Research Methods Flashcards
Deception
Lying to someone so they don’t know what’s going on and can’t make their own decision
Informed consent
Telling someone everything they need to know to make a decision
Protection from harm
Can’t harm the patient physically or mentally anymore then they could be on an everyday basis
Confidentiality
Publishing results anonymously so all participants names are protected
Right to withdraw
Being able to leave an experiment at anytime without having your results published
Ethics
What’s morally right or wrong
Debriefing
Telling the participant after the research what it was about to see if they have concerns and can withdraw
Presumptive consent
Asking a group of people if they feel a planned study is acceptable. If they say yes you presume you can do it on a different group
Aim
Main focus area of your study
Hypothesis
A prediction about what will happen
Directional hypothesis
A clear prediction of the results. Eg Boys will have higher grades then girls in the exams
Non directional hypothesis
No clear direction in prediction. Eg boys will have different results then girls in exams
Independent variable
Something you change
Dependent variable
Something you measure
Operational
Make your hypothesis specific enough to test
Lab experiment
Experiment done in a lab where all variables can be controlled
Field experiment
In the real world but variables can still be controlled to some extent
Natural experiment
In the real world but you can’t control the variables, you have to let it happen
Opportunity sampling
The nearest available people
Volunteer sampling
Advertise then people would offer to do it
Random sampling
Random selection of everyone in your target section. Eg names out of a hat
Validity
How far you can trust the results/ how true it is. Does it measure what you’re aiming to measure
Internal validity
Things inside the study, you are measuring what you want
External validity
How the results can be used to fit lots of people. Apply the results to everyone
Ecological validity
Can you apply the results to other people around the world
Population validity
Apply results to different types of people
Historical validity
Apply results to different time periods
Investigator effects
When the researcher gives clues to bring about the results they want
Demand characteristics
When the participants work our what the experiment is wanting due to the way the experiment is designed and changes their behaviour to meet these demands
Controlled observation
A form of investigation in which behaviour is observed but under controlled conditions
Naturalistic observation
A research method carried out in a natural setting, the investigator does not interfere but just observes. Involves use of structured observation
Unstructured observation
An observer records all relevant behaviour but has no system. Behaviour to be studied is largely unpredictable
Behavioural categories
Different types of behaviour can be done using a behavioural checklist or coding system
Sampling procedure
How you organise an observation to get the results
Questionnaire
The collection of data through the use of written answers
Open questions
When the respondent uses their own answers and tends to produce quantitive data
Closed question
Questions with a range of different answers which produces quantitive data
Structured interviews
Questions are decided in advance
Unstructured interviews
Interviews has a general aim abs possible questions
Pilot study
Trial run of your study before the real thing to see if the study has to be changed
Content analysis
Indirect observation where you observe something that people produce. Eg TV adverts
Case study
A investigation not an experiment of a single individual, group or community
Longitudinal
A study over a number of years
Measures of dispersion
How spread out your data is. (Standard deviation or range)
Measures of central tendency
The average, mean, median, mode
