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Research Methods Flashcards

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1
Q

What kind of method does psychology employ for conducting experiments?

A

Scientific method as it is a science

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2
Q

What is scientific method?

A

A systematic approach for planning, conducting and reporting research which involves collecting empirical evidence.

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3
Q

What is empirical evidence?

A

Data that is collected directly from observation or experimentation

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4
Q

What does scientific method help to do?

A

Make sure data is accurate, reliable and the results are valid.

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5
Q

What is an experiment used to test?

A

Cause and effect relationships between two of more variables under controlled conditions.

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6
Q

What is a hypothetical construct? How is it measured?

A

When a psychological concept such as the mind, personality or intelligence cannot be physically seen or directly measured but is known to exist and is measured indirectly.

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7
Q

What is a variable?

A

Any factor that can change in amount of type over time.

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8
Q

What is an independent variable?

A

It is a variable that is systematically manipulated in order to assess its effect on the participants responses. It is often the difference between the experimental and controlled groups.

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9
Q

What is a dependant variable?

A

It shows the effects of the independent variable. The changed in the DV are caused by the IV. The DV is measured.

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10
Q

What does the simplest experiment use? What are the two levels of the independent variable?

A

One IV and a DV to measure effects. There are two levels of the IV, the experimental and control groups.

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11
Q

What is the difference between the experimental and control groups?

A

The IV is present in the experimental group and absent in the control group.

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12
Q

What does the control group provide?

A

A standard of comparison for the experimental condition.

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13
Q

What is a hypothesis?

A

The first step of conducting research. It is an educated guess or testable prediction about the relationship between two or more variables.

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14
Q

What are the main features of the hypothesis? An example?

A

The IV, DV, it has a direction, population etc. it is predicted that participants from the population (IV) will have a (greater, bigger, more) than the control group, measured by…

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15
Q

What are extraneous variables?

A

They are variable other than the IV that cause a change in the DV and therefore affect the results.

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16
Q

How does an experimenter conclude that the manipulation of the IV changed the DV alone?

A

By controlling and minimising all other variables.

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17
Q

What are so,e extraneous variables?

A

Often to do with the participants: mood, fatigue, health etc.

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18
Q

What are some potential extraneous variables?

A

Sex, age, IQ, mood, diet, personality, culture, ethnicity, education, motivation

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19
Q

What is the placebo effect?

A

It is an improvement in health and wellbeing due to the participants belief that they are receiving an effective treatment even if the treatment is fake. It refers to a change in response due to a belief that they are receiving some experimental treatment.

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20
Q

What are some placebos?

A

A fake treatment, such as sugar pills, injections of saline which have no medical benefit.

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21
Q

What is the experimenter effect? What is its effect?

A

Researchers expectations can unintentionally influence the way they treat participants and interpret data. There is a change in participants responses due to the experimenters expectations, biases or or behaviours rather than due to the EV

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22
Q

What is the sample?

A

Participants

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23
Q

What is the population?

A

The larger group from which the sample is drawn.

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24
Q

What is the process of selecting participants called?

A

Sampling or selection

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25
Q

What should the sample be?

A

Representative of the population.

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26
Q

What is convenience sampling?

A

In some studies it is not possible to get a representative sample. When this happens convenience sampling is used. It involves selecting participants who are readily available.

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27
Q

What are advantages of convenience sampling?

A

It is widely used, especially to get preliminary results. It is quick, easy and inexpensive,

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28
Q

What are disadvantages of convenience sampling?

A

It has a biased sample. It is not representative of the population. The data collected may be misleading and cannot be generalised. It has low validity.

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29
Q

What is random sampling?

A

When every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. A random number generator or table of random numbers or some type of lottery may be used to do this. It ensures that the sample is representative of the population.

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30
Q

What are advantages of random sampling?

A

The results are representative of the population. Results can be generalised.

31
Q

What are disadvantages of random sampling?

A

It is not always desirable or necessary. It is time consuming, expensive and a large sample is needed.

32
Q

What is participant allocation?

A

The allocating of participants into different groups involved in the study.

33
Q

What is the experimental group?

A

The group exposed to the IV.

34
Q

What is the control group?

A

It doesn’t have the Iv but provides a standard against which the experimental groups performance is measured.

35
Q

Why is it important that the experimental and control groups are as similar as possible?

A

So that something other than the IV does not cause a change to the DV.

36
Q

What is random allocation?

A

When participants have an equal chance of being in either of the groups. It is an important means of experimental control.

37
Q

What is qualitative data?

A

Is data in the form of descriptions, words, meanings, pictures of text. (Not numbers)

38
Q

What is quantitative data?

A

Information about qualities or amounts of what is being studied. It is usually expressed in numbers or units of measurement.

39
Q

What is are case studies? When are they used?

A

Collecting data on a small number of participants. It is an intense, in depth investigation of a behaviour of event. They are used by metal health professionals to develop a detailed profile of a client and their issues. They are used when large numbers of participants are not available.

40
Q

What are advantages of case studies?

