Research Methods Flashcards
How can Operationalising be used to create reliable results
It means to be specific and clear when defining questions in questionnaires or interviews so they’re easier to measure , if questions aren’t vague it won’t be possible to repeat the research to get consistent results
Assessing the validity of self reports
Assessing the reliability of self reports
Face validity and concurrent validity
Test retest
Theory of construction - feature of science
- Help us organise facts about observable behaviours
- Theories must generate testable hypothesis
Theories should be falsifiable and open to challenge,
Eg Froids theory
Is untestable therefore it’s unfalsiable therefore it’s unscientific
Deduction method of theory construction - fesuture of science
Observation leads to theory, this leads to hypothesis , then a study to test the hypothesis and u can then draw conclusions about ur Theory
Hypothesis testing - feature of science
Testing hypothesis involves making a prediction of the outcome , the outcome of study , by testing the hypothesis this allows us to establish a cause and affect relationship
If hypothesis isn’t supported the theory will be refined
Feature of science - empirical methods
Emphasises importance of data collection, based on sensory experience the only way we can know if something is true is by testing it directly (eg pavlov bc he measured the amount of the saliva released by dogs)
Feature of science - objectivity
If study is objective the findings are factual and unaffected by bias , conditions should be controlled
Replicability - feature of science
The extent to which findings (and experiments) can be reproduced by another researcher
High replicability improves validity
Replication also increases generalisability of findings
Feature of science - paradigm
Paradigm is a shared set of assumptions , psychology is made. Up of many paradigms
Paradigm shift - feature of science
The Scientific community changes from one set of assumptions to another (scientific revolution)
-may be due to new or contradictory evidence
How to carry out test retest
Question could be - how can the reliability of a self report measure be assessed
- All pptps sit questionnaire
- Time delay of 2 weeks
- Same pptps take part in same questionnaire
- Compare both sets of results displayed on a scatter gram, analyse using appropriate inferential test
0.8+ above = reliable
How can the validity of a self report be assessed using concurrent validity
- PPTPs take part in questionnaire
- Compare results on questionnaire already established for validity
- Compare and correlate results using appropriate inferential test . 0.8+ or higher = validity
What is face validity
Expert in area looks at measure
Eg questions to see if they appear to be measuring what they set out to measure
. If researcher says it does then it does have face validity
What’s temporal validity
refers to the extent to which the findings of a study or theory remain true over time.
Eg old studies will lack temporal validity