Research Methods Flashcards
Difference between aim and hypothesis
Aim- purpose of the study
Hypothesis- relationship between variables
Difference between directional and non directional hypothesis
Directional- states direction
Non directional-doesn’t
USE DIRECTIONAL VARIABLES IF PREVIOUS FINDINGS OUTLINE THE DIRECTION
What is a variable
Things that can vary and change within the investigation
What’s operationalisation
Clearly defining variables so they can be measured
Difference between extraneous and confounding variables
Extraneous- unwanted variables that can affect the IV
Confounding- change within the IV and can change the results of the DV (thing that’s measured)
What is participant reactivity
Participants acting a certain way
What are investigator effects
Unwanted influence of the investigator on the experiment
What is randomisation
Use of chance methods to reduce conscious biases
What is standardisation
Make everything the same
What is an experimental design
How participants are used to
Name the 4 different experimental designs
Independent groups- two separate groups experience different conditions
Repeated measures- all participants experience all conditions
Matched pairs- participants are paired on a variable related to the experiment then separated into one of the conditioned
Counterbalancing- control the order effects
What are the 4 different experimental methods
LABORATORY- controlled, manipulated IV, controls EV and records the DV
FIELD- natural setting, IV manipulated, records the DV
NATURAL- natural setting, change in IV natural (happened if researcher not there), records DV
QUASI- IV has not been determined variables just exist
What is a pilot study
Small scale trial run of the actual investigation to check questions and identify potential issues
What are the two types of pilot studies
Single blind- participants not told about the aims until the end
double blind- neither participants or researcher aware
What are the 6 different observation techniques
NATURALISTIC- where the behaviour would naturally occur
CONTROLLED- some control over EV and CV
COVERT- unaware they’re behind watched
OVERT- aware they’re being watched
PARTICIPANT- observer becomes part of group
NON PARTICIPANT- observer stays separate from the group
KEY NOTE- THERE IS NO IV IN OBSERVATIONS
What is meant by the population
The group of people who are the focus of the researcher
What is meant by the sample
The group of people who take part in the research
When can we generalise the sample
When it’s representative of the population
What are the 5 different types of sampling
RANDOM- everyone has an equal chance- use randomiser/ names out of a hat
SYSTEMATIC- every nth person
STRATIFIED- composition of sample reflects the subgroups (strata) of the population
OPPORTUNITY- anyone willing n available at the time
VOLUNTEER- participants selecting themselves
What is the sampling frame
Lists of people in the target population
What is bias
When groups are under or over represented
What are the 6 aspects of ethical issues
Informed consent
Right to withdraw
Protection from harm
Debrief
Confidentiality
Deception
What is the BPS code of conduct
Has a Code of ethics and ethical guidelines researchers must obey
What is a cost benefit analysis
Do the ethical costs outweigh the need for research?
What must participants sign (parents of children under 16)
Consent letter
What is anonymity
No personal details most he revealed, participants stay anonymous
What is presumptive consent
Smaller groups of people are asked if they agree so we presume the sample will agree
What is retrospective consent
Participants asked to consent during the debrief
What are the two types of observational design
Structured- simplify target behaviours using behavioural categories
Unstructured- write down everything they see, rich in detail, small scale
What are the two sampling techniques in observational design
EVENT- counting the number of times a event of behaviour occurs
TIME- recording behaviour on a pre established time frame (look every 2 minutes for 10 seconds then look away)
What is a continuous recording
All target behaviours are recorded- a systematic way of recording behaviour
What is an intervening variable
A third variable interfering with the findings of a CORRELATION
What are the two report techniques
Questionnaires
Interviews
What are the two types of questions in a questionnaire
OPEN- no fixed range of answers = qualitative data
CLOSED- fixed response = quantitative
What are the 3 types of interviews
STRUCTURED- pre determined set of questions asked in a fixed order
UNSTRUCTURED- like a convo no set questions just a general area of interest
SEMI-STRUCTURED- list of questions set in advance but free to ask follow up questions
What are the 4 self report designs
LIKERT SCALE- indicate agreement usually 5 points (strongly disagree- strongly agree) (how much do u LIKE)
RATING SCALE- represents strength of feeling (1-10)
FIXED CHOICE- list of possible options (do u like dogs cats or horses)
INTERVIEW SCHEDULE- standardised questions the interviewer wishes to cover
What are descriptive statistics
Measures of central tendency
Measures of dispersion
What are measures of central tendency
Mean, median and mode (all the Ms)
What are the measures of dispersion
Range and standard deviation
What happens to cause a smaller deviation
Participants respond in a similar way
Difference between primary and secondary data
PRIMARY- original date collected for the study
SECONDARY- already exist, been collected by someone else
What is a meta analysis
Combining the findings from several studies
What are the 4 different ways of presenting quantitative data
Summary tables
Bar charts
Histograms
Scattergrams
What is a skewed distribution
Data leans to one side or the other (positive skew= data concentrated to the left negative= to the right)
How can psychological research affect the economy
Attachment= research into role of parents affect who works
Psychopathology= affect who is absent from work and for how long
What must the chance be for it to be significant
Less than 5% (>0.05)
What is more powerful? A parametric test or a non parametric test
Parametric
What is a type 1 error
False positive
Accepts the alternative but should accept the null
What is a type 2 error
False negative
Accepts the null but should accept the alternative
What are the 3 different types of date when it comes to statistical tests
NOMINAL- categorical
ORDER- ordered such as 1st or 2nd
INTERVAL- on a scale such as temp
What is the difference between the calculated value and the critical value
CALCULATED- from the statistical test (s)
CRITICAL- found in the table
What is a sign test
Convert the data to nominal (put signs like hearts or stars)
Count the less frequent sign (S) and compare to the less significant sign (critical value)
