Research Methods Flashcards
Definition of pilot studies
Small scale study run of the experiment before the real experiment
Internal validity
Does it measure what it’s supposed to measure?
Population Validity
Can the findings be generalised to another group of people
Ecological validity
Generalised to another setting
Reliability
How consistent the findings are
Temporal validity
Generalised to another setting
Why run a pilot study?
Because you can check timing, how clear the instructions are, participants opinion, check materials, test questions, check behavioural categories
Experimenter bias
Experimenter influences the experiment which changes the result
Demand characteristics
Participant guesses what is happening
Single blind
Participant does not know what condition they are in.
Double blind
Both researcher and participant don’t know what is happening
Naturalistic observation
Observation carried out in an everyday setting
Covert observation
Observing people without their knowledge
Non participant observation
Observer is separate from people being watched
Participant
Observations made by someone taking part
Overt observations
When participants know their behaviour is being studied
Controlled observations
Under conditions that have been created
Qualities data
Language data
Quantitative data
Number data
What type of data does a bar chart hold?
Categorised data
What type of data does a histogram hold?
Continuous
What type of data does scatter graph hold?
Associates
What type of data does a line graph hold?
Continuous
What is an advantage and disadvantage of controlled observations
A - extraneous variables
D- low ecological validity
What is an advantage and disadvantage of a natural observation
A - high ecological validity
D- replication of extraneous variables
What is an advantage and disadvantage of a covert observation
A- less demand characteristics
D- ethical issue
What is an advantage and disadvantage of an overt observation
A- ethically good
D- demand characteristics
What is an advantage and disadvantage of a participant observation
A- better understanding of behaviour
D - rely on memory
What is an advantage and disadvantage of a non participant observation
A- can write down information when it happens
D- researcher bias
What is a structured interview
Determined questions asked in a set order
What is a semi structured interview
Some questions are set but you can ask more
What is an unstructured interview
No set questions
What is an advantage and disadvantage of a structured interview
A- easy to repeat, reduces bias
D- you can’t divert questions so loose validity
What is an advantage and disadvantage of an unstructured interview
A- much more flexibility
D- hard to repeat/ analyse
What is a likert scale
Where the question ranges from strongly agree to strongly disagree
What is a rating scale
Where you rate something against numbers
What are the strengths of self report techniques
Low cost
Quick
Not much effort
What are the limitations of self report techniques
Demand characteristics
Response bias
Social desirability bias
What is a peer review
It happens before publication and all aspects of research are reviewed.
What are the aims of peer review
The aims are to allocate funding, validate the quality, suggest improvements
What are the strengths of peer review
Protects quality
Minimises fraud
What are the limitations of peer review
Publication bias
Researcher could ignore the research
What is the central tendency in descriptive stats
It’s the average mean median and mode
In descriptive stats what does it mean when there is a normal distribution
Mean, median and mode are all at the same point
In descriptive stats what does it mean when there is a negative skew
Most of the information of the curve is to the left
In descriptive stats what does it mean when there is a positive skew
Most information is to the right
How do you do a sign test
You find the smallest difference
People with the same get disregarded
Why do researchers use stats tests?
To determine wether the likelihood that the effect/difference/relationship they have found occurred due to chance
What is a large standard deviation?
When data is far away from the mean
How do you work out standard deviation
Work out the mean
Each number subtract the mean and then square the result
Work out the mean of the squared number
Take the square root of that
What is a hypothesis?
A prediction about what is going to happen
What is an independent variable
What you are changing
What is a dependant variable
What you measure
What is a one directional hypothesis
Where you predict that one condition will do better than another
What is a two directional hypothesis
There will be a difference, your not sure which condition will perform better
What is a null hypothesis
IV will not effect the DV
What is an extraneous variable
A variable that could effect the DV
What is a confounding variable
A variable that could effect the DV which changes the IV
What is a demand characteristics
Participants guessing the aim
What is investigator effects
How the experimenter influences
What is standardisation
Using the same procedure and instructions for all participants
What are the ethical issues
Right to withdraw Anonymous Physical/mental harm Informed consent Deception
What is presumptive consent
A similar group gives consent
Prior general consent
Participants give permission for a number of different experiments
What is retrospective consent?
Where you give consent at the end
What is internal validity
How well the experiment is done
What is population validity
How well the findings can be generalised to another group
What is ecological validity
How well it can be generalised to another setting
What is temporal validity
How well the findings can be generalised to another time
What is reliability
How consistent your findings are
What is randomisation
Randomly allocating participants to a condition
What is standardisation
Using the same procedure and instructions for all participants
What is a control group
They are used to compare
What is a single blind experiment
Participants don’t know what conditions they are in
What is a double blind experiment
Researcher and participants don’t know the aim
What is a repeated measures design
Every participant does every condition
What is a strength and limitation of a repeated measures design
L- demand characteristics
S- fewer participants needed
What is an independent groups design
Separate conditions, separate groups
What is a strength and limitation of independent groups design
L- individual differences
S- demand characteristics
What is a matched paired design
Where participants are matched on certain characteristics then put in certain groups
What is a strength and limitation of matched pairs design
L- time
S- demand characteristics
What is a lab experiment
It is created in a highly controlled environment where the IV is manipulated and controls for extraneous
What is an advantage and disadvantage of a lab study
A- high control over extraneous
D- mundane realism
What is a natural experiment
Created in a realistic environment and the IV naturally occurs
What is a strength and limitation of a natural experiment
S- realistic
L- limited opportunities for this to happen.
What is a field experiment
Created in a realistic environment and manipulates the IV
What is a strength and limitation of a field experiment
S- has mundane realism
L- low control over extraneous variables
What is a quasi experiment
It focuses of the existing IV such as Gender, age, IQ. This would never be able to change
What is a strength and limitation of a quasi experiment
S- high control over extraneous variables
L- confounding variables
What is a strength and limitation of random sampling
S- unbiased
L- time
What is a strength and limitation of a systematic sample
S- unbiased
L- not random
What is a strength and limitation of an opportunity sample
S- less time
L- bias
What is a strength and limitation of volunteer bias
S- takes little time
L- volunteer bias
What is a strength and limitation of of stratified sample
S- unbiased
L- not always complete
