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A-Level Psychology Year 1 > Research methods (Aims & hypoth, experimental method &design, sampling) JK > Flashcards

Research methods (Aims & hypoth, experimental method &design, sampling) JK Flashcards

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1
Q

What is an aim?

A

Stating the specific purpose of their research in a clear and precise way

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2
Q

What is a hypothesis?

A

A prediction of what the researchers will find

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3
Q

What do you need to write an experimental/ alternative hypothesis?

A

1) Predicting a difference or an effect
2) Predicting a relationship/ correlation

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4
Q

What is a conceptual variable?

A

A theoretical concept or construct e.g. happiness, anxiety, capacity of STM

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5
Q

What is an operationalised variable?

A

Clear definition of what we will take as a measurement of the conceptual variable so it can be measured more concretely e.g. number of digits correctly recalled

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6
Q

What is the independent variable?

A

The variable that the researcher manipulates- the conditions the participants are assigned to

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7
Q

What is the dependent variable?

A

The variable that is measured

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8
Q

What should the IV & DV be?

A

Operationalised

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9
Q

What is a directional hypothesis?

A

A hypothesis that predicts the specific direction of results

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10
Q

What is a non-directional hypothesis?

A

A hypothesis where you just predict a difference, or that one variable will affect another

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11
Q

What is a null hypothesis?

A

A hypothesis that states there is no significant relationship

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12
Q

What is an experimental method?

A

Consists of the manipulation of variables to establish cause and effect relationships

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13
Q

What are 2 conditions in a basic experiment?

A

1) Experimental (treatment) group that receive particular treatment that the researchers intends to study
2) Control group that don’t receive particular treatment

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14
Q

For an experiment to occur what are three criteria points?

A

1) An independent variable
2) Random allocation
3) Control

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15
Q

What is a laboratory experiment?

A

A highly controlled environment where the IV is deliberately manipulated- conducted within an artificial environment

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16
Q

What is/isn’t in a laboratory experiment?

A

1) Researchers manipulates IV
2) Random allocation of groups
3) Control over variables

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17
Q

What are 3 strengths of laboratory experiments?

A

1) High internal validity- Highly controlled environment
2) Replicability- High control
3) Casual effects- Cause & effect due to high control

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18
Q

What are 3 weaknesses of laboratory experiments?

A

1) Ecological validity- Artificial environment
2) Demand characteristics- Participants are aware they’re being researched
3) Deception (ethical issue)- Not aware of aim of studies

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19
Q

What is an extraneous variable?

A

A variable that isn’t being investigated, that may affect the outcomes of the study

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20
Q

What are demand characteristics?

A

Behaving differently to suit the experiment (not natural behaviour)

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21
Q

What is ecological validity?

A

A measure of how test performance predicts behaviours in real world settings

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22
Q

What is a field experiment?

A

An experiment conducted in a natural (ordinary) environment

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23
Q

What is/isn’t in a field experiment?

A

1) Researcher manipulates IV
2) Less control over variables

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24
Q

What are 3 strengths of a field experiment?

A

1) Less demand characteristics- more natural as participants dont know they’re being researched
2) Less artificial- higher ecological validity
3) Casual relationships- cause & effect

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25
Q

What are 2 weaknesses of a field experiments?

A

1) Less control over extraneous variables
2) Ethical issues- no debrief as not aware

26
Q

What is a natural experiment?

A

An experiment where the IV isn’t directly manipulated by the researcher, but the researcher takes advantage of the naturally occurring IV

27
Q

What is/isn’t in a natural experiment?

A

1) Researcher doesn’t manipulate IV
2) No random allocation of groups
3) No control over variables

28
Q

What are 3 strengths of a natural experiment?

A

1) Ethical- naturally occurring
2) Less demand characteristics- natural
3) Ecological validity- less artificial

29
Q

What are 3 weaknesses of natural experiments?

A

1) No cause & effect relationships- extraneous variables
2) Deception- ethical issue, no informed consent made
3) Confidentiality- ethical issue, participants may be identifiable

30
Q

What is a quasi experiment?

A

‘Almost an experiment’- Independent variable doesn’t vary, but is a difference between people that exists e.g. gender, age etc.

31
Q

What is/isn’t in a quasi experiment?

A

1) Researcher doesn’t manipulate IV
2) No random allocation of groups
3) No control over variables

32
Q

What is a strength of a quasi experiment?

A

High ecological validity- naturally occurring variables

33
Q

What are 2 weaknesses of a quasi experiment?

A

1) No cause & effect- other variables may effect findings
2) Random allocation- other variables may affect the IV

34
Q

What are 3 types of experimental designs?

A

1) Independent groups design
2) Repeated measures design
3) Matched pairs design

35
Q

What is an independent group design?

A

When different participants do separate conditions

36
Q

What is a repeated measures design?

A

When the same participants take part in every condition

37
Q

What is matched pairs design?

A

When different but similar participants take part in separate conditions

38
Q

What are 2 advantages of Repeated Measures design?

A

1) Eliminates participant variables
2) Fewer participants required

39
Q

What are 3 disadvantages of Repeated Measures design?

A

1) May not be able to complete 2nd condition immediately
2) Order effects (boredom, fatigue)
3) Increased chance of demand characteristics

40
Q

What are 2 advantages of Independent Groups design?

A

1) No order effects
2) Reduced chance of demand characteristics

41
Q

What are 3 disadvantages of Independent Groups design?

A

1) Possible to use both stimulus materials for both/all conditions
2) Little control over variables
3) More participants required

42
Q

What is an advantage of Matched Pairs design?

A

Partially controls participant variables

43
Q

What are 2 disadvantages of Matched Pairs design?

A

1) Some participant variables may be present
2) Difficult to match participants exactly

44
Q

What is experimental design?

A

A set of procedures used to control the influence of factors such as participant variables in an experiment

45
Q

What is counterbalancing?

A

A technique to overcome order effects- so that each condition is tested 1st or 2nd in equal amounts

46
Q

What is a pilot study?

A

A small-scale trial run of an experiment- ensuring it works well

47
Q

What is primary data?

A

Data collected from a study that has been designed by the researcher with his/her specific aims & hypothesis- data is collected first hand

48
Q

What is secondary data?

A

Information originally collected for a purpose other than what the current researcher is investigating- a different study (often government statistics or a meta-analyisis)

49
Q

What is a confounding variable?

A

A variable that interferes with results as it hasn’t been controlled that cannot be separated from the IV

50
Q

What is an extraneous variable?

A

Any variable that could affect results if it hasn’t been controlled- not in a systematic way

51
Q

What is an observation?

A

Relying on what one observes as a means of knowing about the world

52
Q

What is a naturalistic observation?

A

Where the researcher doesn’t manipulate the situation

53
Q

What is a controlled observation?

A

Where the researcher controls the conditions

54
Q

What is a 1) Covert & 2) Overt observation?

A

1) Researcher’s presence is unknown to the participants
2) Researchers presence is obvious to the participants

55
Q

What is a 1) Participant & 2) Non-participant observation?

A

1) Researcher participates in the activity under study
2) Researcher observes the activity without getting involved in it

56
Q

What are 2 sampling procedures?

A

1) Event sampling
2) Time sampling

57
Q

What is event sampling?

A

Where the observer counts the number of times a particular behaviour occurs by a target individual/s

58
Q

What is time sampling?

A

Recording a particular set of behaviour within a specific time frame

59
Q

What is an unstructured observation?

A

When the researcher doesn’t use a checklist and instead records all relevant behaviour is written down in as much detail as possible

60
Q

What is a structured observation?

A

When a researcher uses various systems to organise observations such as behaviour categories and sampling procedures

A-Level Psychology Year 1 (13 decks)

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