Research Methods

Question 1

What is an aim?

Answer 1

A statement of what the researcher intends to find out in a research study

Question 2

What does operationalize mean?

Answer 2

Turning an abstract conceptual idea into a measurable unit

Question 3

What is an independent variable?

Answer 3

The characteristic of an experiment that is manipulated or changed by researchers, not by the other variables in the experiment

Question 4

What is a dependent variable?

Answer 4

The variable that is being measured or tested in an experiment

Question 5

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 5

A precise, testable statement of what the researchers predict will be the outcome of the study.

Question 6

What is a null hypothesis?

Answer 6

It states that there is no relationship between the variables being studied

Question 7

What is a target population?

Answer 7

The population that a study is intended to research and to which generalisations from samples are to be made

Question 8

What is a sampling frame?

Answer 8

The population that the researcher is interested in

Question 9

What is opportunity sampling?

Answer 9

When you use people who are available at the time for a study

Question 10

What is systematic sampling?

Answer 10

When you select every nth person from a list to be your participant

Question 11

What is stratified sampling?

Answer 11

A method of sampling that involves the division of a population into smaller sub groups known as strata

Question 12

What is quota sampling?

Answer 12

Researchers make sub populations that reflect proportions of the target population and participants are allocated to the sub populations through opportunity sampling

Question 13

What is self selected sampling?

Answer 13

Respondents choose whether to take part

Question 14

What is snowball sampling?

Answer 14

A recruitment technique in which research participants are asked to assist researchers in identifying other potential subjects

Question 15

What is time sampling?

Answer 15

During observation, you record data or behaviour at a time interval e.g. once every 30 seconds

Question 16

What is Internal Reliability?

Answer 16

It refers to the consistency of the measuring tool

Question 17

What is event sampling?

Answer 17

During observation, it is when you record data every time a certain event happens e.g. make a tally for every time someone drinks

Question 18

What is an overt observation?

Answer 18

When participants know they are being observed

Question 19

What is a covert observation?

Answer 19

When participants don’t know they are being observed

Question 20

What is participant observation?

Answer 20

When the observer becomes a part of the study and acts as a participant themselves

Question 21

What is non-participant observation?

Answer 21

When the observer isn’t a part of the study and doesn’t act as a participant

Question 22

What is a naturalistic observation

Answer 22

When the observation is taken place in a natural environment

Question 23

What is a controlled observation?

Answer 23

It is when some variables are controlled by the researcher in an artificial environment

Question 24

What is a lab experiment?

Answer 24

Laboratory experiments are a research method by which researchers create controllable environments to test hypotheses

Question 25

What is a field experiment?

Answer 25

It is an experiment that takes place in a real world setting

Question 26

Evaluate Lab Experiments

Answer 26

Low ecological validity
Standardised procedures
Demand Characteristics

Question 27

What is a confounding variable

Answer 27

A variable that isn’t of interest but effects the outcome and that can’t be controlled

Question 28

What is mean?

Answer 28

When you add all the numbers together and divide by the amount there are

Question 29

What is median

Answer 29

When you line up all the numbers in order from lowest to highest and pick the number in the middle

Question 30

What is mode

Answer 30

The number with the highest frequency