Research methods and concepts Flashcards
Why are experiments important for scientific investigation
Because it enables us to maximise control and identify causal rels
Whatvare the 3 types of experiments
Lab experiments
Field experiments
Natural experiments
Tall about lab experiments
Conducted in controlled environment
Hugh in internal validity cz of control of extraneous variables
Demand characteristics and investigators effects may reduce internal validity
Control increases Replicability
High control reduced external validity not like everyday life
Talk about field experiments
Natural environment
May be possible to control extraneous variables
Experiment or effects reduced so increasing internal validity
Demand characteristics may still exist so decreasing internal validity
Tall about natural experiment
Makes use of IV each schizo treatment
Causal conclusions can’t be drawn from a natural experiment
Pps not randomly allocated which reduces validity
But often only way to study certain behaviour or xp such as effects of privation
3 experimental designs
Repeated measures
Each Pps testes on all the IVs
Independent groups
Separate groups for each IVs
Matched pairs design
Pps one ach independent group can be matched with Pps in the other group on key variables such as age and iq
Types of self report methods
Questionnaires and interviews
Structured and unstructured
Advantage of structure quest and interviews
Can be more easily repeated
Problem for self report methods
Honesty
Social desirability bias may provide answers to out themselves in good light
Reduces validity
Eval if open questions
Produce unexpected answer rich insight
But are more difficult to analyse than close questions
Talk about observational studies
2 sampling method
Time sampling and event sampling
Provide a rich picture of what people actually do rather than watt they say esp if covert
But observer bias may be involved, their observations can be affected by their expectations
Talk about correlational analysis
Concerned with the tel between 2 variables
Doesn’t demonstrate a cause but useful in identifying where a rel between covariances exist
Easily replicated
But intervening variables may explain link. Such studies lack internaland external validity
May lack Generalisability
Too little control
Difficult to draw conclusions because of extraneous variables which may affect dv
Too much control
Lack mundane realism
Behaviour were studying isn’t very much like real life
Talk about case studies
A study of a single individual or institution or event
Many techniques can be used such as interviews psychological tests observations and experiments
General let longitudinal so more insight
Complex interaction of many factors can be studied unlike experiments where variables are held constant
But difficult to generalise cz of individual differences
Often necessary to use recollection of past which can’t always be relied upon so unreliable
