Research Methods Flashcards
What is a research hypothesis?
- clear statement
- predicting how changes in IV will affect DV
- clearly states population researcher intends to draw conclusions
What is the Independent Variable?
- deliberately manipulated or varied by experimenter.
- The IV is the factor controlled by the research.
What is the dependent variable?
- factor that is measured by the research.
- The DV is affected by the IV.
What are Extraneous Variables?
- uncontrolled factors that can affect the DV.
What are Confounding Variables?
- variables other than the IV that has a systematic effect on the value of the DV.
What is a population?
- the group of people we wish to draw conclusions about.
What is a sample?
- small number of individuals from the population
- representative of the population.
What is Representative samples: Random sampling
- A sample procedure
- every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected.
What is representative sampling: Stratified sampling?
- dividing the population into subgroups
- then selecting a sample from the subgroup
- to be truly representative of the population.
What is a Null hypothesis?
- A statement that the IV will have no effect on the DV.
- Researcher aims to reject this.
What is the Experimental group?
- the group of participants which is exposed to the independent variable.
- results are compared with the C group
- so the effects of the IV can be determined.
What is the control group?
- the group in research not presented with the IV.
- C group used as a basis for the comparison with the E group.
What is the experimental design, Repeated measures?
Where all participants are apart of both the experiment and control group.
What are advantages and disadvantages of Repeated measures experimental design?
Adv.
- participant variables are controlled
- by having less participants than other designs it is more economical.
Dis.
- articulated may perform better the second time because of practice or do worse because of fatigue or boredom
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Operationalization
- Stated how the variable is measured
- eg. Age: age in total months
Controlled variable
-potential effects of an extraneous variable are removed from experiment
Convenience sample
- using any person ‘conveniently’ available as part of the sample
- biased and findings unreliable
Representative samples
- samples represent the population
- conclusions from research on samples can be generalized to wider population
- two procedures: random sampling and stratified random sampling
Participant allocation- Random allocation
- all participants who have been selected for experiment must have equal chance of being in E-group or C-group
Experimental design - Matched participants
- subject selection procedure
- attempts to eliminate confounding variable by matching on key characteristics each individual in the e-group with an individual from the control group
Strengths and weaknesses of stratified random sampling
Strengths: eliminates effect of the variable on which the sample is stratified/arranged
Weaknesses: time consuming and expensive
Strengths and weaknesses of convenience sampling
Strength: quick, easy, cheap- most common method used
Weaknesses: bias in sample
Advantages and disadvantages of matched participants: experimental design
Advantages: variable participants are ‘matched’ will not influence result as effects will be the same in the E and C group.
Disadvantage:
- time consuming
- expensive
- if one participant drops out two participants data are lost, as they are paired
Advantages and disadvantages of experimental design: independent groups
Advantages:
- can be done all at once
- dropouts unlikely
Disadvantages
- unable to control participants characteristics
- large number of participants needed to reflect population
Experimental design: independent groups
An equal chance of participants being allocated at random into E or C group
Order effects
- Changes in results
- caused by the sequence of performing tasks in a test
- often due to practice or boredom effects
Counterbalancing
- Process in repeated measures design
- designed to eliminate order effects
- conditions A,B and C would be presented in a different sequence to different groups of participants
Placebo effects
- participants behaviour being influenced by their expectations on how they should behave
- caused by belief that they have received some treatment
- expectation of participants or/and IV may effect DV results, causing invalid results
Placebo
An object or procedure that is expected to have no effect on the DV
Experimenter effect
The outcome of an experiment being unintentionally (or intentionally) influenced by experimenter
Single-blind procedure
And experimental design where either the participants or researcher does not who is in the E or C group
Double blind procedure
- an experimental design that ensure neither researcher nor participant are aware of which participants are in the C or E group
- eliminating experimenter and participant expectations as confounding variables variables
Types of data: Qualitative data
- refers to the description of the characteristics of what is being studied
- eg. Task : moderate/easy/difficult
Types of data: Quantitative data
- refers to measurements
- numerical information about variables being studied
Types of data: Subjective data
- based on an opinion and there is no external yardstick by which they are measured
Types of data: Objective data
- measured according to an identifiable exterior criterion
Data collections: case studies
- researchers making detailed observations of an individual over a period of time.
- findings cannot be generalised
Strengths and weaknesses of case studies
Strengths: collection of a great deal of data of detailed information that can be used to create research hypotheses
Weaknesses: time consuming
Data collections: Observational studies : Naturalistic observation
- Naturalistic observation : observation of voluntary behaviours within the subjects natural environment.
Strengths – highly realistic
Weaknesses- lack of ability to control the I V
Data collections: Observational studies: controlled observation
- Controlled observation : observation of voluntary behaviours with in a structured environment such as the laboratory
Strengths – control over environment enables more accuracy in observations
Weaknesses – participants behaviour may be changed by environment
Data collections: Observational studies: Clinical interview
Clinical interview : structured guidelines, but further questioning is used for clarification
Strengths – flexible; High in validity with skilled interviewer
Weaknesses – rely on the objectivity of the interviewer
Data collections: Self-reports - Questionaires
- Method of collecting written responses from participants
- surveys: may be Q/A or repose or likert-type scales (rating scales)
Strengths :
- easy to replicate
- easy to score
- likert scales provide a means of quantifying subjective data
Weaknesses:
-may be biased if participant try’s to appear a particular way.
Ethical principle and professional conduct: the role of the experimenter
- researcher must always act in a professional manner
- ensure best interests of the participants and society in general are met
Ethical principle and professional conduct: participants’ rights
- researcher must always maintain respect for the participants
- rights include;
- confidentiality
- voluntary participation
- withdrawal rights
- informed consent
- deception in research
- debriefing
Ethical principle and professional conduct: confidentiality
- participants must not be identified in any way, in terms of results, involvement or other confidential data
- data must be stored and disposed of using secure procedures
- the means by which confidentiality is to be established/maintained should be described to participants at beginning of study
Ethical principle and professional conduct: Voluntary participation
- participants hold right to refuse to take part in study
- there should not be any pressure to take part
- they should not be tricked into taking part by deception
Ethical principle and professional conduct:
Withdrawal rights
- participants have the right to leave at any stage
- regardless of effects on the results
- participants have the rights to withdraw their results after study is completed
- this must be explained to participant before starting
Ethical principle and professional conduct: informed consent
- participants must be given information about study before they decide to join
- participants too young or intellectually disabled to give consent, guardian must be given information before giving consent on their behalf.
Ethical principle and professional conduct: deception in research
- only permitted if research would be confounded if participants had much information before taking part
- researcher must ensure participants do not unexpectedly suffer distress
- study to stop immediately if occurs
- participants to be debriefed when study is completed
Ethical principle and professional conduct: Debriefing
- takes place after completion of study
- participants told results and conclusions of study
- any erroneous beliefs about study are corrected, especially if deception is involved
- participants informed of counselling availability if feel required
What are Random Sampling strengths and weaknesses?
Strengths: gives representative sample- participant variables spread in same proportion as in population
Weaknesses: difficult to achieve - large the population, the harder to list all individuals
