RESEARCH METHODS Flashcards
Hypotheses
Null hypothesis - “there will be no difference between the IV conditions and their effect on the DV”
Research / alternative hypothesis - “there will be a difference in our result”
Directional
The researcher has a very clear idea of what difference they expect to see in the results
Usually based on previous research findings
One tailed
Non directional
States that there will be a difference but the researcher is not clear about which direction the difference will go
Two tailed
Operationalised
Making a behaviour measurable
Lab experiment
Take place in a highly controlled environment
Researcher manipulates the IV and records the effect on the DV
Lab study examples
Asch
Milgram
Moscovici
Latane + Darley’s smoke filled room
Lab experiments AO3
+ high control over extraneous variables
+ replication is possible making it valid
- lack generalisability as the lab experiment could be artificial and not like every day life
- demand characteristics (aware they’re being tested in a lab setting so might behave unnaturally)
- low mundane realism
Field experiments
Takes place in a natural, more everyday setting
Researcher manipulates the IV and records the effect on the DV
Filed study examples
The Bystander effect
Hofling 1966 (nurses)
Field experimental design AO3
+ higher ecological validity than lab experiments
- less control than lab studies over extraneous variables.
- replication might not be possible
- ethical issues
Natural experiment
The researcher takes advantage of pre existing independent variables
The IV is not brough about by the researcher. It wouldn’t have happened even if the researcher wasn’t there
Natural experiment design AO3
+ allows research to take place that might not be ethical otherwise
+ high external validity
- less generalisable
- participants might not be randomly allocated to experimental conditions meaning that the researcher might be less sure that the IV affects the DV
Quasi experiment
The IV is based on an existing difference between people (age, gender)
No one manipulates the IV, it just exists
Environment is still highly controlled
Quasi experiment design AO3
+ controlled conditions
- can’t randomly allocate participants to experimental conditions and therefore might be confounding variables
What are experimental designs
Experimental design refers to how participants are allocated to the different conditions (IV) in an experiment
An experimental condition is
Where you manipulate a variable to see the effects
A controlled condition is
Where nothing is manipulated so that we have a base line to compare our results with
Example - Bandura
Independent group design
Different participants used in each condition of the independent variable
Each condition of the experiment includes a different group of participants
Should be done by random allocation
Independent group design AO3
+ avoids order effects
- there will be a difference between participants in the group that might affect the results (age, sex, social background) PARTICIPANT VARIABLES
- more people are needed than with repeated measures design TIME CONSUMING + COSTLY
Repeated measure design
The same participants take part in each condition of the IV
This means that each condition of the experiment includes the same group of participants
Repeated group design AO3
+ participant variables are controlled
+ fewer people are needed as they take part in all conditions
- participants might get research fatigue. Boredom of doing same tasks. ORDER EFFECTS
Matched pairs design
There are different participants in each condition (just like independent group design) but they are matched on characteristics and try avoid participant variables
Matched pairs design AO3
+ reduces participant variables as the researcher has tried to pair up the participants so that each condition has people with similar abilities/ characteristics
+ avoids order effects
- time consuming trying to find closely matched pairs
- impossible to match people exactly, unless identical twins
What are the 5 sampling methods
Random
Opportunity
Volunteer
Systematic
Stratified
