research methods Flashcards
What is an aim?
a general statement on what the research intends to investigate
What is a hypothesis?
A clear precise testable statement that states the relationship between the variables investigated
What is a directional hypothesis?
A directional hypothesis will state the direction of the difference
What is a non-directional hypothesis?
A non-directional hypothesis will state a difference but not what this will be
What is a lab experiment?
-conducted in a highly controlled environment
-not always a lab
Strengths of a lab experiment
-safety
-other factors can be minimised
Weaknesses of a lab experiment
-unnatural behaviour
-demand characteristics
-participants knowing they are being observed
What is a field experiment?
-natural environment
-can control some elements
-medium control
Weaknesses of field experiment
-ethical issues
-consent
-cant control everything
Strengths of field experiment
-more likely to reflect real life, more valid
What is a Natural experiment?
-low control
-takes place in a natural setting or can be a naturally occurring event
Strengths of a natural experiment
-research unethical situations
-high external validity
Weaknesses of a natural experiment
–rare opportunity
-no control
-unpredictable
What is a quasi experiment?
-low control
-experiment looks at a naturally occurring event between people that factors cant be changed
Strengths of a Quasi experiment
-lab conditions
-easily replicable
-reliable
weakness of quasi experiment
-time
-might have to wait for changes over serval years
What is a true experiment?
-only lab and field experiments are true
-have control over independent variable
- needs a control group and experimental group
What is an extraneous variable?
Any variable other than the independent variable that can effect the dependent variable
what is a cofounding variable?
Any variable other than the independent variable that can effect the dependent variable but researchers are unsure of the true source of the change of the dependent variable
What is operationalisation?
clearly define variables in terms of how they are measured
What is a control group?
A Control group is a group of participants that are treated normally to give researchers a measure of how people behaviour when not exposed to the experimental conditions.
Examples of participant extraneous variables
-age
-gender
-personality
Examples of situational extraneous variables
-noise
-weather
-temperature
