Research Methods Flashcards
What is a laboratory experiment?
An experiment carried out in tightly controlled surroundings, often with special equipment available
What is a field experiment?
An experiment carried out in everyday surroundings but still with manipulation of the independent variable
What is a natural experiment (AKA a quasi experiment)?
A study of a natural situation in circumstances that cannot be manipulated
What is the target population?
The whole population in whom a researcher is interested
What is an anomalous result?
A very unusual result that may distort the data.
What are some examples of research methods you can use to gather data?
Questionnaires, experiments, surveys, interviews, observations, case studies
What is a case study?
An in-depth (detailed) investigation of a single individual or a small group of individuals
Describe matched pair designs
Research involving two participant groups that consist of pairs of individuals who are as similar as possible (often this is twins). Each pair is divided and one of each is assigned to each group.
What is the term for ‘a relationship in which as one variable decreases, the other increases’?
Negative correlation
What is counterbalancing?
Reversing the order of the experiment conditions for half of the participants.
Why is the process of debriefing important?
Debriefing enables participants to fully understand the experiment and their role in it.
Participants should understand what the researcher was investigating and why and what their part in the research was. They should also have the opportunity to have any questions answered.
It is the researcher’s responsibility to check on the participants’ physical and psychological wellbeing and follow up later if necessary to ensure there are no lasting ill effects.
What is “the group that does not experience the independent variable” the definition of?
Control group
When is it acceptable not to obtain informed consent?
When what happens to the participants is something that could easily happen to them in everyday life. For example, if the research involves observing people in a bus queue.
Why is deceiving participants sometimes necessary?
In order to avoid demand characteristics affecting the result. In such cases, the participants should be deceived as little as possible and any deception must not cause distress.
Why is it important that participants are able to withdraw from an experiment or study at any point?
When participants originally agree to take part in research, they do not always know the extent to which you will encroach upon their feelings, emotions or sense of what is appropriate. Therefore, their viewpoint may change once the experiment or study beings.
Define “mean”
Often referred to as the average. This is calculated by adding up all results and dividing them by the number of results/participants.
E.g. Number of minutes participants were able to stand on one leg = 160 minutes (total for all participants together)
Number of participants = 16
Mean = 160/16 = 10 minutes
Define “median”
The median is calculated by looking at the middle score in a set of data.
E.g. In 3, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 the median is 5
Define “mode”
The mode is the most frequently occurring score.
E.g. In 3, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 the mode is 3
Mode is French for fashion so you could remember this as the most fashionable (popular) score!
Define “range”
The range is the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a range.
E.g. In 3, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 the range is 8-3 = 5
What is one weakness of random sampling?
It can be very time consuming and is often impossible to carry out, particularly when you have a large target population
What is one strength of the repeated-measures design?
Because the same people are in both conditions, there are no participant variable.
Requires fewer participants as the participants are in both conditions.
What is “a precise and testable statement of what the researchers predict will be the outcome of the study” the definition for?
Hypothesis
What are demand characteristics?
Any features of the research that may affect participants’ behaviour, making them act unnaturally or look for clues to tell them what the research is about and behave accordingly.
Name three types of sampling methods
Random sampling
Opportunity sampling
Stratified sampling
