Research Methods Flashcards
Directional hypothesis
A hypothesis that goes in a certain direction. “More or less likely”
Non directional hypothesis
Has no direction, “there will be a difference”
Operationalising variables
Clearly stating with an iv or dv
Iv
The thing being changed (the stimuli)
Dv
What the result is
Extraneous variables
Any variable other than the iv that may affect the dv
→ environmental
→ lack of standardisation
→ participant variables
→ demand characteristics
→ researcher bias
Validity
The legitimacy of results
→ internal - face validity, concurrent
→ external - ecological, population, temporal
Reliability
Consistency
Internal → inter rater
Ethics
Informed consent /privacyi confidentiality,deception / right to withdraw / protection from harm
Lab experiment
→ controlled and scientific
S- control
S- easily repeatable
W- artificial
W-demand characteristics
W-ethics
Field experiment
Natural environment
S- ecological validity
S-demand characteristics
W- less control
W-ethics
Quasi
‘takes advantage of naturally occurring iv
S- ethics
S-study real problems,
W- control
W-rare
W-ethics
Independent groups
Different ppts in each group
S-no demand characteristics
S-no order effects
W-participant variables
Repeated measures design
Same participants in each condition
S- no participant variables
S- number of participants
W-order effects
Matched pairs
Parts are matched for each condition
S-no order effects
S- no participant variables
W-time consuming
Questionnaires
S - Easily repeatable
S - more willing to reveal personal info
W- social desirability
W- sample bias
Closed questions
✓ quantitative data
X forced to select answers that don’t actually represent them
Open questions
✓ can provide detail
X difficult to analyst
Structured
Decided in advance
✓ easily repeatable
✓ easy to analyse
X may not be truthful due to social desirability bias
X interviewer bias
Unstructured interviews
✓ more detail
✓ Extra information
✓ Ecological validity
X interviewer bias
X trained interviewer
X difficult to summarise
Correlation
Positive correlation → variables increase together
Zero correlation → no correlation
Negative correlation → one ↑ one ↓
Case study
✓ unusual instances
✓ detailed data
✓ complex interaction
X lacks generalisability
X unreliable
X lack objectivity
Random sampling
Equal chance of being selected
✓ fair chance
X may be impractical and not generalisable
Opportunity
Whoever is available
✓ quick
X not representative
