Research Methods Flashcards
What is an experiment ?
An investigation looking for a cause and effect relationship in which the IV is manipulated and the DV is measured.
What is an independent variable (IV) ?
The factor in the investigation which is manipulated to create multiple conditions and is responsible for the changes in the DV.
What is a dependant variable? (DV)
The factor in the investigation which is measured and expected to change under the influence of the IV.
What is an extraneous variable?
A variable which acts randomly effecting the DV making it less valid.
It must be controlled
Define an experimental condition.
One or more of the situations in an experiment which represent different levels of the IV and are compared.
Define a control condition.
A level of the IV in an experiment from which the IV is absent. It is compared to one or more experimental conditions.
What is an experimental design?
The way in which participants are allocated (chosen) to levels of the IV.
What is independent measures design?
An experimental design in which different participants are used for each level of the IV.
What is repeated measures design?
An experimental design in which each participant performs in every level of the IV
What is matched pairs design?
An experimental design in which participants are arranged into pairs with similar characteristics relating to the study. One member of each pair performs in one level of the IV.
Define demand characteristics.
Features of a study that give away the aim, which creates bias and reduces validity.
Define random allocation.
- A way to reduce the effect of co-founding variables such as individual differences.
- Participants have equal chances of being in any condition.
What is a laboratory experiment?
A research method conducted in an artificial environment.
Includes an IV, DV and strict controls.
What is a field experiment?
An investigation conducted in the normal environment of the participants for the behaviour being investigated.
What is natural experiment?
An investigation in which the IV cannot be directly manipulated. Researcher can only study the effect of an existing difference or change.
What is a case study?
A research method in which a single instance is being studied in detail.
Explain what randomised control trials are. (RCTs)
- Participants are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group.
- The control group in RCT’s sometimes receive no treatment or they receive a placebo.
Define a longitudinal research.
Following the same group of individuals over an extended period of time and giving them tests and tasks at various intervals to see how they change and develop in their thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
What is quantitative data?
Numerical results about the quantity. of a psychological measure.
What is qualitative data?
Descriptive in-depth results indicating the quality of a psychological characteristic.
What is self report?
A research method in which you obtain data by asking participants to provide information about themselves.
What is a questionnaire?
A research method that uses written questions.
What are ‘closed questions’?
A type of questionnaire that only has a few stated alternative responses and no opportunity to expand on answers.
Produces quantitative data
What are ‘open questions’?
A type of questionnaire that allow participants to give full and detailed answers in their own words.
Produces qualitative data
Define inter-rater reliability.
The extent to which two researchers interpreting qualitative responses in a questionnaire will produce the same records from the same raw data.
Define social desirability bias.
Trying to present oneself in the best light by determining what the test is asking and responding in a way most acceptable to others.
Define filler questions.
Items added into a questionnaire or interview to disguise the aim of the study so that participants are less likely to alter their responses.
What is an interview?
A research method using verbal questions asked directly.
What is a structured interview?
An interview with questions asked in a fixed order and may be scripted.
What is an unstructured interview?
An interview in which most questions after the first are dependant on the respondent’s answer.
What is a semi-structured interview?
An interview with a fixed list of open and closed questions, the interviewer is allowed to add more questions if necessary.
Define subjectivity.
A personal viewpoint, which may be biased by one’s feelings, beliefs or experiences and may differed between individual researchers.
Define objectivity.
An unbiased external viewpoint that is not affected by an individual’s feelings, beliefs or experiences and should be consistent between all researchers..
What is a naturalistic observation?
A study conducted by watching the participants behaviours in their normal environment without any interference from the researchers in either their social or physical environment.
What is a controlled observation?
A study conducted by watching the participants behaviours in which the social or physical environment has been manipulated by the researchers. Conducted in either a natural or artificial environment.
Define an unstructured observation.
A study in which the observer records the whole range of possible behaviours.
Define inter-observer reliability.
The consistency between two researchers watching the same event.
Define a structured observation.
A study in which the observer records only a limited range of behaviours.
Define behavioural categories.
- Activities recorded in an observation.
- Must be operationalised and discrete recordable events.
What is a participant observer?
A researcher who watches from the perspective of the participant in the social setting.
What is an overt observer?
The role of the observer is obvious to the participants.
What is a covert observer?
The role of the observer is not obvious to the participants.
What is a hypothesis?
A testable statement predicting the difference between levels of the IV or a relationship between variables.
What is the sampling technique?
The method used to obtain participants for a study from the population.
What is a sample?
The group of people selected to represent the population in a study.
What is a population?
The group sharing one or more characteristics from which a sample is drawn.
What is opportunity sampling?
Choosing participants because they are available.
What is volunteer sampling?
Participants are invited to participate through advertisements/emails. People choose and select themselves to become the sample.
What is random sampling?
All members of the population are allocated and a fixed number of these are selected in an unbiased way.
What are ethical issues?
Problems in research that raise concerns about participants welfare or have potential to impact society negatively.
What is are ethical guidelines?
Advice that guides psychologists to consider the welfare of participants.
What is are the 7 ethical guidelines?
- Informed consent
- Right to withdraw
- Privacy
- Confidentiality
- Protection of participants
- Deception
- Debrief
Define generalisability.
How widely findings apply to other settings and populations.
Define validity.
The extent to which the researcher is testing what they claim to be testing.
Define reliability.
The extent to which a procedure, task or measure is consistent and would produce the same results each trial.
Define ecological validity.
The extent to which the findings of research in one situation would generalise to other situations, influenced by whether it represents the real world effectively and whether it it a task relevant to real life.
What are the 7 animal ethics.
- Replacement
- Species and strain
- Number of animals
- Procedures; pain and distress
- Housing
- Reward, deprivation and aversive stimuli
- Anaesthesia, analgesia and euthanasia
