Research methods

Question 1

Random allocation

Answer 1

Every member of the sample is given an equal chance of being in either the control or experimental group

Question 2

Participant differences

Answer 2

Any characteristics that can vary naturally between participants in a study that may have an unwanted effect on the results

Question 3

Order effects

Answer 3

The participants may become bored or fatigued when performing the same tasks

Question 4

What are the research designs?

Answer 4

Independent groups

Matched participants

Repeated measures

Question 5

Independent groups

Answer 5

Different participants in each condition

Advantage - no order effects, quicker than repeated measures, run at the same time

Disadvantage - least effective design in elimination of participant differences

Question 6

Matched participants

Answer 6

Participants are paired on important variables relevant to the study e.g, memory ability

Advantage - eliminates order effects, limits the effect of participant differences

Disadvantages - never a perfect match, time consuming, one person drops out the pair has to

Question 7

Repeated measures design

Answer 7

One group of participants completes all of the conditions in the experiment

Advantages - no participant differences, less participants needed
Disadvantages - order effects, slower and more time consuming as conditions can’t be run at the same time

Question 8

Ethics - list the ethics relevant for the study

Answer 8

Confidentiality, Voluntary participation, informed consent, withdrawal rights

Question 9

Confidentiality

Answer 9

All persons details and information gathered from participants should be kept private

Question 10

Voluntary participation

Answer 10

Participants must not be forced to be involved in the study

Question 11

Informed consent

Answer 11

Participants must be told the nature rights and risks of the study. They must also sign a permission form

Question 12

Withdrawal rights

Answer 12

Participants are allowed to stop participating in the experiment at any time. Can also ask to have their results removed from the study

Question 13

What are descriptive statistics?

Answer 13

Used to summarise, organise and describe important features of data, so they can be easily interpreted and communicated

E.g. Mean

However a conclusion can not be drawn from descriptive stats

Question 14

Inferential stats

Answer 14

Allows the researcher to draw inferences or conclusions based on evidence. They determine the statistical significance of the results. That is whether the results could have occurred by chance

E.g p value - allows psychologists to determine the probability that the results are due to chance

Question 15

Qualitative data

Answer 15

Data that describe the changes in the quality of a behaviour; often accounts of personal attitudes or experiences, or descriptions of feelings

More detail provided Based on personal accounts,

open to personal, observer, or researcher bias, making them difficult to statistically analyse.

Question 16

Quantitative data

Answer 16

Data collected through systematic and controlled methodology and presented in numerical form

Objective data, quick and easy to analyse.
Lack of detail

Question 17

What is an experiment

Answer 17

A study that investigates the cause and effect relationship between 2 or more variables. A variable is any condition that can change

Question 18

Stratified sampling,

Advantage and limitation

Answer 18

Involves dividing the population into strata

The sample from each of the strata are selected in the same proportion to the population

• more representative
• can be time consuming

Question 19

Random stratified

Advantage
Limitation

Answer 19

This involves the same process as stratified sampling, except each person is selected at random from each strata

• most representative
• time consuming

Question 20

Convenience sampling

Advantage
Limitation

Answer 20

Participants are easily accessible at the time

• quick and easy
• sample is biased, not representative of the population

Question 21

Random sampling

Advantage
Limitation

Answer 21

Ensures that every member of the population has an equal chance of being in the sample

• less biased and more representative than convenience sampling
• can be more time consuming
• may not be representative still