be told about anything that might reasonably affect their willingness to participate. Consent can be withdrawn at any time, including during and after the study. For children under the age of eighteen, consent must be given by parents. The only exception is in observational studies, as informed consent is not required in these studies provided they are being done in a public place

72
Q

Internal Validity

A

a measure of whether results are just affected by changes in the independent variable in a cause-and-effect relationship or other variables too

73
Q

Inter-Observer Reliability

A

the extent to which two or more observers are observing and recording behaviour in the same way

74
Q

Internal Validity

A

in relation to the experiments, whether the results were due to the manipulation of the IV rather than other factors such as extraneous variables or demand characteristics

75
Q

Interval Data

A

data measured in fixed units with equal distance between points on the scale

76
Q

Investigator Effects

A

these result from the effects of a researcher’s behaviour and characteristics on an investigation

77
Q

Interviews

A

a type of self-report that involves an experimenter asking participants questions and recording their responses

78
Q

IV

A

Independent Variable

the variable you manipulate or look for a difference between

79
Q

James Patrick (1960s)

A

in the 1960s, a 26-year-old schoolteacher at a Scottish school, under the alias of James Patrick, went undercover with the help of one of his pupils to study the behaviour of teenagers in Glaswegian gangs

80
Q

Lab Experiments

A

an experiment that takes place in a controlled environment where the experimenter manipulates the IV an measures the DV, the most heavily controlled form of experimental research, because other extraneous variables can be controlled

81
Q

Longitudinal Studies

A

studies that follow the same people over a period of time, meaning there are no participant variables to confound variables, therefore they have high internal validity

82
Q
A
83
Q

Mann-Whitney Test

A

difference, unrelated, ordinance

84
Q

Matched Pairs

A

an experimental design where pairs of participants are matched in terms of key variables, such as age or IQ. One is placed into an experimental group, and one into a control group

85
Q

Mean

A

measure of the central tendency calculated by adding all the scores in a set of data together and dividing by the total number of scores

86
Q

Measures of Central Tendancy

A

a measurement of data that indicates where the middle of the information lies, such as a mean, media or mode

87
Q

Median

A

measure of central tendency calculated by arranging scores in a set of data from lowest to highest and finding the middle score

88
Q

Meta-Analysis

A

averaging out the results of multiple studies

89
Q

Methodological Issues

A

issues with method, a type of validity

90
Q

Mode

A

measure of central tendency which is the most frequently occurring score in a set of data

91
Q

Natural Experiments

A

studies where the experimenter cannot manipulate the independent variable, which leads to high ecological validity

92
Q

Naturalistic Observation

A

an observation study conducted in the environment where the behaviour would normally occur

93
Q

Negative Correlation

A

a relationship exists between two co-variables where as one increases, the other decreases

94
Q

Nominal Data

A

frequency count data that consists of the number of participants falling into categories

95
Q

Normal Distribution

A

an arrangement of data that is symmetrical and forms a bell shaped pattern where the mean, median and mode all fall in the centre of the highest peak

96
Q

Observed Value

A

the value that you have obtained from conducting your statistical test

97
Q

Observer Bias

A

occurs when the observers know the aims of the study or the hypotheses and allow this knowledge to influence their observations

98
Q

Observations

A

a research method that involves watching what people do

99
Q

Open Questions

A

questions where there is no fixed response and participants can give any answer they like and generate qualitative data

100
Q

Operationalising Variable

A

this means clearly describing the variables in terms of how they will be manipulated or measured

101
Q

Operationalism

A

the process of making an IV and DV measurable

102
Q

Opportunity Sample

A

a sampling technique where participants are chosen because they are easily available

103
Q

Order Effects

A

can occur in repeated measures design and refers to how the positioning of tasks influences the outcome

104
Q

Ordinal Level Data

A

data that is capable of being out of rank order

105
Q

Overt Observation

A

also known as disclosed observation as the participants have given their permission for their behaviour to be observed

106
Q

Participant Observation

A

observation studies where the researcher actually joins the group or takes part in the situation they are observing

107
Q

Pearson’s Test

A

correlation, related, interval

108
Q

Peer Review

A

before going to publication, a research report is sent to other psychologists who are knowledgeable in the research topic and check for any problems

109
Q

Pilot Study

A

a pre-run of the procedures of the study that is carried out before the main study used to check all materials and procedures work so that adjustments can be made if issues are found

110
Q

Population Validity

A

a measure of whether you can reasonably generalise the findings from your sample to a larger group of people, normally the whole population

111
Q

Positive Correlation

A

a relationship exists between two co-variables where as one increases, so does the other

112
Q

Practice Effects

A

where participants do better on later conditions because they have had the experience of doing earlier conditions

113
Q

Presumptive Consent

A

asking a group of people from the same target population as the sample whether they would agree to take part in such a study, and if yes, presume the sample would

114
Q

Primary Data

A

information that the researcher has collected themselves for a specific purpose

115
Q

Prior General Consent

A

before participants are recruited they are asked whether they would be prepared to take part in research where they might be deceived about the true purpose

116
Q

Privacy

A

participants’ right to privacy must be respected, especially since invasions of privacy may affect wellbeing and raise confidentiality issues. This includes respecting social and cultural variability, respecting that participants may be unwilling to answer certain questions. Psychologists should observe only public behaviour in public spaces

117
Q

Probability

A

how likely something is to happen, can be expressed as a decimal or percentage

118
Q

Protection from Harm

A

risk should be no more than participants would expect in everyday life. This includes both physical and psychological harm, such as stress or damage to self image. Participants should leave the study unchanged from how they entered it

