Research Methods Flashcards
Dependant variable
Measured
Independent variable
Manipulated
Extraneous variable
Might interfere with DV
Confounding variable
Has definitely interfered with DV. Can be participant or situational.
Situational variable (confounding)
Stem from environment where experiment is conducted (eg. Light, noise). Can have a distorting effect on data so needs to be controlled as much as possible.
Participant variable (confounding)
Stem from the way participants vary (eg. IQ, age). Can have a distorting effect in data so need to be controlled as much as possible.
Demand characteristics
Cues in the environment which help the participants figure out what the research hypothesis is.
Single blind technique
Participants don’t know the hypothesis or which condition they are in. Reduces chance of demand characteristics.
Investigator effects
Researcher may unconsciously behave in a way to bring out their prediction.
Double blind technique
Neither participant or research assistant know the hypothesis or which condition the participants are in. Helps reduce chance of investigator effects.
Operationalisation
Clearly defining variables
Objective
Specific, measurable, replicable, not subject to personal opinion.
Subjective
Results can be impaired by personal interpretation/opinions.
Internal validity
Lower chance of confounding variables = higher internal validity of the study. If only the IV is being tested and all variables have been controlled.
Ecological validity
How well the findings of a study can be generalised to real life settings.
Reliability
2 or more measurements or observations of the same psychological study are consistent with each other.
Validity
If you are actually measuring what you claim to be.
Meta analysis
When a large number of studies,which have involved the same research question and methods of research, are combined.
Quantitative data
Numerical (eg. Counting). Can be put into tables and graphs.
Qualitative data
Non numerical (eg. Describing emotions). Provides insight into feelings and thoughts - much more detailed than quantitative data.
Null hypothesis
IV will not impact DV. There will be no change.
Aim
A precise statement of why a study is taking place/what is being studied.
Hypothesis
A precise, testable prediction of what is expected to happen. (Experimental/alternative/null)
Experimental(looking for difference)/Alternative(looking for association) hypothesis.
Differences of DV re due to manipulation of the IV, and not chance factors. Can be 1 or 2 tailed.
Directional ‘1 tailed’ hypothesis
Predicts the direction of the results.
Non directional ‘2 tailed’ hypothesis
Predicts there will be a difference, but doesn’t state the direction of the results.
Ethical issues
The rules governing the conduct of researchers in investigations
Code of ethics
Informed consent
Deception
Withdrawal (right to)
Protection from harm (physical and psychological)
Confidentiality ( participants data not disclosed to anyone)
Privacy
Presumptive consent
Gained from people from similar backgrounds to the participants. It is deemed that if they would consent then so would the participants.
Prior general consent
Participants agree to being deceived but don’t know how they will be deceived. (Could cause participants to act differently to normal)
Retrospective consent
Asked for consent after the study. However they may not consent and will have already taken part.
Variable
A thing which varies
Social desirability bias
Behaving in a way you think people want you to.
Random sampling
Every member of the target population has an equal chance of being selected (eg picking names from a hat)
Random sampling Advantage
Most representative form of sampling. High validity (represents the whole target population)
Random sampling Disadvantage
Expensive
Time consuming
Opportunity sampling
Choosing the people for the sample from those available at the time.
Opportunity sampling Advantage
Quick and easy
Opportunity sampling Disadvantage
Not as representative because not all of the target population has a chance of being chosen.
Volunteer sampling
Participants consciously or unconsciously determine their own involvement. Eg reply to an advert (conscious) or a passer by in an observational study (unconscious).
Volunteer sampling Advantage
Quick and easy
Volunteer sampling Disadvantage
Doesn’t produce a representative sample. High chance of bias. Only a certain type of people will choose to respond to the adverts.
Stratified sampling
A small scale reproduction of a population. Population is divided into characteristics important for the experiment like age. Then the population is randomly selected from each stratum.
Stratified sampling Advantage
Representative Unbiased (random sampling element)
Stratified sampling Disadvantage
Knowledge of population characteristics required. Time consuming.
Systematic sampling
Take every nth person from a list to create a sample. It involves calculating the size of the population to assess what size the sample needs to be.
Systematic sampling Advantage
Unbiased
People picked at random
Representative
Systematic sampling Disadvantage
Unbiased selection doesn’t garuntee an unbiased sample.
Certain characteristics could reoccur every nth person, making the sample unrepresentative.
Laboratory experiment
Carried out in a controlled setting.
Most commonly used method because it is objective and systematic.
People may act differently to normal because they are in an unusual environment.
Field experiment
Controlled but outside a lab.
Participants are usually unaware that they are involved.
No social desirability bias because they don’t know they’re involved.
Hard to control.
Natural experiment
The IV can’t be manipulated but where it naturally varies its effects are observed.
The effect of an IV can be studied where it would usually be unethical.
Quasi experiment
The IV is naturally occurring but there is more control over it than in natural experiments.
Participants can’t be randomly allocated to conditions so there may be confounding variables.
Often carried out under controlled conditions so share the strengths of lab experiments.
Naturalistic observation
Take place in the setting where the target behaviour would naturally occur.
Controlled observation
Watching and recording behaviours in a structured and controlled environment. Some variables are controlled. Variables can be manipulated to observe effects.
Covert observation
Participant isn’t aware they are being observed and hasn’t given consent
Overt observation
Behaviour watched and recorded with participants knowledge and consent.
Participant observation
Researcher becomes a member of the group they are observing.
Non-participant observation
Researcher remains separate from the group they are observing.
Independent measures design
Participants are randomly allocated to either one or the other condition.
Repeated measures design
Same participants used in each condition.
Matched pairs design
Participants are matched as close as possible with another participant. The pairs are then randomly allocated to a condition.
Monozygotic twins provide researchers with a very close match for participant variables.
