Research Methods Flashcards
What is an experiment?
Where a researcher controls variables, avoids biases and remains objective to test an experimental hypothesis; to determine cause and effect.
What is Quantitative Data?
Quantity: Numbers/Measurements
What is Qualitative Data?
Quality: Thoughts/Opinions/Attitudes
What is Primary Data?
Collected directly by the researcher
What is Secondary Data?
Researcher collects from other people’s research – second-hand.
What are Levels of Measurement?
- Interval (data from a scale)
- Ordinal (rank ordered data)
- Nominal (individual categories)
What is an hypothesis?
A testable statement of predicted outcome.
What is operationalisation?
How you manipulated the variables
What is the Dependant Variable?
That which the researcher measures, so wording must indicate that numerical data is collected.
What are Individiual Differences as extraneous variables?
Natural memory, left or right-handed (handedness), sex, age, natural athleticism (or any naturally occurring individual variable).
What are Uncontrolled situational effects as extraneous variables?
Time of day, available sunlight, ect.
How do demand characteristics occur?
Occur when participants try to make sense of the research situation they are in and try to guess the purpose of the research or try to present themselves in a good way.
What is a directional hypothesis?
When the hypothesis suggests a direction in the predictive statement eg. Group A will score significantly higher than Group B.
What is a non-directional hypothesis?
When the hypothesis suggests a difference between two groups in the predictive statement eg. There will be a difference in the scores between Group A and Group B.
What is a null directional hypothesis?
A predictive statement which suggests the IV will have no effect on the measured outcome (DV) eg. The style of learning will not have an effect on measured recall (Note: not the opposite, but rather no effect)
What are labratory experiments and their evaluation?
- Take place in an environment that is strictly controlled and where the behaviour does not normally occur (does not need to be a traditional science laboratory).
(+) Good control (IV’s, DV’s & EV’s),
good for scientific
measurements, testing hypo’s
and good replication
(-) Low ecological validity
How does natural environment research work?
- Research takes place where the behaviour naturally occurs, however, variables are sometimes difficult to scientifically control
How does controlled environment research work?
Research takes place in a strictly controlled (laboratory type) environment where the behaviour does not naturally occur
How do field experiments work and evaluate them?
- Experiments where the behaviour would naturally occur, but the variables only occur because the researcher has set them up
(+) High Ecological Validity, takes place in the real world
(-) Hard to control, measure and replicate\
What are Naturalistic experiments and evalaute them?
- Experiments with naturally occurring IV’s (eg Sex or those involved in a train crash) and usually take place in the ‘field’.
(+) High Ecological Validity, IV is natural as in the real world
(-) Hard to control especially who
takes part… self-selecting so biased, measure,
replicate, and problem with IV’s
(Naturally occurring so open to bias)
and can raise ethical issues…
What is High Ecological Validity?
The experiment takes place in a natural environment, where it naturally occurs and therefore supports the validity of any research claims.
Whtat is Low Ecological Validity?
The experiment takes place in an unnatural environment, so it is potentially an unnatural behaviour and therefore reduces the validity of any research claims.
What is External Validity?
Whether it is possible to generalise the results beyond the experimental setting.
What is Face Validity?
Simple way of assessing whether a test measures what it claims to measure which is concerned with face value – e.g. does an IQ test look like it tests intelligence.
What is Concurrent Validity?
Comparing a new test with another test of the same thing to see if they produce similar results.
What is Random Sampling?
Where you recruit a group of participants (ppt’s) and each one has an equal chance of taking part or not taking part [usually achieved by random selection using a computer program].
(+) Removes experimenter bias on ppt selection.
(-) Uneconomic, as you only use half of the people recruited.
