Research Methods

Question 1

Aims

Answer 1

A statement of what the researchers intend to find out in a research
study.

Question 2

Debriefing

Answer 2

A post-research interview designed to inform participants of the true nature of the study and to restore them to the state they were in at the start of the study. It may also be used to gain useful feedback about the procedures in the study. Debriefing is not an ethical issue; it is a means of dealing with ethical issues.

Question 3

Ethical issues

Answer 3

concern questions of right and wrong. They arise in research where there are conflicting sets of values between researchers and participants concerning the goals, procedures or outcomes of a research study.

Question 4

Experiment

Answer 4

A research method where causal conclusions can be drawn because an independent variable has been deliberately manipulated to observe the causal effect on the dependent variable.

Question 5

Extraneous variables

Answer 5

do not vary systematically with the IV and therefore do not act as an alternative IV but may have an effect on the dependent variable. They are nuisance variables that muddy the waters and make it more difficult to detect a significant effect.

Question 6

Hypothesis

Answer 6

A precise and testable statement about the assumed relationship between variables. Operationalisation is a key part of making the statement testable.

Question 7

Independent variable (IV)

Answer 7

Some event that is directly manipulated by an experimenter in order to test its effect on another variable - the dependent variable (DV).

Question 8

Informed consent

Answer 8

Participants must be given comprehensive information concerning the nature and purpose of the research and their role in it, in order that they can make an informed decision about whether to participate.

Question 9

Operationalise

Answer 9

Ensuring that variables are in a form that can be easily tested. A concept such as’educational attainment’ needs to be specified more clearly if we are going to investigate it. For example it might be operationalised as ‘GCSE grade in Maths.

Question 10

Standardised procedures

Answer 10

A set of procedures that are the same for all participants in order to be able to repeat the study. This includes standardised instructions - the instructions given to participants to tell them how to perform the task.

Question 11

DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESES

Answer 11

In research, a directional hypothesis predicts the specific direction of results (e.g., more sleep leads to better test scores), based on existing theory or research. Directional hypotheses are used when prior research supports an expected outcome.

Question 12

Non directional hypothesis

Answer 12

A non-directional hypothesis suggests a difference exists between conditions without specifying the direction (e.g., sleep affects test scores, but the direction is unknown).

Question 13

Confederate

Answer 13

An individual in a study who is not a real
participant and has been instructed how to behave by the investigator.

Question 14

Directional hypothesis

Answer 14

States the direction of the predicted difference between two conditions or two groups of participants.

Question 15

Non-directional hypothesis

Answer 15

Predicts simply that there is a difference between two conditions or two groups of participants, without stating the direction of the difference.

Question 16

Pilot study

Answer 16

A small-scale trial run of a study to test any aspects of the design, with a view to making improvements.

Question 17

Confounding Variables

Answer 17

Confounding variables are factors that can influence the dependent variable (DV) alongside the independent variable (IV), making it challenging to determine the true effect of the IV. For example, in an experiment testing if TV affects memory, time of day could confound results if all ‘TV off’ tests were in the morning and ‘TV on’ tests in the afternoon, affecting alertness. Controlling confounding variables ensures the IV truly affects the DV as intended.

Question 18

Extraneous variables

Answer 18

Extraneous variables are additional factors that can affect the DV but are not the focus of the study. For instance, variations in participants’ memory abilities could impact test scores in a study on TV distraction. These variables, also known as nuisance variables, should be minimized or controlled to accurately assess the effects of the IV on the DV.

Question 19

Realism

Answer 19

Realism in psychological research refers to how closely an experiment or study mirrors real-life situations. If a study lacks realism, participants may not behave as they would in everyday scenarios, potentially limiting the study’s validity. For instance, watching a film of a car accident lacks mundane realism because it differs from witnessing a real accident, affecting the study’s applicability to real-world behavior.

Question 20

Generalisation

Answer 20

Generalisation in psychological research is the extent to which findings from a study can be applied to broader populations or situations beyond the specific study context. High realism in study materials and settings enhances generalizability. However, even with realistic settings, limitations like studying a specific demographic (e.g., American university students) can hinder generalizing findings to all people. Psychologists strive to balance realism and generalizability to make meaningful conclusions about behavior in everyday life.