Research Methods Flashcards
types of experiment, experimental design , controlling variables , validity and reliability
Experimental design
How participants are allocated to experimental groups of an investigation
Independent groups design
Different participants complete in each of the two conditions. Each participant take part in one condition
more participants needed
Repeated measure designs
Same participants complete in each of the two conditions
less participants needed
Matched pair design
Different participants completed in one condition but matched on related variables
How is matched pairs done
One member of each pair is placed into a experimental group and the other into the control group
Cyclical process
A series of events happens again and again in the same order
Mundane realism
The degree which an experiment resembles real life situations
Confounding variables
Variables apart from the IV that effected the DV
Uncontrolled variables
Variables that cannot be controlled for eg.weather
Experimental realism
Whether an experiment has psychological impact and feels real
Extraneous variables
Variables other than the IV and DV that could influence the result
What are uncontrolled variables?
Variables that can not be controlled eg. The weather
What is a situational confounding variable?
a type of ev that influence the dv which could effect the iv
What is a participant confounding variable?
Variables apart from the iv that have affected the dv
What are demand characteristics?
Hints within a study that participants may guess the researchers hypothesis
Lab ~ strength and weakness
~high control over EV
~replication
~may be artificial
~participants could prepare beforehand
Field ~ strength and weakness
~higher ecological validity
~reduction in demand characteristics as they don’t know they are a part of the experiment
~less control of EV
Natural ~strengths and weakness
~provide opportunities
~high ecological validity
~difficult to establish causality
Field ~ strength and weakness
~higher ecological validity
~reduction in demand characteristics as they don’t know they are a part of the experiment
~less control of EV
Quasi ~ strength and weakness
~often carried out under controlled conditions
~participants can not be randomly allocated
Lab experiments
Define by the high level of control the researchers have (manipulate IV)
Field experiments
Conducting experiments in naturalistic settings
Natural experiments
Two lvl of independent variables happen without influence of researcher (rich vs poor)
Quasi experiment
establish a cause-and-effect relationship between an independent and dependent variable
Standardised procedures
A consistent and uniform set of instructions of methods
Reliability
Being trustworthy or performing consistently well
Internal validity
A study accurately identifies a causal relationship between variables
Ecological validity
Findings of a study can be generalised to the real world settings
mundane realism
What are investigator effects?
Where the researcher acts in a way to support their prediction
What are investigator effects?
Where the researcher acts in a way to support their prediction
What is random allocation?
Each participant has the same opportunities to be assigned to any given group, so individual ability are less likely to affect results
What is a standardised procedure?
The process in which procedures used in the research are kept the same.
What is randomisation?
randomly assigning experimental subjects to avoid it having an effect on the DV. It reduces the chance of practice effects becoming a cofounding variable.
What is a single blind test?
Where participants do not know which condition of a study they are in.
What is a double blind test?
When neither participant nor the investigators know which condition the participants are in.
What is meant by reliability?
consistent results
What is test-retest reliability?
Repeat the study using the same procedures at different times and test the correlation between the two versions
What is inter-rater reliability?
Two or more observers record behaviours during the same observation using the same behavioural categories. the degree of agreement among raters
What is meant by validity?
how accurately a method measures what it is intended to measure
What is meant by external validity?
the extent to which results from a study can be generalised to other situations
What is meant by population validity?
The sample used in the study is representative of the target population
What is meant by temporal
validity?
Study can be generalized findings in relation to the progression of time.
If the findings are still valid today.
What is meant by construct validity?
the extent to which your test or measure accurately assesses what it’s supposed to
What is meant by concurrent validity?
a type of external validity that refers to the validity of the findings in relation to the progression of time.
What is meant by predictive validity?
the ability of a test or other measurement to predict a future outcome
What is meant by face validity?
whether a test appears to measure what it’s supposed to measure
How to Improve reliability?
Observation - improving accuracy.
interviews - using constructed than unconstructed.
questionnaires - use closed rather than open questions.
experiments - use standardized procedures.
co-efficient of reliability
Co-efficient of 0.8 or above we can assume the test is reliable
