research methods

Question 1

What is the experimental method?

Answer 1

• involves one variable being manipulated to see the effect on the other variable

Question 2

What is an aim?

Answer 2

a statement that states the purpose of the investigation

Question 3

What is an hypotheses?

Answer 3

a testable statement which predicts how one variable will influence another

Question 4

What is the independent variable?

Answer 4

The variable that is manipulated

Question 5

What is a control condition?

Answer 5

Condition where IV isn’t present

Question 6

What is the dependent variable

Answer 6

the variable being measured

Question 7

What is a directional hypothesis? (one tailed)

Answer 7

The direction of the results is predicted

Question 8

what is a non directional hypothesis (two tailed)?

Answer 8

direction of results is not specified but change is predicted

Question 9

what is a null hypothesis

Answer 9

states there will be no difference and any change that has occurred is by chance

Question 10

What is standardisation?

Answer 10

All participants should experience the exact same procedure and be given the same information

Question 11

What are the ethical issues

Answer 11

Informed consent, confidentiality, privacy, protection from harm, deception, right to withdraw

Question 12

what are extraneous variables?

Answer 12

things’ outside of the experiment that can be controlled to avoid them having an impact on the DV

Question 13

what are confounding variables

Answer 13

‘things’ that have been found to have impacted on the results / DV

Question 14

examples of extraneous variables

Answer 14

the environment, the time of the day, instructions given

Question 15

what are participant variables

Answer 15

individual differences between participants that may affect the DV

Question 16

what are situational variables

Answer 16

features of experimental situation that might affect the DV

Question 17

What is randomisation

Answer 17

The use of chance in order to control the effects of bias when designing materials and dewciding the order of conditions.

Question 18

What are demand characteristics?

Answer 18

Any cue from the research situation that may be interpreted by participants as revealing the purpose of an investigation. This may lead to a participant changing their behaviour within the research situation.

Question 19

what are investigator effects

Answer 19

Any effect of the investigator’s behaviour (conscious or unconscious) on the research outcome

Question 20

What is independent groups design?

Answer 20

• each participant takes part in one condition of the experiment
• compared to the other group

Question 21

what is repeated measures design?

Answer 21

• the same participant does all conditions of the experiment

Question 22

what is matched pairs design?

Answer 22

• participants are matched on a variable related to the experiment then placed in seperate groups

Question 23

what are order effects

Answer 23

• participants take part in both conditions of experiment and perform worse/better in the second condition due to fatigue or practice

Question 24

what is counterbalancing

Answer 24

way to reduce the effects of taking part in both studies where the pps will be split and half will take part in condition A first followed by condition B and the remaining half will take part in condition B first followed by condition A.

Question 25

what is participant variables

Answer 25

characteristics within a participant that can influence the outcome / DV

Question 26

what is random allocation

Answer 26

system is in place to assign pps to different conditions to avoid the researcher having direct influence on which pps go into which condition.

Question 27

economical

Answer 27

based on cost to researcher/society

Question 28

what is a laboratory experiment

Answer 28

• research manipulates IV
• takes place in artificial setting

Question 29

what is a field experiment

Answer 29

• IV manipulated
• real life environment

Question 30

what is a natural experiment

Answer 30

• real life situation
• IV is naturally occuring so event would’ve happened regardless of research

Question 31

what is a quasi experiment

Answer 31

• artificial environment
• IV is naturally occurring within participant

Question 32

what is a target population

Answer 32

wider group of people you are interested in studying

Question 33

what is a sample

Answer 33

smaller section of the target population that take part in your researcg

Question 34

what is a participant observation

Answer 34

the observer acts as part of the group being watched

Question 35

what is a non participant observation

Answer 35

the experimenter does not become part of the group being observed.

Question 36

what is a controlled observation

Answer 36

Observations can take place where some variables are controlled and manipulated by the experimenter. They determine the behaviours to be observed.

Question 37

what is a naturalistic observation

Answer 37

Observations can take place in a natural situation

Question 38

what is an overt observation

Answer 38

‘Open’ observations. Participants know they are being observed and why.

Question 39

what is a covert observation

Answer 39

The observation is kept secret from the participants. The observer is undercover!