Research methods Flashcards
EXPERIMENTAL METHOD 7.1.1
what do experiments allow
As a method experiments allow one variable to be manipulated while keeping everything the same. This allows researchers to show cause and effect
what is a “lab” experiment
experiments that take place under controlled conditions.Such as a university room supervised by the researchers.
name 1 advantage and 1 disadvantage of lab experiments
+ they can increase the level of control that a reseracher can have
- reduce the level of ecological validity of the research
what is a field experiment
takes place in a participants natural surrounds such as school or workplace
name 1 advantage and 1 disadvantage of field experiments
+ increases ecological validity of the study by making the surroundings more realistic
- reduce level of control
what is a true experiment
when you control the variables under investigation, and randomly allocate participants to groups
what do experiments allow researchers to show
cause and effect
why are quasi experiments not true experiments
Quasi-experiments are not true experiments because they lack control over the experimental groups used.
when is a study termed a Quasi experiment
if it lacks random allocation to groups but is like a true experiment in most or other ways
give examples of a Quasi experiement
studies which compare different types of personlaity(eg introverts vs extroverts) or compare people who have a psychological disoder with a conrol group who does not. Such studies cannot allocate people to groups
why can Quasi and lab experiments be mixed up
this type of experiment can be performed in a lab and data gatherings can be conrolled
what are natural experiments
are studies where the experimenter cannot manipulate the IV, so the DV is simply measured and judged as the effect of an IV. For this reason, participants cannot be randomly allocated to experimental groups as they are already pre-set, making them quasi-experiments.
how is natural experiments different to true experiments
the variable under investigation happens by itself and so is completely uncontrolled by the researcher. the reseracher also has no control over who is in each “experimental” group
where are the locations of natural experiments
takes place in participlants everday surroundings such as their home or school. this means they are easy to be mixed up with field experiments
how are natural and true experiments similar
because a variable happens, and the researcher tries to measure its effects.
what happens during observational research
scientist conduct a clinical or case study where they focus on one person or a few individuals
state one advantage of observational research
1when they focus there attention on a very small number of people, they can gain a large amount of insight into those cases= this data is very rich
2 deep understanding of participants
3good for describing behaviour
name one disadvantage of observational techniques
if scientists ultimately want to explain all behaviour, focusing attention on such a special group of people can make it difficult to generalise observations to the larger population as a whole
what is the definition of naturalistic observation
observing behaviour in a natural setting
what are the benefits of naturalistic observation
high validity as individuals behave as they normally would in a given situation
higher degree of ecological validity and realism=can generalise the findings of the research to real world situations
what are the disadvantages of naturalistic observation
difficult to set up control- as a researcher you have no control over when or if you have behaviour to observe
need time and money
what is structured observation
people are observed while engaging in set, specific tasks
what are ethics with observation
people must be told they are being observed.. But disclosing this can effect their behaviour- and issue known as observer effects
what is participant observation
when the researcher joins in the social situation to be able to observe it effectively without biasing the findings.
name participants observation examples
Rosenhan’s (1973) observation of a psychiatric ward and Festinger’s (1956) observation of a religious cult.
in both these situations, it would have been hard for a outside observer to watch authentic behaviour
what are the limitations of participant observation
the presence of the participant may make people suspicious, or otherwise change their behaviour meaning that the researcher does not see authentic behaviour
it is also unethical for observers to assume a fake identity to observe behaviour
what does non participant behaviour include
Non-participant observation involves simply watching and recording behaviour from afar, typically from a distance or on video.
name 1 benefit of a survey
able to access a lot of participants as they can be distributed via post or email
what do interviews involve
a trained researcher asking questions to participants face to face. there are two types structured and unstructured.
what is a structured interview
the researcher lists a simple list of questions and notes down the responses
what is an unstructured interview
more like a everyday conversation.The interview may begin with certain planned questions, but is able to follow them up or ask other questions spontaneously depending on the participants response
what do surveys allow
allow reserachers to gather data from large samples than they may be able to through other research methods
what are the advantages of surveys
+ can collect imformation from a large sample of people this means better generalisibilty as a larger sample can refelect the actual dieversity of the population
what are the disadvantages of surveys
people may not give accurate responses: they may lie , misrememeber or answer questions in a way thta may make them look good
