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Psychology Unit 1 > RESEARCH METHODS > Flashcards

RESEARCH METHODS Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a confounding variable?

A

An extraneous variable which DOES affect the DV much more than a normal extraneous variable. For example in a spelling test group 1 may be a lot smarter than group 2

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2
Q

What is an extraneous variable?

A

A variable which may explain an alternative to why the change happened in the DV. e.g. testing if sunlight affects growth of plants nutrients and water are extraneous variables. They may affect but not for definite.

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3
Q

What is internal validity?

A

Internal validity is degree in which observed effect is due to experimental manipulation rather than confounding variables

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4
Q

What is mundane realism?

A

How study can be generalised to real world and how realistic it is

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5
Q

What is external validity? (Give 3 examples of types)

A

The degree to which results can be generalised. E.g. population validity, historical validity and ecological validity

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6
Q

When conducting studies - what is the aim?

A

Statement of intent

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7
Q

When conducting studies - What is debriefing?

A

Post research interview revealing the true nature of the study

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8
Q

When conducting studies - What is ethical issues?

A

Issues which may impact well being of the person

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9
Q

When conducting studies - What is an experiment?

A

Research in which a conclusion can be drawn where the IV is directly manipulated to effect the DV

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10
Q

When conducting studies - What is a hypothesis?

A

A predicted outcome of the experiment

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11
Q

When conducting studies - What is an Independent variable and a dependent variable?

A

Independent variable is an event/thing directly manipulated to test its effects on the dependent variable.

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12
Q

When conducting studies - What is informed consent?

A

Telling participants of their rights during the experiment and information about nature of experiment

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13
Q

When conducting studies what is operationalising?

A

Ensuring the variables can easily be tested

providing clarity e.g. the effect of studying 2 hours a day on mentla health

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14
Q

When conducting studies - What is standardised procedure?

A

Setting out procedure which can be replicated easily (for all participants) so study can be repeated

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15
Q

Experimental design: What is repeated measures design and what is a limitation(and counter to limitation)?

A

All participants receive every level of IV e.g. memory test everyone takes both test A and B.
Limitation:
- May affect order effects they could be in good mood or less tired for one and more for other
- They may guess the purpose of test (Have test spaced out e.g. counterbalancing it

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16
Q

Experimental design: What is independent groups design and what is a limitation(and counter to limitation)?

A

Separate groups for each level of the IV for example group A does task with a TV on and group B do it without TV on.
LIMITS: Cant control effects of personality variables : e.g. group A may have better memory (Random allocation of participants to groups)
-Need lots of participants and costs

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17
Q

Experimental design: What is matched pairs design and what is a limitation(and counter to limitation)?

A

Match pairs with similar characteristics (e.g. IQ or age) then put one in group 1 and one in group 2 and then do test.
Limits: - Very time/money consuming researcher isn’t aware of every characteristic.
dealing: Pilot study or restrict numbers of variables

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18
Q

What is counterbalancing?

A

Way of dealing with order effects and ensures both levels of IV are tested equally.

1) AB and Ba (2 groups group A does part a then b and group B does B then A)
2) ABBA - In morning they do A then B and in afternoon B then A

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19
Q

What is a confederate?

A

An actor who is told what to do by the researcher and told how to behave.

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20
Q

What is a directional and non directional hypothesis?

A

Directional: Predicted outcome aimed so stating what outcome will occur. E.g. “Group A will do better than group B” and non directional simply states there will be a change.

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21
Q

What is a pilot study and why are they used?

A

Small scale trial run to test aspect of design

- Useful as it saves time and money and makes results more accurate in real thing

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22
Q

What a natural experiment what are its strengths and weaknesses?

A

When it is not possible to influence the IV directly e.g. studying ‘real problems’ like IV is not manipulated
+ve - Enables us to research ‘real problems’ so increased ecological validity and mundane realism
-ve - No control of IV so no clear conclusions drawn.
- Random allocation not possible so there can be confounding variables which may affect the validity

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23
Q

What is a Quasi experiment? (+ve and -ve too)

A

When the IV is something which varies at all is something naturally ocuring and is beyond control of the experimenter eg natural disaster
+ve - allows comparisons between people
-ve - DV may be fairly artificial which reduces ecological validity
- They may be aware they;re being studies

24
Q

What is a lab experiment and whats strengths and weaknesses of one?

A

Experiment conducted in artificially controlled setting
+ve - High control of variables meaning high internal validity as more certain IV affects DV and very easy to replicate
-VE - Often low Ecological validity and not relatable to other settings

25
Q

What is a field experiment and strengths and weaknesses of one?

A

Experiment conducted in naturally controlled setting Iv is still manipulated.
+VE: - Higher external validity (mundane realism) behaviour more natural as unaware that they’re being studied
-VE: Lower internal validity as hard to tell if extraneous variables influencing the DV.

26
Q

List 5 main ethical issues with studies (+ small weakness with 2 of them)

A

1 - Informed consent : They sign a document telling them the nature of the study + right to withdraw
Weakness: They could realise what the study is about and get order effects.
2 - Deception: They have to lie about the nature of the study in order to prevent them from changing behaviour
Weakness: Prevents informed consent
3 - Right to withdraw: they should have right to withdraw
4- Protection from Physical and psychological harm
5 - Confidentiality

27
Q

What are demand characteristics?

A

The participants will unconsciously pay attention to cues in the study and alter behaviour.

28
Q

What is investigator effects?

A
  • The investigator may give the person cues and this may encourage behaviour and make the results inaccurate
29
Q

What 2 ways can u deal with investigator effects and demand characteristics?

A

single blind technique: make participant unaware of research aims
Double blind technique: Participant and conductor are blind to aims and hypotheses

30
Q

What is sampling and what issue does it face?

A

How people are selected for the experiment and it faces issue that it could be bias and not be generalisable to a wider population

31
Q

What is opportunity sampling and strength+weakness?

A
  • Recruiting the most available people

: Easiest method and quick, weakness is that it is only drawn from very small bit of population

32
Q

What is a Random sample and strength+weakness?

A

This is where a list of names is given and then random generating techniques used to select some
Strength: unbiased as equal chance
Weakness: U need a list of names so difficult

33
Q

What is Stratified sampling and strength+weakness?

A

Subgroups within populations e.g. ages 10-11 and then randomly selected from that group
Strength: More representative than other ones
Weakness: Time consuming

34
Q

What is Systematic sampling and strength+weakness?

A

Using predetermined methods of picking people e.g picking every 5th and 8th person of each register
Strength unbiased as objective system
Weakness: Not truly random however

35
Q

What are the 4 main ways to deal with ethical issues?

A

1) Ethical guidelines
2) Cost benefit analysis, weighing up costs and benefits from participants pov
3) Ethical committees
4) Punishment: punish unethical psychologists

36
Q

Observational techniques:

what are naturalistic and controlled observations?

A

Naturalistic: Carried out in everyday setting, experimenter does not interfere in any way
Controlled: Participant observed in controlled condition with specific variables

37
Q

Observational techniques:

What are overt and covert observations?

A

Overt: People observed without their knowledge, if they know they might alter behaviour
Covert: Observed where ppl know they’re being studied

38
Q

Observational techniques:

What is participant and non participant observation?

A

Participant; observer is within group of participants

Non participant: Observer is separate from people being observed

39
Q

What is unstructured observations?

What is structured

A

Researcher records all relevant behaviour w no structure

Objective and systematic ways to organise behaviour e.g. behavioural characteristics like arm movement

40
Q

Whats event sampling and what is time sampling/

A

Event: Observational technique where specific actions are counted
Time: Where behaviours are recorded in a given time frame
e.g. what they do every 30 seconds

41
Q

What are questionnaires, structured interviews and unstructured interviews?

