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Psychology AQA A-Level Year 1 & AS > Research Methods > Flashcards

Research Methods Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the independent variable (IV)?

A

Variable that researcher manipulates to determine its effect on dependent variable

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2
Q

What is the dependent variable (DV)?

A

Variable being measured

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3
Q

What are extraneous variables (EV)?

A

Any other variables (other than IV) that could affected DV

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4
Q

What are confounding variables (CV)?

A

Any other variables (other than IV) that have affected DV

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5
Q

List some types of experiments.

A

1) laboratory experiments
2) field experiments
3) natural experiments
4) quasi experiments

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6
Q

What is a laboratory experiment?

A

1) carried out in controlled environment
2) allows researcher to exert high level of control over IV + eliminate EV
3) researcher can measure change in DV caused by manipulation of IV
4) participants are randomly allocated to a condition

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7
Q

What are the strengths of a laboratory experiment?

A

1) high level of control - effects of confounding variables become minimised
2) causal relationships - can establish cause + effect between IV + DV
3) replicable by other researchers + results are reliable

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8
Q

What are the weaknesses of

a laboratory experiment?

A

1) strong change of demand characteristics
2) artificial - lacks mundane realism + ecological validity
3) deception is often used making informed consent difficult

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9
Q

What is mundane realism?

A

The extent to which an experiment reflects real life

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10
Q

What is ecological validity?

A

The ability to generalise findings of research to the real world)

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11
Q

What is a field experiment?

A

1) carried out in the real world

2) IV manipulated to see effect on DV

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12
Q

What are the strengths of a field experiment?

A

1) more mundane realism + ecological validity than in laboratory
2) causal relationships - can establish cause + effect between IV + DV
3) less chance of demand characteristics - participants might not know they are taking part in research

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13
Q

What are the weaknesses of a field experiment?

A

1) less control over extraneous variables - valid?
2) less control over sample
3) more difficult to replicate
4) participants often can’t be debriefed

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14
Q

What is a natural experiment?

A

Researcher takes advantage of naturally occurring IV to see effect on DV

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15
Q

What are the strengths of a natural experiment?

A

1) high level of mundane realism + ecological validity

2) less chance of demand characteristics

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16
Q

What are the weaknesses of a natural experiment?

A

1) less control over extraneous variables
2) difficult to replicate
3) difficult to determine cause + effect

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17
Q

What is a quasi experiment?

A

1) naturally occurring IV that already exists between people

2) examination of IV on DV

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18
Q

What are the strengths of a quasi experiment?

A

1) controlled conditions

2) high level of mundane realism + ecological validity

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19
Q

What are the weaknesses of a quasi experiment?

A

1) can’t randomly allocate participants to each condition

2) hard to establish cause + effect

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20
Q

What is an observation?

A

When researcher watches/listens to participants engaging in behaviour that is being studied

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21
Q

What is a non-participant observation?

A

Researcher does not get directly involved with interactions of participants

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22
Q

What is a participant observation?

A

Researcher is directly involved with interactions of participants

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23
Q

What is a covert observation?

A

1) psychologist goes undercover + does not reveal true identity/give themselves a new identity
2) group does not know they are being observed

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24
Q

What is a overt observation?

A

1) psychologist reveals true identity
2) observer effects can occur - participants changing behaviour because they know they are being observed (invalid results)

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25
Q

What is an aim?

A

Statement of a study’s purpose

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26
Q

What is a null hypothesis?

A

What you’re going to assume is true during the study

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27
Q

What is an alternative hypothesis?

A

Used when data forces you to reject your null hypothesis

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28
Q

What is a directional hypothesis?

A

Directly predicts which way results will go

29
Q

What is a non-directional hypothesis?

A

Predicts which way results will go but won’t say which group would go which way - used when there is little research or when previous research is mixed/inconclusive

30
Q

What is operationalising a variable?

A

Describing the process by which the variable is measured

31
Q

State some experimental designs.

A

1) independent groups
2) repeated measures
3) matched pairs

32
Q

What is an independent groups design?

A

Different participants in each group

33
Q

What are the advantages of an independent groups design?

A

1) no order effects - no one gets better though practice/worse through being tired

34
Q

What are the disadvantages of an independent groups design?