119
Q

P-Value

A

shows the probability chance that something was caused by chance

120
Q

Qualitative Data

A

descriptive information that is expressed in words

121
Q

Quantitative Data

A

information that can be measured and written down with numbers

122
Q

Quasi Experiments

A

a type of natural experiment that contains a naturally occurring independent variable, whereby the independent variable is a difference between people that already exists

123
Q

Questionnaires

A

a type of self-report consisting of questions for the purpose of gathering information from respondents

124
Q

Random Sampling

A

sampling technique where everyone in the target population has an equal chance of being selected

125
Q

Range

A

distance between the lowest and highest value in a set of scores and measure of dispersion which involves subtracting the lowest core from the highest score in a set of data

126
Q

Related T Test

A

difference, related, interval

127
Q

Reliability

A

the extent to which a study is consistent

128
Q

Response Bias

A

a general term for a wide range of tendencies for participants to respond inaccurately or falsely to questions

129
Q

Repeated Measure

A

an experiment design where the same participants take part in each condition of the experiment, meaning each condition of the experiment uses the same group of people

130
Q

Representative Sample

A

a sample that closely matched the target population as a whole in terms of key variables and characteristics

131
Q

Retrospective Consent

A

once the true nature of the research has been revealed, participants should be given the right to withdraw their data if they are not happy

132
Q

Right to Withdraw

A

ethical guidelines state that participants in experiments have a right to withdraw at any time, and must be reminded that they have that right to withdraw. This was an ethical issue with Zimbardo’s prison experiment, as Zimbardo did not remind participants that they could withdraw and gave the impression that they were unallowed to

133
Q

Sample

A

a group of people that are drawn from the target population to take part in a research investigation

134
Q

Scattergram

A

used to plot correlations where each pair of values is plotted against each other to see if there is a relationship between them

135
Q

Screw You Effect

A

when participants try to behave in the opposite way to what experimenters want

136
Q

Secondary Data

A

information that someone else has collected such as the work of other psychologists or government statistics

137
Q

Self-Corrective

A

meaning that scientific knowledge can be refined or abandoned later after further research

138
Q

Semi-Structured Interview

A

interview that has some pre-determined questions, but the interview can develop others in response to answers given by the participant

139
Q

Self Reports

A

a method of gathering data where participants provide information about themselves without interference from examiners

140
Q

Significance

A

if the result of a statistical test is significant it is highly unlikely to have occurred by chance

141
Q

Sign Test

A

a statistical test used to analyse the direction of differences of scores between the same or matched pairs of subjects under two experimental conditions; difference, related, nominal

142
Q

Single-Blind Control

A

participants are not told the true purpose of the research

143
Q

Skewed Distribution

A

an arrangement of data that is not symmetrical as data is clustered to one end of the distribution

144
Q

Social Desirability Bias

A

participants’ overall behaviour is distorted as they modify this in order to be seen in a positive light

145
Q

Spearman’s Rho Test

A

correlation, related, ordinance

146
Q

Standard Deviation

A

a measure of the average spread of scores around the mean and the greater the standard deviation the more spread out the scores are

147
Q

Standardised Instrunction

A

the instructions given to each participant are kept identical to hep prevent experimenter bias

148
Q

Standardised Procedures

A

in every step of the research all the participants are treated in exactly the same way and so all have the same experience

149
Q

Stratified Sample

A

a sampling technique where groups of participants are selected in proportion to their frequency in the target population

150
Q

Statistical Test

A

used to decide whether any pattern found in a set of data is significant or it was caused by chance

151
Q

Structured Interview

A

interview where the questions are fixed and the interviewer reads them out and records the responses

152
Q

Structured Observation

A

an observation study using predetermined coding scheme to record the participants’ behaviour

153
Q

Systematic Sample

A

a sampling technique where every nth person in a list of the target population is selected

154
Q

Target Population

A

not necessarily the general population

155
Q

Temporal Validity

A

a measure of the validity of findings in relation to the progression of time

156
Q

Teleological Ethics

A

the correctness of an action is determined by its intended consequences

157
Q

Test-Retest Reliability

A

involves presenting the same participants with the same test or questionnaire on two separate occasions and seeing whether there is a positive correlation between the two

158
Q

Thematic Analysis

A

a method for analysing qualitative data which involves identifying, analysing and reporting patterns within the data

159
Q

Time Sampling

A

a way of sampling the behaviour that is being observed by recording what happens in a series of sixed time intervals

160
Q

Type 1 Error

A

a false positive, where you wrongly accept that the alternative or experimental hypothesis is true

161
Q

Type 2 Error

A

a false negative, where you wrongly accept that the null hypothesis is true

162
Q

Unrelated T Test

A

difference, unrelated, interval

163
Q

Unstructured Interviews

A

where the interviewer may have a list of topics or questions but has flexibility to lead the conversation further should participants give responses that lead to deeper or more detailed discussion

164
Q

Unstructured Observation

A

where there is no checklist so every behaviour seen is written down in as much detail as possible

165
Q

Utilitarian Ethics

A

a form of teleological ethics where moral correctness of the action is determined by its consequences for society as a whole, where the aim should be to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people, and psychological researchers usually take a utilitarian perspective but with some absolute prohibitions

166
Q

Validity

A

the extent to which a study is truthful

167
Q

Volunteer Sample

A

sampling technique where participants put themselves forward to take part in research, often by answering an advertisement

168
Q

Wilcoxen Test

A

difference, related, ordinance

169
Q

WEIRD people

A

an acronym for Western, Education, Industrialised, Rich, Democratic people, often the only people experiments were done on in the past

Psychology A-Level (17 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions