RESEARCH METHODS ( ALL ) Flashcards
what are research methods?
research methods look at the.. different type of research
the basics of experimental designs
relationships between variables
what are ethical issues?
ethical issues arise when a conflict exists between the rights of a participant in the research and the goals of the research
define and name the problem..
INFORMED CONSENT
we need valid consent.
pps should be made aware of aims, procedure and rights.
problem: pps will know aim of study if consent is given
3 ways to solve informed consent
- consent letter with only the relevant info
- parental signature required for children under 16
- presumptive consent ( gain from similar and assume )
define and name the problem..
DECEPTION
deliberately misleading/ withholding info.
problem: if we dont deceive the pps they will know the aim of the study
one way to solve DECEPTION
at the end of the study, pps should be made aware of the true aims
reassured behaviour was normal
offered counselling
define and name the problem..
CONFIDENTIALITY
personal data should be protected
problem: could be sued if not
how do i assure confidentiality in a study?
do not record personal data
remind pps during debrief their data is protected
define right to withdraw
pps should be given the right to withdraw at any point in the study with 0 consequences
define protection from harm
should be protected from physical and psychological harm eg: embarrassment
define ‘the experimental method’
manipulating 1 variable to determine if this causes change in another
define research aims
general statements about what the researcher intends to investigate ( purpose of study )
whats ‘the independent variable’
the IV is what is being changed/ manipulated in the study
whats the dependant variable
the dependant variable is the thing being measured within the study
whats operationalising ?
being specific and clear about what is being manipulated or measured. it must be testable and repeatable
whats a hypotheses
a hypotheses is a statement of what you believe in. Its a precise and testable statement of the relationship of two variables
whats a directional hypotheses
a hypotheses that states the direction of a predicted difference between 2 conditions
whats a non directional hypotheses
states there will be a difference between the two, but no direction
whats a non directional hypotheses
states there will be a difference between the two, but no direction
null hypotheses
there will be no significant difference between two conditions
whats an extraneous variable
an extraneous variable affects the DV only, its an unwanted factor that could negatively affect data factors such as: age.
whats a confounding variable
is a type of extraneous variable which changes the IV, making it hard to tell if the DV is changing due to the IV or the confounding variable
what are pps variables
variables linked to people used in the study eg: gender, age
what are situational variables
variables linked to the environment of the study eg: noise, time, distractions
define pps reactivity
behaviour of pps is affected by awareness they’re part of a study
define social desirability bias
pps change behaviour to fit in with social norms
what are demand characteristics
a cue in the experiment that may allow pps to guess the aim of the study and cause them to change behaviour
define investigator effects
any effect of the investigator behaviours that affects outcome eg: tone of voice
how can we control demand characteristics
- deception- withhold info
- single blind procedure, pps unaware of which condition they are in or the research aims
how can we control investigator effects
inter- rater reliability
independent raters rate same behaviour as researcher
double blind procedure
both pps investigator are unaware of the groups and which variable they are under
randomisation
how do we control situational variables
standardisation
- use the same, formalised procedures instructions for all pps
what are experimental designs
different ways pps can be organised in relation to the experimental conditions
what are the 3 types of experimental designs
independent groups
repeated measures
matched pairs
whats independent groups
where different pps are used in each condition of the independent variable.
the performance of the 2 would then be compared
2 strengths of independent groups
- avoids order effects as pps are only in 1 condition
- pps less likely to guess the aim and show demand characteristics
2 weaknesses of independant groups
- time consuming as we need more people
- individual differences may affect results
define repeated measures
all pps take part in all conditions
2 strengths of repeated measures
- pps variables are reduced as the same pps are used in each condition
- fewer people needed
weakness of repeated measures
may be order effects eg: may perform better in the 2nd condition due to practise
define matched pairs
pairs of pos are matched based on extraneous variables eg: age and then one is assigned to condition one and the other condition 2
2 strengths of matched pairs
- reduces pps variables as they have been based on characteristics
- avoids order effects as each pp is in only 1 condition
2 weakness’ of marched pairs
- time consuming to match
- pps can never be matched exactly
what are the 4 types of experiments
lab, field, natural, quasi