research methods

Question 1

controlled observations

Answer 1

a type of observations where participant are observed in a lab increasing control and reliability but decreasing ecological validity

Question 2

corelation

Answer 2

extent which two variables are associated

Question 3

covert observation

Answer 3

a type of observation where the observer is hidden therefore the participants do not know there being observed while this does reduce demand characteristics it raises ethical issues around consent

Question 4

experiment

Answer 4

where a hypothesis tested by the manipulation of the independent variable in order to view its effect on the dependant variable

Question 5

field experiment

Answer 5

type of experiment that’s conducted in a real life setting which reduces the amount of control on extraneous variables however ecological validity is improved

Question 6

interviews

Answer 6

a self report technique where participants are asked questions by an interviewer which allows for flexibility in the information gathered

Question 7

laboratory experiment

Answer 7

a type of experiment that is conducted in a highly controlled environment allowing control over extraneous variables at the expense of ecological validity

Question 8

natural experiment

Answer 8

a type of experiment where the independent variable already exists is tested in its natural environment reducing the control over extraneous variables it allows for investigation of variables that cannot be ethically created

Question 9

naturalistic observation

Answer 9

a type of observation where participants are observed in their natural environment increasing ecological validity but decreasing the amount of control over extraneous variables

Question 10

non- participant observation

Answer 10

a type of observation where the observer does not join in the group under observation. this allows for higher objectivity but reduces the insight that can be achieved with participant observation

Question 11

observation

Answer 11

a type of data collection where the participants behaviour is observed

Question 12

overt observation

Answer 12

the participants know there under observation this preserves informed consent but may increase demand characteristics

Question 13

participant observation

Answer 13

a type of observation where the observer joins the group under observation this allows for highly qualitive information with insight but can reduce the objectivity of the researcher

Question 14

quasi experiment

Answer 14

natural experiment

Question 15

questionaries

Answer 15

they are a self report technique where participant answer pre decided questions in the form of paper or electronically it allows for anonymity

Question 16

structured interviews

Answer 16

where questions are set beforehand with no flexibility they normally consist of closed questions, and allows for replicability

Question 17

unstructured interviews

Answer 17

questions may be set beforehand but the interviewer is allowed flexibility in the form of a natural conversation

Question 18

counterbalancing

Answer 18

half participants sample experience different conditions the experiment in one order and the other half participant in the opposite order

Question 19

confounding variable

Answer 19

a type of extraneous variable that is related to the independent variable in the experiment. for example if you were testing the effect anxiety has on memory recall the relative levels of sensitivity to anxiety inducing stimuli would be a confounding variable

Question 20

control variable

Answer 20

any variable that is kept consistent throughout to prevent their effect on the dependant variable

Question 21

demand characteristics

Answer 21

changes in the participant behaviour to comply with the hypothesis of the researcher

Question 22

event sampling

Answer 22

observer records every time a specific behaviour or event occurs usually in form of a tally chart

Question 23

hypothesis

Answer 23

prediction of the outcome of the experiment

Question 24

directional hypothesis

Answer 24

a hypothesis that specifies the direction of the relationship of the experiment e.g. coffee will have a positive effect on the reaction time

Question 25

extraneous variable

Answer 25

variable other than the independent variables that have an effect on the dependant variable