Research Methods Flashcards
Define lab experiments
Defined by the high control the researcher has over the variables in the study
The experimenter will control environmental factors e.g. noise, temp and the experience each ppt has using standardised procedures
What happens to the DV and IV in lab experiments?
The IV is changed(manipulated) by the researcher between the condition of the experiment. Any change in the DV will be measured while all other variables are kept consistent
What are 3 advantages of lab experiments?
-by holding all variables outside of the IV and DV consistent researchers can be confident in establishing a cause and effect relationship between IV and DV
-high internal validity, meaning observed change in DV is due to change in IV
-lab studies are easily replaced due to the use of standardised procedures
What are 3 disadvantages of lab experiments ?
-lab studies can lack ecological validity so findings can’t be applied to the real world
-tasks performed in a lab don’t reflect tasks in real life situations lowering external validity
-ppt known there in a study so alter their behaviour to match aim
Define field experiments
Conducted in a naturalistic setting
How are the variables affected in field experiments ?
Independent variable is still changed by the researcher and dependant variable measured
What are 3 advantages of field experiments?
-ppts should behave more naturally so more likely their behaviour can be applied to other naturalistic environments (ecological validity )
-tasks are more likely to have mundane realism
-less likely to show demand characteristics
What are 2 disadvantages of field experiments ?
-lack control over extraneous variables which could influence the measurement of dependant variable
-difficult to randomly assign ppt in separate conditions resulting in change in dv which could be due to ppt variables reducing internal validity
Define natural experiments
Will have occurred naturally without the influence of the researcher. The researcher simply records the change in the dv and 2 levels of iv
How are the variables affected in a natural experiment?
Iv isn’t changed but dv is measured
What are 2 advantages of natural experiments?
-allow research in areas that couldn’t happen in controlled examination during it ethical or cost reasons
-high in external validity as natural experiments are examples of real behaviour occurring in the real world free of demand characteristics
What are 2 disadvantages of natural experiments?
-extraneous variables can’t be controlled so they can’t establish a cause and effect relationship
-often rare events can cant be replicated exactly too test for reliability
Define quasi experiments
Ppts cant be randomly assigned between levels of iv often cause the iv in an innate characteristic of the ppt
What is an advantage of quasi experiments?
Quasi experiments are the only way to experimentally study factors that are pre existing charatcertcos of ppt
What is a disadvantage of quasi experiments?
There may be other factors related to the levels of iv that cant be controlled for these change systematically between the levels of iv after the measurement of the dependant variables these are known as confounding variables
Define observation
A non experimental technique where the researcher observers natural behaviour without manipulating IV
Define controlled observation
Aspects of the environment are controlled in an attempt to give ppts the same experience
What are 2 advantages of controlled observations
-controlling the environment reduced the likely hood of extraneous variables being responsible for observed behaviour
-results are reliable as they’re using standardised procedures
Define naturalistic observation
Takes place in the real world
What are two advantages of naturalistic observation?
-high realism and ppts are more likely to show naturalistic behaviour
-external validity, behaviour is more likely to be generalisable to other situations
Define overt observation
The ppts can see the researcher and are aware their behaviour is being observed
What are advantages of overt observations?
-ethical as you can gain informed consent
What is a disadvantage of overt characteristics?
-demand characteristics might change behaviour as they know they’re being observed
-social desirability bias as people may act to look good
Define participant observation
The researcher joins the group being observed and takes part in the groups activities
What is an advantage and disadvantage of ppt observations?
-by the researcher taking part they might build rapport so more trust so behave more naturally
-researcher can lose objectivity and become subjective, interpretations of behaviour can be bias
Define non ppt observation
The researcher doesn’t take part in the observation
What is an advantage and disadvantage of non ppt observations?
-the researcher is more likely to remain objective
-due to lack of trust the researcher misses out on important observations or ppts don’t behave naturally
Define operationalised behavioural categories
The behaviours need to be clearly identifiable and measurable
Define time sampling
Researcher records all relevant behaviour at set points
What is an advantage and disadvantage of time sampling?
-more flexible to be able to record unexpected types of behaviour
-can miss behaviour that happens outside the recording periods
Define event sampling
Researcher records/ tallies every time a behaviour occurs from the list of operationalised behavioural categories
What is an advantage and disadvantage of event sampling?
-as long as the behaviour is included in the list it will be recorded every time
-may miss relevant behaviour that isn’t on the list
What inter-observer/ rater reliability ?
Two or more researchers agree with the results
Define interview
Ppts give info in response to direct questioning from the researcher
Define questionnaire
Ppts give info in response to a set of questions that are sent to them
what 5 things should the researcher do when constructing the interview/questionnaire?
-avoiding complex terminology
-rewording questions
-leading questions (written in a way that doesn’t suggest the correct way )
-piloting questions
-filer questions
Define structured interview
The interviewer reads out a list of prepared questions
What are 2 advantages an a disadvantage of structured interviews?
-the interviewer doesn’t have to be highly trained
-the interview response are easy to compare
-response cant be followed up with additional questions
Define unstructured interview
No set list of questions, an open convo about a topic
What are evaluation of unstructured interviews?
Rapport is more likely
Can follow up with additional questions
Highly trained interviewer needed to come up with questions on the spot
Every interview will be different
Define semi structured interviews
Combo of prepared questions and asking non prepared ones
What is an evaluation of semi structured interviews?
-the responses are easy to compare
-interviewer can ask follow up questions
-rapport is more likely
-highly trained interviewer is needed
Define co variables
The two factors/variables that are measured by the researcher then compared to each other
Define scattergram
A graph used to plot the measurements of two covariables
What is a positive, negative and zero correlation on a scattergram?
Positive- increases from left to right
Negative -decreases from left to right
Zero-no relationship
Define null hypothesis
States that there is no change
Define alternative hypothesis
States that there is a change
Define non directional hypothesis
States that there is a difference in the measurement of the DV but not the direction it will go
Define directional hypothesis
States that there is a difference in the measurement of the DV and says the direction it will go in
What are the a03 of correlations?
Correlation doesn’t show causation while a strong correlation may suggest a relationship exists between two variables it doesn’t show which co variable led to the change in the other co variables it doesn’t show which co variable led to the change in the other co variable and there is the possibility that an unknown thrid variable caused the change in both covariables
Define content analysis
An indirect observational method that is used to analyse human behaviour, investigating through studying human artefacts
How do you perform a content analysis?
1- decide a research question
2-select a sample from a larger quantity of all possible data
3- coding the researcher decides on categories to be recorded these are based on the research question
4-work through the data read the sample and tally the number of times the pre determined categories appear
5- data analysis
Define test retest reliability
Run the content analysis again on the same sample and compare the two sets of data
Define inter rater reliability
A second rater also performs the content analysis with the same set of data and the same behavioural categories compare the two sets of data
