Research Methods and Techniques Flashcards
experiment, observation, self report, correlation
1
Q
IV
A
what the researcher wants to compare/manipulate/change
2
Q
DV
A
what the researcher measures
3
Q
extraneous variables
A
variables that could affect the DV if not controlled
4
Q
confounding variables
A
variables that could affect the DV strongly enough to influence the results
5
Q
lab experiment
A
- experiments conducted in an artificial environment
- researcher manipulates the IV to measure its affect on the DV
- controls extraneous variables which could influence the results
6
Q
strengths of lab experiments
A
- high level of control so affect of EV are minimised
- increased replicability
- shows cause and effect
7
Q
weaknesses of lab experiments
A
- low ecological validity
- prone to demand characteristics
- ethical concerns as deception is often used
8
Q
Field experiment
A
- conducted in natural environments
- little control over extraneous variables
- IV is manipulated so cause and effect can be inferred
9
Q
strengths of field experiments
A
- high ecological validity
- demand characteristics can be minimised
10
Q
weaknesses of field experiments
A
- low control over variables
- difficult to replicate
- difficult to record data
- ethical concerns: lack of consent, deception, stress, no debriefing
11
Q
quasi experiments
A
- naturally occurring IV
- usually conducted in a lab
12
Q
strengths of quasi experiments
A
- naturally occurring IV
- highly controlled so the effect of EV is minimised
- can show cause and effect
13
Q
weaknesses of quasi experiments
A
- low ecological validity
- not easy to replicate
- prone to demand characteristics
- ethical concerns: deception is often used & stress may occur
14
Q
participant observations
A
- researcher becomes part of the group whose behaviour is being observed
- can be overt or covert
15
Q
non-participant observations
A
- researcher records behaviour without being involved in the situation being observed
- can be overt or covert
16
Q
structured observation
A
- researcher has a coding frame for recording behaviour
- can be participant or non participant, overt or covert
17
Q
unstructured observation
A
- researcher records all behaviour that is relevant to the study
- can be participant or non participant, overt or covert
18
Q
controlled observation
A
occur in an artificial setting and it is more likely the participant will be aware they are being observed
19
Q
naturalistic observation
A
occur in a more natural setting so have lower-levels of control but higher levels of realism
20
Q
overt observation
A
participants are aware they are being observed
21
Q
covert observation
A
participants are unaware they are being observed
22
Q
strengths of observations
A
- observations give a different take on behaviour, as what people say they will do and actually do are often different
- able to capture spontaneous and unexpected behaviour
- high in ecological validity
- coding frames make recording behaviour easy
23
Q
weaknesses of observations
A
- observer bias may occur (may see what they want to see)
- poorly designed coding frames reduce reliability and inter-rater reliability
- participants may show demand characteristics or socially desirable behaviour
- observations cannot provide information about what people think or feel
24
Q
self report
A
interviews or questionnaires to collect data
25
questionnaires
completed by the participants or a set of questions read to the participants by the researcher
26
structured interviews
- asking predominantly closed questions in a fixed order
- scripted in a standardised order and every participant is asked the same Q in the same order
27
semi structured interviews
- fixed list of open/closed questions
- researcher can introduce questions if required to clarify/expand on a topic
28
unstructured interview
- starts with standard questions asked to every participant
- questions then depend on participants answers
- interviewer may have a list of topics to cover
29
strengths of self reports
- large amounts of standardised data can be gathered from a large number of participants quickly/conveniently so results are more generalisable
- questionnaires/structured interviews are highly replicable so trends/similarities/differences in behaviour can be identified
- unstructured interviews allow in depth, qualitative data to be gathered
30
weaknesses of self reports
- questionnaires/structured interviews lack flexibility so participants cannot expand on answers
- unstructured interviews cannot be replicated
- responses are often influenced by demand characteristics/social desirability
31
what is correlation used for
- to establish whether there is a relationship between 2 variables
- does not involve any manipulation
32
3 types of correlation
- positive
- negative
- no/zero
33
positive correlation
- as scores on one variable increase, so does the other
- does not show cause and effect but does show they are positively related
34
negative correlation
- As the scores on one variable increases, the other decreases
- does not indicate cause and effect but does show they are negatively related
35
strengths of correlations
- uses quantifiable measures of each variable
- gives information about the relationship between the variables measured
- strong negative/positive correlations form the basis for further researcher to establish cause and effect
36
weaknesses of correlations
- cause and effect cannot be established
- findings can be misleading as they can imply cause and effect relationships that don't exist
37
Strengths of participant observations
- Gives observer insight into participant emotions and motives
- participants may behave more naturally if they're unaware if the observers
- people may reveal more if they are unaware of the observer
38
Weaknesses of participant observations
- participants are aware they are being observed (but not by whom) so may not reflect normal behaviour
- observer may become subjective if they get involved with social group
- if participant observer is hidden, it raises ethical and practical issues as participants can't give informed consent
39
Strengths of non-participant observations
- if observer is overt, data recording systems make more accurate and detailed records
- observers remain objective from the social situation
40
Weaknesses of non-participant observations
- ethical questions raised if participants are unaware they're being observed (right to withdraw)
-if participants are aware of the observer, thus may impact behaviours displayed
41
Strengths of overt observations
- more ethical way to observe behaviour as the participants are aware of the observer's presence
42
Weaknesses of overt observations
- if the participants are aware of being observed, this can impact their behaviour
43
Strengths of covert observations
-participants will act more naturally if they're unaware they're being observed
- if covert and non-participant then data recording devices can increase accuracy
44
Weaknesses of covert observations
- if observer is identified or suspected then validity is compromised
- ethical questions raised, consent etc
- if the observer is a participant observer, becomes harder to record data accurately without being detected
45
Strengths of structured observations
- opertational definitions can be developed in a pilot study increasing validity
- operationally defined behaviour categories can be agreed between observers (more reliable)
- practising the use of data collection techniques improves inter-rater reliability
- photographic and video data collection allows for reanalysis of data
46
Weaknesses of structured observations
- simple definitions may not convey sufficient meaning
- total numbers of behaviours in a category can be meaningless without context, lowers validity
- predetermined behaviours may become limiting if new behaviours occur during the study
47
Strengths of unstructured observations
- without any predetermined behaviours, anything relevant can be recorded which provides richer data
- detailed descriptions rather than simple catagory totals means you get a more complete picture
48
Weaknesses of unstructured observations
- attempting to record everything means certain aspects may be missed or ignored
- some data may be irrelevant from key features
- without operational definitions, recording may be inconsistent or subjective
49
What is counterbalancing
- ABBA design
- sample is split into 2 groups
- group one does A then B, group 2 does B then A
50
Why is counterbalancing used
- eliminates order effects
- order effects still occur in both groups, but they cancel out as they occur equally in both groups
51
Time sampling
behaviours are recorded at predetermined intervals such as every 5 minutes
52
Instantaneous scan sampling
- behaviour is recorded at the start of the time interval
- e.g., every 10 seconds a researcher may record the action performed by the subject and any other actions being ignored
53
predominant activity sampling
at a determined interval e.g., every 10 seconds, the most common behaviour is recorded
54
One-zero time sampling
at timed intervals, coding frame is used to record whether a behaviour did or didn't happen
55
Event sampling
recording pre-established behaviours each time they occur