A

1) different people in each group may affect results - can’t safely compare groups
2) twice as many participants needed to get same amount of data

35
Q

What is an repeated measures design?

A

All participants do the task with an audience + then without

36
Q

What are the advantages of an independent groups design?

A

1) same people do test in both conditions - difference between individuals shouldn’t affect results
2) fewer participants needed to get same amount of data

37
Q

What are the disadvantages of an independent groups design?

A

Any improvements in second condition would be due to practice

38
Q

What is a matched pairs design?

A

Different participants in each condition are matched on important variables (age/sex/personality)

39
Q

What are the advantages of a matched pairs design?

A

1) no order effects - different people in each condition

2) important differences minimised through matching

40
Q

What are the disadvantages of a matched pairs design?

A

1) twice as many people needed
2) time consuming
3) difficult to find participants who match

41
Q

What is counterbalancing?

A

1) solves order effects in repeated measures design

2) half do condition 1 then 2, other half do condition 2 then 3 - order effects cancel out

42
Q

What is primary data?

A

Information collected during researcher’s direct observations of participants

43
Q

What is secondary data?

A

Information collected from other studies - can be used to check validity of studies/provide evidence to support/discredit a theory

44
Q

What is random sampling?

A

Every member of the target population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample

45
Q

What are the advantages of random sampling?

A

1) fair - everyone has an equal chance of being selected

2) likely to be representative

46
Q

What are the disadvantages of a matched pairs design?

A

1) doesn’t guarantee representative sample - some sub-groups may not be selected
2) if target population is large, it is not possible to give everyone a number that might be picked

47
Q

What is opportunity sampling?

A

Researcher samples whoever is available + willing to be studied

48
Q

What are the advantages of opportunity sampling?

A

1) quick

2) practical - often used

49
Q

What are the disadvantages of random sampling?

A

1) unlikely to be representative of target population

2) can’t generalise results

50
Q

What is volunteer sampling?

A

People actively volunteer to be in a study by responding to a request for participants advertised by researcher

51
Q

What are the advantages of volunteer sampling?

A

1) large number of people may respond

2) may allow more in-depth analysis + more accurate statistical results

52
Q

What are the disadvantages of volunteer sampling?

A

1) only includes people who saw the advertisement
2) people who volunteer may be more cooperative than others
3) sample is unlikely to be representative of target population

53
Q

What is systematic sampling?

A

Every nth name from a sampling frame is taken

54
Q

What are the advantages of systematic sampling?

A

1) simple
2) effective
3) random + population is more evenly sampled

55
Q

What are the disadvantages of systematic sampling?

A

1) subgroups might be missed

2) may not be representative if pattern in samp;e coincides with pattern in population

56
Q

What is stratified sampling?

A

All important subgroups in population are identified + proportionate number of each is randomly allocated

57
Q

What are the advantages of stratified sampling?

A

1) produces fairly representative sample

58
Q

What are the disadvantages of stratified sampling?

A

1) takes time
2) takes money
3) some subgroups may be missed
4) can be difficult to identify traits + characteristics

59
Q

What are the principles of the ethical guidelines?

A

1) informed consent
2) deception
3) protection from harm
4) debriefing
5) confidentiality

60
Q

What is informed consent?

A

1) should always give informed consent
2) should be told aims + nature of the study before agreeing to it
3) should know that they have the right to withdraw at any time

61
Q

What is deception?

A

1) if participants have been deceived they cannot give informed consent

62
Q

What is protection from harm?

A

1) risk of harm to participants should be no greater than they would face in normal lives - hard to accurately assess this

63
Q

What is debriefing?

A

1) returns participants to state they were in before research
2) important if deception has been used

64
Q

What is confidentiality?

A

1) no participants in the study should be identifiable from reports produced

65
Q

What is peer review?

A

1) ensures integrity of published scientific work
2) sent to experts in the field to asses quality
3) keeps scientists honest
4) helps validate conclusions - published material is more trustworthy

66
Q

What is the correlation coefficient between?

A

-1 and +1

67
Q

How do you conduct a statistical test?

A

1) write out null hypothesis
2) choose a significance level
3) turn experimental results into single test statistic
4) if probability

68
Q

What is a significance level?

A

1) probability between 0 and 1
2) 1=very likely
3) 0=very unlikely

Psychology AQA A-Level Year 1 & AS (7 decks)

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