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AQA PSYCHOLOGY A LEVEL > RESEARCH METHODS > Flashcards

RESEARCH METHODS Flashcards

1
Q

QUALITATIVE DATA

A

EXPRESSED IN WORDS AND NON-NUMERICAL

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2
Q

QUANTITATIVE DATA

A

CAN BE COUNTED, USUALLY GIVEN AS NUMBERS

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3
Q

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE (IV)

A

VARIABLE THAT IS MANIPULATED BY RESEARCHER (OR CHANGES NATURALLY) SO EFFECT ON DV CAN BE MEASURED

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4
Q

DEPENDENT VARIABLE (DV)

A

VARIABLE THAT IS MEASURED BY THE RESEARCHER
ANY EFFECT ON DV SHOULD BE CAUSED BY CHANGE IN IV

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5
Q

INTERNAL VALIDITY

A

CONTROL OF VARIABLES TO ENSURE CHANGE IN DV SOLELY DUE TO CHANGE IN IV

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6
Q

EXTERNAL VALIDITY

A

DEGREE TO WHICH RESEARCH FINDINGS CAN BE GENERALISED

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7
Q

ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY

A

GENERALISED TO OTHER SETTINGS

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8
Q

POPULATION VALIDITY

A

GENERALISED TO OTHER GROUPS OF PEOPLE

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9
Q

TEMPORAL VALIDITY

A

GENERALISED OVER TIME

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10
Q

RELIABILITY

A

HOW CONSISTENT A MEASURING DEVICE IS - INCLUDES PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS OR OBSERVATIONS

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11
Q

DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS

A

PARTICIPANT THINKS THEY FIGURE OUT WHAT THE STUDY IS FOR SO ACT IN A WAY THEY THINK IS APPROPRIATE

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12
Q

RESEARCH QUESTION

A

A QUESTION THAT THE RESEARCH ENDEAVOURS TO ANSWER

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13
Q

AIM

A

GENERAL STATEMENT OF WHAT RESEARCHER INTENDS TO INVESTIGATE (PURPOSE OF STUDY)
ALWAYS BEGINS ‘TO INVESTIGATE’

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14
Q

HYPOTHESIS

A

CLEAR TESTABLE PREDICTION THAT STATES RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VARIABLES BEING INVESTIGATES

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15
Q

DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESIS (ONE-TAILED)

A

IDENTIFIES DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEVELS OF IV
USUALLY BASED ON PRIOR RESEARCH

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16
Q

NON-DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESIS (TWO-TAILED)

A

STATES DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEVELS OF IV BUT DOESN’T SPECIFY NATURE OF DIFFERENCES

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17
Q

NULL HYPOTHESIS

A

STATES THERE WILL BE NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE IV AND DV

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18
Q

OPERATIONALISATION

A

HOW RESEARCHER DEFINES VARIABLES IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO MEASURE

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19
Q

CONTROL VARIABLES - EXTRANEOUS

A

ANY VARIABLE THAT DOES NOT VARY SYSTEMATICALLY WITH IV, THEREFORE DOESN’T ACT AS ALTERNATIVE IV, BUT MAY HAVE EFFECT ON DV
NUISANCE VARIABLE

19
Q

CONTROL VARIABLES - CONFOUNDING

A

DOES VARY SYSTEMATICALLY WITH IV, MEANING CHANGES IN DV MAY BE DUE TO CF
CONFOUNDS CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONSHIP

20
Q

CONTROL VARIABLES - PARTICIPANT

A

CENTRED AROUND PARTICIPANTS USED, COULD CONFOUND RESULTS IF NOT CONTROLLED

20
Q

INTERNAL VALIDITY

A

EXTENT TO WHICH RESEARCHER CAN BE CONFIDENT THEIR RESEARCH IS MEASURING EFFECT OF IV ON DV AND CAN ESTABLISH CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONSHIP

20
Q

EXTERNAL VALIDITY

A

EXTENT TO WHICH RESULTS CAN BE GENERALISED TO OTHER SETTINGS, POPULATIONS AND OVER TIME

20
Q

ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY (EXTERNAL)

A

GENERALISABLE TO OTHER SETTINGS

20
Q

POPULATION VALIDITY (EXTERNAL)

A

GENERALISABLE TO OTHER POPULATIONS

21
Q

TEMPORAL VALIDITY (EXTERNAL)

A

GENERALISABLE OVER TIME

22
Q

TYPES OF EXPERIMENT

A
  • LAB
  • FIELD
  • NATURAL
  • QUASI
23
Q

LAB EXPERIMENT

A
  • CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT
  • MANIPULATE IV, RECORD EFFECT ON DV, STRICT CONTROL OF EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES
24
Q

LAB EXPERIMENT STRENGTHS

A
  • HIGH CONTROL - MORE CERTAINTY OVER CAUSE + EFFECT RELATIONSHIP -> HIGH INTERNAL VALIDITY
  • HIGHLY REPLICABLE - RELIABLE PROCEDURE
25
Q

lab experiment limitations

A
  • artificial environment - lack of generalisability - low external validity
  • low mundane realism
  • risk of demand characteristics
26
Q

field experiment

A
  • takes place in natural setting
  • manipulates IV and records DV
27
Q

field experiment strengths

A
  • higher mundane realisms (but not always)
  • more authentic behaviour - high external validity
27
Q

field experiment limitations

A
  • less control over EVs and CVs - difficult to establish c + e, difficult to replicate
  • ethical issues like consent and privacy
28
Q

natural experiment

A
  • change in IV not directly manipulated, naturally occurs in environment
  • records effect on chosen DV
28
Q

natural experiment strengths

A
  • opportunities for research that would otherwise be unethical to manipulate
  • real world environment - high external validity, generalisability
28
Q

natural experiment limitations

A
  • naturally occurring IV so difficult to replicate
  • limits generalisability
  • participants not randomly allocated
  • lab setting sometimes used
29
Q

quasi experiment

A

(technically not experiment)
- IV naturally occurs in participants - ie autism

30
Q

quasi experiment strengths

A
  • controlled conditions
  • highly replicable procedure
31
Q

quasi experiment limitations

A
  • cannot be randomly allocated - risk of confounding variables
  • IV not deliberately changed - difficult to confirm c + e relationship

AQA PSYCHOLOGY A LEVEL (11 decks)

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