A

Can obtain useful information in rare conditions, there is nit manipulation or controlled variables. Provide a snap shot into real life for someone and insights about how they think, feel or behave. They provide a hypothesis for the future.

41
Q

What are disadvantages of case studies?

A

Cannot be replicated to test reliability, can’t be used to test a hypothesis. Analysing and interpreting information gathered over time is time consuming and difficult. They may not reflect typical ways of thinking. It can not be generalised with certainty.

42
Q

What are observational studies? When is it used?

A

Data collected by carefully watching and recording behaviour. It is used when the behaviour in question is easy to observe and record.

43
Q

What are advantages of observational studies?

A

Researches can see behaviour in its real setting. People are unaffected by the observer or demand characteristics. It allows researchers to gain more accurate information over time. Some behaviour can only be observed naturally and cannot be reproduced in a lab.

44
Q

What are disadvantages of observational studies?

A

If informed consent is not obtained the person’s privacy is violated. It is difficult to determine cause of behaviours because there may be many factors influencing it. And observer bias

45
Q

What is observer bias?

A

The researcher may unconsciously distort what is observed eg. Observations can be subjective.

46
Q

What are self reports?

A

Questionnaires, surveys and interviews

47
Q

What is an advantage of questionnaires?

A

Can be easily quantified and analysed. They are objective data

48
Q

What questions may an interviewer ask?

A

Structured questions (yes/no, similar for all participants) or unstructured questions (open-ended questions, answers are different for all participants)

49
Q

What are advantages for self-reports?

A

Effective ways of collecting information about how people think, feel and behave. Quantitative data is easy to interpret

50
Q

What are disadvantages of self reports?

A

People give socially desirable answers. People typically need good literacy and or language skills. Observations are subjective and may be subjected to observer bias.

51
Q

What is quantitative data? What are advantages and disadvantages?

A

It is easier to interpret but may not be a true representation of a person’s thoughts or feelings. It has to do with numbers.

52
Q

What is qualitative data?

A

It is richer and more detailed but is harder to interpret. The involve descriptions and words.

53
Q

After research has been conducted and results have been collected what three things must happen?

A

Results must be summarised, organised and described (descriptive statistics), results are interpreted so they can be understood (inferential statistics), results are explained in terms of theory and past research. Conclusions and generalisations are made.

54
Q

What are types of descriptive statistics?

A

Graphs, tables, measures of central tendency (mean, median and mode), range, standard deviations and variance

55
Q

What does a bar graph show and what is its appearance?

A

They show how frequently a particular group or category of data occurs by representing the data using separate bars that are next to each other but not touching.

56
Q

What is a histogram? How does it differ from a bar graph?

A

It is a graphical display of data shown as bars. It differs in that the bars touch. The data in a histogram are continuous rather than categorical as in a bar graph.

57
Q

When are line graphs most useful?

A

When graphing data that change continuously over time such as interval and ratio scales of measurement.

58
Q

What is a pie chart?

A

A circular chart that is divided into sectors. Arc length of each sector is proportional to the quantity it represents.

59
Q

What is mean?

A

The average.

60
Q

What is the median?

A

The middle score when numbers are lined up.

61
Q

What is the mode?

A

The most common number. It is not always a typical representation of a set of numbers.

62
Q

Why do researchers write up reports?

A

To communicate their findings with others and to enable replication of the study to test validity and reliability of the results.

63
Q

What are writing conventions?

A

Well established, widely used rules about how to write and present a report

64
Q

How is referencing done? Why is it harder to reference a website?

A

Using APA referencing guide. There is no standard format in APA.

65
Q

What are ethics? What do they help us do?

A

They are the standards that guide individuals to good, desirable and acceptable conduct. They help us judge what actions are appropriate and inappropriate.

66
Q

What is informed consent?

A

Participants must be aware of the purpose of an experiment, method and withdrawal rights and confidentiality and any risks/discomfort that they might experience before they participate. Consent must be in writing. Legal guardians provide consent for children and people unable to give consent. No psychologically or physically vulnerable people should be allowed to participate.

67
Q

What is voluntary participation?

A

The participant must choose to participate. There should be no persuasion or negative consequences.

68
Q

What are withdrawal rights?

A

People can leave the study at any time. They do not need to provide a reason to leave. They also have the right to remove results from the study, and there should be no consequences.

69
Q

What is confidentiality?

A

Participants must not be identified without consent. Researchers must explain to participants prior to the study that their details and results will not be revealed. Data and results must be stored and disposed of appropriately. (Locked cabinets)

70
Q

What is debriefing? What are parts of debriefing?

A

Debriefing is where participants are informed of the study’s true purpose after the experiment has taken place. The researcher must correct mistaken beliefs. No harm principle, beneficence, justice

71
Q

What is the no harm principle?

A

Under no circumstances is the researcher allowed to conduct research which causes severe distress.

72
Q

What is beneficence?

A

It is the researcher’s responsibility to maximise the potential benefits of the research and minimise the risk and discomfort to participants.

73
Q

What is justice?

A

The fair distribution of benefits and burdens within the population of research interest, as well as research participants.

74
Q

Is deception an ethical principle?

A

No

Psychology (9 decks)

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