Research methods Flashcards
What is an experimental method
a scientific method involving the manipulation of variables to determine cause and effect
What is a variable
any object, characteristic or event that varies in some way
In an experiment, what does the researcher manipulate
- independent variable (IV)
- dependent variable (DV)
Definition of research methods
the means by which explanations are tested
What is an IV
the factor manipulated by researchers in an investigation
What is a DV
the factor measured by researchers in an investigation
Definition of operationalisation of variables
the process of defining variables into measurable factors
Definition of extraneous variables
variables other than the IV which affect the DV
What are confounding variables
uncontrolled extraneous variables that negatively affect results
What are demand characteristics
features of a research which allow participants to work out its aim and/or hypothesis
What are the 3 main types of extraneous variables
- participant variables- concern factors such as p’s age or intelligence
- situational variables- concern the experimental setting and surrounding environment
- experimenter variables- concerns changes in the personality, appearance and conduct of the researcher
What technique reduces demand characteristics
single-blind procedure
What are some advantages of lab experiments
+ highly controlled
+ easily replicable
+ cause and effect
+ can isolate variables
What are some disadvantages of lab experiments
- experimental bias
- problems operationalising the IV and DV
- low ecological validity
- there are demand characteristics
What are field experiments
experiments conducted in naturalistic settings where the researcher manipulate the IV
What is a natural experiment
experiment where the IV varies naturally
What is a quasi experiment
where the researcher is unable to freely manipulate the IV or randomly allocate p’s to different conditions
Advantages of field and natural experiments
+ high ecological validity
+ no demand characteristics
Weaknesses of field and natural experiments
- less control
- less easy to replicate
- ethical issues regarding lack of informed consent
- sample bias
What are the two types of observational techniques
- participant observation - involves observers becoming actively involved in the situation e.g. Zimbardo
- non-participant observation - doesn’t involve researchers becoming actively involved in the behaviour being studied e.g. Ainsworth
Two ways that observations can be
- overt- when p’s are aware they are being observed
- covert- when p’s aren’t aware they are being observed
What are some advantages of observational techniques
- high external validity
- practical method
- fewer demand characteristics
Weaknesses of observational techniques
- cause and effect- causality cannot be inferred since the variables are only observed
- observer bias
- replication
- ethics into informed consent
- practical problems
What are naturalistic observations
surveillance and recording of naturally occurring events
What are behavioural categories
dividing target behaviours into subsets of behaviours through use of coding systems
What is inter-observer reliability
where observers consistently code for behaviour in the same way
What is event sampling
counting the number of times a behaviour occurs in a target individual or individuals
What is time sampling
counting behaviour in a set time frame
What is self-report technique
p’s giving information about themselves without researcher interference
What are questionnaires
self report method where p’s record their own answers to a pre-set list of questions
What are the 2 types of questions
- closed
- open
Advantages of questionnaires
- quick
- lack of investigator effects
- quantitative and qualitative analysis
- replication
Weaknesses of questionnaires
- misunderstanding
- biased samples
- low response rates
- superficial issues
- social desirability/idealised answers
What are the three types of interviwew
- structured
- unstructured
- semi-structured
Advantages of interviews
- complex issues can be covered
- ease misunderstandings
- data analysis
- replication
Weaknesses of interviews
- interviewer effects
- interview training
- ethical issues
- participant answers
What are correlation studies
factors measured in a correlation to asses their direction and strength of a relationship
What are the 2 types of correlation
- positive
- negative
Advantages of a correlation study
- allows predictions to be made
- allows quantification of relationships
- no manipulation
Weaknesses of correlation study
- quantification problem
- cause and effect
- extraneous relationships
- only works for linear relationships
What is an aim
a precise statement of why a study is taking place
What is a hypothesis
precise testable research predictions
What is an experimental hypothesis
predicts that differences in the DV will be beyond the boundaries of chance
What is a null hypothesis
- the hypothesis of no differences
- IV wont affect the DV
- it says there wont be any significant difference
What are the two types of experimental hypothesis
- directional ( one tailed)
- non-directional ( two tailed)
What is sampling
the selection of p’s to represent a wider population
strengths of random sampling
- unbiased selection
- generalisation
weaknesses of random sampling
- impractical
- not representative
What is opportunity sampling
selecting participants who are available and willing to take part
What is volunteer sampling
they self-select themselves to take part in a study
What is systematic sampling
taking every nth person from a list to create a sample
What is stratified sampling
small scale reproduction of a population
What are pilot studies
- small scale practice investigations to see if there are any problems with the design
What are independent group design
use different p’s in each of the experimental conditions
What are repeated measures design
each p gets tested in all conditions of an experiment
What are matched pairs design
experimental design where p’s are in similar pairs with one of each pair performing in each condition
What are some of the code of ethics
- informed consent
- avoidance of deception
- adequate briefing/debriefing
- protection of participants
- right to withdraw
- confidentiality
- observational research
- incentives to take part
What is quantitative data
data occurring in numerical form
What is qualitative data
non - numerical data expressing meanings, feelings and descriptions
What is primary data
data collected specifically towards a research aim, which has not been published before
What is secondary data
data originally collected towards another research aim, which has been published before
What is meta analysis
a statistical technique for combining the findings of several studies of a certain research area
