Research methods- Flashcards
What is meant by aim
what the researcher is trying to achieve/ purpose of the study
What is the aim linked to?
a real- world purpose; a reason why it is important to find something out
What is meant by directional hypothesis?
predicts the direction in which change is expected to occur.
used when previous research has suggested the direction of change.
Uses words like faster/slower, bigger/smaller, more/less
What is meant by non-directional hypothesis?
Predicts change but does not specify which direction it will go in.
No previous research.
Uses words like effect, change, difference
What is meant by hypotheses?
involves making a specific prediction of what will be found, expressed in terms of a change in variables.
Based on theories and past research findings
Null hypothesis
statement of what will be found if the experimental/alternative hypothesis is not supported by the results
Experimental VS Alternative
researcher’s main hypothesis is known as an experimental hypothesis (H1).
Non-experimental study- called an alternative hypothesis
What is a key aspect of sampling?
Sample should be representative of the target population
-should have similar characteristics
-allows researcher to generalise the findings to target pop( key aim of research)
Define target population
the group of people the psychologists want to be able to generalise their results to
What is opportunity sampling?
involves accessing ppts on the basis of their convenient availability to the researcher
-can be biased: easily available ppts may not be representative of the target pop
What is systematic sampling?
involves applying a regular system or rule when selecting ppts
-eg picking every 4th person
-reduces researcher bias
-some potential ppts may be excluded=bias
Volunteer sampling
allows ppts to select themselves eg by responding to an ad or email
-source of bias= certain personalities are more likely to come forwards than others
-mayve affected classic research studies like MILGRAM’s
Stratified sampling
when the population is divided into important groups
-eg.selecting people from diff ethnic groups to create a sample with the same proportions as exist in target pop
Random sampling
obtaining a sample taken from a population where everyone must stand an equal chance of being selected
-doesnt guarantee a representative sample
-selecting a biased sample are minimal
Strengths of random sampling
-if sample is large enough, the rules of probability suggest that it should be representative