A

Questionnaire: Set of written questions which question aspects relevant to the study
Structured interviews: Pre determined questions
Unstructured interview: Less structure, new questions developed in interview e.g. may ask a predetermined one then ask a follow up one

42
Q

What are open and closed questions?

A

Closed: predetermined range of answers (quantitative data)
Open: Open answers which depend on indiviudap

43
Q

Making questionnaires;
When writing questions, what 3 things are best to guide you?
What 2 other things are good to consider for questionnaires?

A

1) Clarity (no ambiguity, they need to understand)
2) Bias (try to avoid any leading questions)
3) Analysis: Ask questions which are easy to analyse, closed ones tend to be easier.
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
1) Filler questions: distract person from true nature of survey
2) Sequence of questions : dong make them anxious and overload q questions

44
Q

What 3 things should be taken into account when making interviews

A

1) Recording it
2) Effects of interviewer, make sure they dont look disapproving or whatnot and good at listening
3) Questioning skills in unstructured interview

45
Q

What is a co-variable and continuous variable?

A

Co-variable: Two measured variables in correlational analysis, must be continuous
Continuous: variable which can take any value in a certain range e.g rank how much u like football out of 10

46
Q

What is correlation?

Give 3 types too

A

The extent of association between 2 variables.
No link: zero correlation
They increase together: positive correlation
One increases other decreases : negative

47
Q

What info do u tend to put on Y and X axis?

Whats a scattergram?

A

Put explanatory info on X (horizontal flat) and the other info on Y (vertical) . E.g. if you wanna see how beauty differs with age, you put age on X axis.
Graph where box put on each piece of data to show the distribution

48
Q

What is correlation coefficient?

A

If the pattern of dots is a meaningful association.
Strong positive: dots form line from top left to bottom bottom
and Strong negative is when they go from top right to bottom left

49
Q

How do u work out mean median mode and range

A

Mean: Add all up divide by amount
Median: middle value in ordered list
Mode: most common value
Range: Distance from top to bottom value
Standard deviation: average distance between each item data above and below the mean

50
Q

Data distribution:

Whats normal and skewed distibution?

A

Normal: Classic bell shaped curve around the mean e.g. for IQ 100+/-10
Skewed:
Positive: where it goes Mode - Median - Mean
Negative: mean - Median - Mode

51
Q

What is quantitive data?

and Qualitative?

A

Behaviour measured in quantities and numbers
qualitative: Cant be counted or quantified but can be made quantitive by putting data in categories and measuring frequency

52
Q

What is primary and secondary data?

A

Primary: Information collected directly from first hand experience eg. from experimenter when the study is being taken out
Secondary: Collected for a purpose e.g. they could use data collected by themselves or someone else

53
Q

What’s nominal data?

What’s ordinal data?

A

Nominal data is in categories can’t be ordered

Ordinal data can be put into an order

54
Q

How do u do the sign test?

A

Step 1: Workout the sign. (if the value changes for each ting +or -, whether its a positive or negative change and then u list number of + and number of - )

Step 2: calculate value of S ( the lowest score if there are 2 minus scores and 18 plus scores the minus is the value of S = 2)

Step 3: Calculate value of N : Add all scores apart from ones where there was no difference

Step 4: Find critical S value. (they give u critical value table and will ask “What is critical value of S for a one tailed test w significance leel 0.05 so then u go to participant number N (20) and see what number it shows us for 20 which score is 1

Step 5: Determine if the results are significant. if critical value is higher than critical value then it is not significant.

55
Q

Why do we use sign test?

A

To see if the difference found is due to chance or relationship

56
Q

What key points are used for peer reviews?

A

PEER VIEWS ARE SO OVERRATED
P - Publish: Find out if they wanna publish it
V - Validity: Check if results valid or invalid
A - Check how appropriate method is
S - If results aren’t significant then they wont publish it
O - Is it original or are u re-using ideas

Psychology Unit 1 (12 decks)

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