Research Methods Flashcards
What is an aim?
An aim is a general statement made by the researcher which tells us what they plan on investigating, the purpose of their study
What is an independent variable (IV)?
The variable you change
What is a dependent variable (DV)?
The variable you measure
What is an extraneous variable (EV)?
A variable other than the IV that may affect the DV and should therefore be controlled for
Define hypothesis
A hypothesis is a precise, testable statement of what the researches predict will be the outcome of the study
What is meant by operationalisation?
Refers to the process of defining variables in practical, specific terms that allow them to be measured or manipulated in a research study
What is a Null hypothesis?
Predicts no difference or no relationship between groups/conditions. Predicts that any difference or relationship will be due to chance
What is an Alternative hypothesis?
Predicts a difference or a relationship between groups. There will be a difference in aggression among participants in low and high temperature rooms
What is a Directional hypothesis (one tailed)?
Predicts a difference or a relationship between conditions and states the direction of the difference/relationship
What is a Non directional hypothesis (two tailed)?
Predicts a difference or a relationship between groups/conditions but does not state the direction of the difference/relationship (e.g. there will be a difference or correlation)
What is a lab experiment?
An experiment conducted in an artificial controlled environment. There is usually a standardised procedure.
The researcher manipulates the IV to see what effect it has on the DV. There are strict controls over EV’s. Participants are aware of what’s happening
What is meant by standardised procedure?
A consistent and uniform set of instructions and methods used in a research study
What is a field experiment?
An experiment conducted in a more natural environment - anywhere outside a lab where the investigated behaviour could naturally occur.
The researcher manipulates the IV to see what effect it has on the DV
What is a natural experiment?
Experiments generally conducted in the everyday environment of the participants, but here the environmenter has no control over the IV as it occurs naturally in real life.
What is a quasi- experiment?
Have an IV that is based on a natural existing difference between people (for instance, age or gender). The researcher does not manipulate the IV, it simply exists
What is meant by ecological validity?
The extent to which the findings of a study can be generalised to real-world settings and situations
What is mundane realism?
The degree to which an experiment or study resembles real-life situations and experiences
What is meant by internal validity?
The extent to which a research accurately identifies a casual relationship between variables, ruling out alternative explanations
What are meant by demand characteristics?
Cues or hints within a study that may lead participants to guess the researcher’s hypothesis or expected outcomes, potentially influencing their behaviour
What is meant by random allocation?
Assigning participants to different groups or conditions in an experiment in a random and unbiased manner
What is meant by standardised procedure?
A consistent and uniform set of instructions and methods used in a research study
Give an advantage of Lab experiments
High control over extraneous variables means you can make statements about cause and effect and therefore increasing internal validity
Give a disadvantage of Lab experiments
The lab environment may be artificial which means we may not be able to generalise the findings to real life situations (low ecological validity)
Give an advantage of Field experiments
The environment is is natural so there is normally higher ecological validity
Give a disadvantage of Field experiments
There is less control of extraneous variables so cause and effect is more difficult to establish. This can lower the internal validity
Give an advantage of natural experiments
They provide opportunities for research that might not otherwise be undertaken for practical or ethical reason. they offer unique insights
Give a disadvantage of natural experiments
A naturally occurring event may happen very rarely, reducing the opportunities for research
Give an advantage of a Quasi experiment
They are often carried out under controlled conditions (same strength as lab experiments)
Give a disadvantage of a Quasi experiment
The participants cannot be randomly allocated to conditions. This means that there may be participant cofounding variables
Define experimental design
Refers to how the participants are organised across the conditions
What is experimental design often confused with?
It is not an experimental method - field, natural etc
What is an independent groups design?
Each participant takes part in one condition only. They are selected for one group only
What is a repeated measures design?
Each participant takes part in both conditions. They are selected for both groups
What is a matched pairs design?
Each participant takes part in one condition (group) only, but the participants are matched on variables considered relevant (e.g. age, sex, IQ)
Give an advantage of independent groups
Order effects are reduced as participants only take part in one condition - they do not get to practice the task or become fatigued
Give a disadvantage of independent groups
There are participant EVs between the groups lowering the internal validity of the study (e.g. you may accidentally get a lot of intelligent people in one condition)
Give an advantage of repeated measure
Limiting participants EVs (being controlled), but never fully eliminated
Give a disadvantage of repeated measure
Demand characteristics - a cue that makes participants unconsciously aware of the aims of the study or helps participants work out what the researcher wants to find & this causes them to change their behaviour
Give an advantage of matched pairs
Participant EVs are reduced. Participants only take part in a single condition, so order effects and demand characteristics are less of a problem.
Give a disadvantage of matched pairs
Although there is a decrease in participant variables, the participants cannot be truly matched
What are demand characteristics?
Any cue that may be interpreted by participants as revealing the purpose or aim of the investigation. This may lead to a participant changing their behaviour within the research situation
Define investigator effects
Where the investigator may operationalise the measurement of variables in such a way that the desired result is more likely
What is random allocation?
Each participant has the same opportunity to be assigned to any given group, so individual differences in responses or ability are far less likely to consistently affect results
Define randomisation
Presenting any stimuli in an experiment in a ‘random’ manner to avoid it having an effect on the DV. It reduces the chance of practice effects becoming a confounding variable.
What is a single blind test?
Where participants do not know which condition of a study they are in. In drug trials, a participant would not know whether they are given a real drug or a placebo (sugar pill).
What is a double blind test?
When neither participant nor the investigators know which conditions the participants are in. e.g. in a drug therapy trial the researcher would also not be aware which pill is the placebo or the real drug
Define reliability
Refers to the extent to which something is consistent
Define validity
Refers to the extent to which something is measuring what it is claiming to measure
Define internal validity
Refers to the extent to which a study establishes a cause and effect relationship between the IV and the DV
Define external validity
Refers to the extent the results can be generalised to other settings, for example real life
Define ecological validity
Refers to whether the data is generalisable to the real world
Define population validity
Type of external validity which describes how well the sample used can be generalised to a population as a whole
Define temporal validity
This refers to whether the findings are still valid today. This is when research findings successfully apply across time (certain variables in the past may no longer be relevant now or in the future)
Define construct validity
Refers to the degree to which a test measures what it claims, or purports, to measuring
Define concurrent validity
This asks whether a measure is in agreement with a pre-existing measure that is validated to test for the same (or a very similar) concept
Define face validity
A simple form of validity where you apply a superficial
