Research Methods Flashcards
What is an experiment?
The manipulation of the IV to measure the effect on the DV
What is a variable?
The thing that changes in the investigation
What is the independent variable
The thing that is manipulated
What is the dependant variable
The thing that is measured
Control?
Without manipulation
Experimental?
With manipulation
What is a hypothesis?
A prediction made before the investigation
What is a directional hypothesis?
A prediction that states the difference between two conditions, whilst predicting the direction of the results
What is a correlation hypothesis?
A prediction that states a relationship
What is a non-directional hypothesis?
A prediction used when there is no previous research or when there is a lot of contradictory research
What is a non-directional correlation?
A prediction that states there is going to be a relationship
What is a null hypothesis?
A prediction that states nothing will be found. Every investigation must have one
What are research methods?
Strategies, processes or techniques used in the collection of data or evidence to uncover new information
What should research methods aim to be?
Objective and repeatable
What is a research aim?
It is a statement, made before the experiment, of what researchers intend to discover
What does operationalise mean?
Ensuring variables are in a form they can be easily tested and specifically defined e.g. confidence levels = confidence scale
What are extraneous variables?
•May have an affect on the DV if not controlled
•Their effect is random
What are confounding variables?
•Varies systematically with the DV
•Fixed system
What are demand characteristics?
Any cue from the researchers / situation that reveals the intention of the study
What are investigator effects?
•The effect of the investigator’s behaviour on the DV e.g. The selection of participants
What is randomisation?
The use of chance to control for the effects of bias e.g. being randomly allocated to a different condition
What is standardisation?
Using exactly the same formalised procedures and instructions for all participants. This helps control variables
What are blind procedures?
Participants don’t know what conditions they are taking part in. This reduces demand characteristics
What must psychologists do when carrying out an experiment?
They must decide how they are going to distribute their participants effectively
What is an independent group design?
When different participants are used in each condition of the experiment
What is a repeated measures design?
When the same participants take part in both conditions
What is counterbalancing?
Arranging the order of conditions or treatments in a way that reduces the influence of other factors e.g. Testing different participants in different orders
What is a matched pairs design?
Pairs of participants are matched in terms of variables, such as age
What are the four types of experimental methods?
Laboratory
field
natural
quasi
What is a lab experiment?
-An experiment that takes place in a controlled environment
-The researcher manipulates the IV
What is a field experiment?
An experiment that takes place in a natural setting
The researcher that cannot manipulate the IV
What is a quasi experiment?
An experiment that takes place in a controlled environment, but where the IV has not been determined by anyone
A variable that simply “exists”
What is a natural experiment?
An experiment that takes place in a natural environment
The change in IV is not manipulated by the researcher, but would’ve changed without their presence
What is ecological validity
Can the thing that is being measured be applied to real-life situations
What is population?
Refers to the group of individuals that a particular researcher may be interested in studying
What is target population?
Refers to a particular subset of the overall population from which the sample will be taken
What is a sample?
Refers to the group of people who take part in a research investigation
What does representative mean?
Do the individuals in the sample contain the same characteristics as the target population from which the sample was taken
What is random sampling?
The sample is generated using a lottery method e.g. random number generator
What is systemic sampling?
When every nth number of a population is selected from a sampling frame
What is stratified sampling?
The composition of the sample reflects the proportions of people in certain sub groups (strata)
What is opportunity sampling?
Selecting anyone who happens to be willing or available to take part
What is volunteer sampling?
An ad is produced and individuals self select themselves to take part
What are the strengths and limitations of random sampling?
-There isn’t bias towards certain groups
-Certain groups may be over represented
-Time consuming
-Participants may refuse
What are the strengths and limitations of systemic sampling?
-Free from researcher bias
-Usually fairly represented
-Time consuming
-Some groups may be over represented
-Participants may refuse
What are the strengths and limitations of stratified sampling?
-Free from researcher bias
-Most representative sample
-Complete representation is impossible
-Time consuming
-Participants may refuse to
What are the strengths and limitations of opportunity sampling?
-More time efficient
-It saves money
-It can be unrepresentative
-Researcher bias
What are the strengths and limitations of volunteer sampling?
Strength:
-More time efficient
Limitation:
-Volunteer bias- unrepresentative, certain people like to volunteer
What are ethical issues?
Issues that arise when there is a conflict between the rights of the participants and the researcher’s goals
What are the 5 types of ethical issues?
Informed consent, right to withdraw, confidentiality, deception, protection from harm
Explain informed consent
Participants have the right to be given detailed info concerning the nature and purpose of the research and their role in it
Explain the right to withdraw
Participants should be able to withdraw and refuse permission to use the data they have produced during or after the experiment
Explain confidentiality
A participants right to have their personal info protected and right to remain anonymous
Explain protection from harm
Participants should not experience negative physical or psychological effects
Explain deception
Deliberately misleading or withholding info
What is a cost-benefit analysis?
When the ethics committee weigh up the costs and benefits of research proposals to decide whether the research should go ahead
How do you obtain consent?
A consent letter detailing all relevant info
What are the 3 ways of getting consent when it is impractical to get informed consent?
Presumptive, prior general, retrospective
What is presumptive consent?
Rather than getting consent form participants, a similar group are asked if the study is acceptable and if they agree, participants consent is “presumed”
What is prior general consent?
Participants consent to take part in a number of different studies, including one that involves deception
What is retrospective consent?
Participants are asked for their consent after having taken part in the study
What should the full debrief at the end of the study detail?
The aims of the investigation and any details that they were not supplied with during the studies
Why should participants be told what their data will be used for?
-They may have not been told already
-They may have been unaware that they were in a study
What is the right to withhold data?
The participants right to keep the data they have produced in the study away from the researcher
When is the right to withdraw particularly important?
After the study
Why should participants be reassured that their behaviour was typical or normal?
To address any concerns they may have
What are 2 ways researchers can deal with confidentiality ?
- Record no record personal details
- Refer to participants by numbers or initials
What is the BPS? And what do they do?
The British Psychological Society.
Their code instructs psychologists in the UK about what behaviour is acceptable and unacceptable when dealing with patients
What is internal validity?
Is the researcher measuring what was intended in the study? Or are there other variables that are impacting the research?