Research Methods Flashcards
What is a bar chart used for?
To display data in discrete categories
What is a histogram used for?
Continuous data (data that is linked)
What is an independent variable?
The variable that you manipulate
What is a dependent variable?
The variable that you measure
What are aims?
A statement of what a researcher intends to find out in a research study
What is a debriefing?
Post-research interview to inform participants of the true nature of the study and restore the participants to the state they were in at the start of the study.
What is a debriefing used for?
To gain useful feedback about the procedures in the study
A means of dealing with ethical issues
What are ethical issues?
Questions of right or wrong that arise in research where there are conflicting sets of values between researchers and participants concerning the goals, procedures or outcomes of a research study.
What is an experiment?
Where causal conclusions can be drawn because an independent variable has been deliberately manipulated to observe the causal effect on the dependent variable.
What are extraneous variables?
Nuisance variables that muddy the waters and make it more difficult to detect a significant effect (distraction). May have an effect on the dependent variable
What is a hypothesis?
A precise and testable statement about the assumed relationship between variables.
What is an independent variable (IV)?
An event that is directly manipulated by an experimenter to test its effects on the dependent variable
What is informed consent?
The idea that participants must be given comprehensive information concerning the nature and purpose of the research and their role in it, in order to make an informed decision on whether to participate.
What is operationalisation?
Ensuring variables are in a form that can be easily tested. A concept such as ‘educational attainment’ needs to be more specific in order to investigate it
What are standardised procedures?
Set of procedures that are the same for all participants in order to be able to repeat the study. Includes standardised instructions - instructions given to participants to tell them how to perform a task
