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Psychology > Research methods booklet one > Flashcards

Research methods booklet one Flashcards

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1
Q

Why would a researcher do a pilot study?

A

To see if certain things specific to the study work or not.
The researcher can check if the tasks are too easy or too hard.

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2
Q

What is an aim?

A

This is a broad statement based on what’s going to be investigated in the study.

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3
Q

What is a confederate?

A

Someone who know the true aim of the experiment.

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4
Q

What is a hypothesis?

A

A prediction of the findings. A precise and testable statement of the relationship between two variables.

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5
Q

What is an alternative hypothesis?

A

A prediction of what the researcher thinks will happen to the DV when the IV changes.

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6
Q

What is a null hypothesis?

A

It states that the IV will have no effect on the DV and any observed differences will be due to chance.

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7
Q

What is a non-directional hypothesis?

A

Predicts there will be a difference between two conditions or groups of participants, without stating the direction.
Used when there is no previous research or when there is a controversy in research.

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8
Q

What is a directional hypothesis?

A

States the direction of the predicted difference between two conditions or two groups of participants.
It is chosen when previous research implies a pattern of findings indicating an expected finding.

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9
Q

What is operationalizing variables?

A

Making variables as specific and measurable as possible.

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10
Q

What are extraneous variables?

A

Variables which must be eliminated or controlled otherwise they may affect the dependant variable.

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11
Q

What is a pilot study?

A

A small-scale trial run of the experiment

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12
Q

What are situational variables?

A

Variables to do with the situation which might interfere with and affect the behaviour of participants in an experiment.
These can be controlled by standardised procedures and standardised instructions to ensure all the participants have the same experience.

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13
Q

What are participant variables?

A

Variables which are to do with the participants.
These can be controlled by randomly allocating participants to groups so that any differences cancel each other out with a large enough sample.

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14
Q

What are confounding variables?

A

Extraneous variables that cannot be controlled like situational and participant variables may affect the study.We cannot say whether the observed differences in the DV are due to the IV or the confounding variable.

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15
Q

What are demand characteristics?

A

An aspect of the research situation which leads the participants to guess the aim and change their behaviour accordingly, hence they do not behave naturally.

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16
Q

What can demand characteristics be partially controlled by?

A

Deception - the participants are not told the research aim.
Single blind method - the participants are not told which condition they are in.

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17
Q

What are investigator effects?

A

Anything the researcher does which can affect how the participant behaves and the subsequent data collected.

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18
Q

What can investigator effects be controlled by?

A

Double blind method - neither the researcher nor the participants know what the hypothesis is about or which condition they are in.

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19
Q

What is reliability?

A

Whether a measure is consistent and stable over time.

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20
Q

How would you test for reliability?

A

Test-retest - participants are tested once then the same participants are tested again at a later date.

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21
Q

What is validity?

A

Whether the test measures what it intends to measure.

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22
Q

What is internal validity?

A

Whether or not we can say for certain that the IV has caused the effect seen in the DV.

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23
Q

What is external validity?

A

The extent at which results can be generalised to other settings.

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24
Q

What is ecological validity?

A

The extent to which the results of a study can be generalised to real life.

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25
Q

How would you test for validity?

A

Face validity - look over the test to see whether it looks like it measures what it’s going to measure.

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26
Q

What is a target population?

A

A group of people researchers want to apply their results to.

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27
Q

What is a sample?

A

A small number of people from a target population who take part in the investigation.

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28
Q

When might sampling bias occur?

A

If the sample selected is not representative of the rest of the target population.

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29
Q

How would you avoid sampling bias?

A

The sample should be as large as possible.

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30
Q

What is random allocation?

A

Each participant is allocated a number. This number is either allocated to condition A or condition B.

31
Q

What is random sampling?

A

The names of the individuals in a population are pulled out of a hat or selected by a computer.

32
Q

What is a strength of random sampling?

A

It is the best technique for being representative because every person in the population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample.

33
Q

What is a weakness of random sampling?

A

The sample may still be unrepresentative if the sample is too small because participants from similar demographics could all be selected.

34
Q

What is opportunity sampling?

A

Obtaining people who are available at a certain location at a certain time to take part in the research.

35
Q

What is a strength of opportunity sampling?

A

It is easier and more convenient than many other types of sampling because less time, money and resources are required with this method.

36
Q

What is a weakness of opportunity sampling?

A

The sample will not likely be representative because the sample will be chosen from one specific area, so may not reflect the wider target population.

37
Q

What is volunteer sampling?

A

Responding to an advertisement placed in a strategic position.

38
Q

What is a strength of volunteer sampling?

A

It is easier and more convenient than random sampling because it requires minimal input from the researcher.

39
Q

What is a weakness of volunteer sampling?

A

It’s not likely to be representative because volunteers may be a certain profile of a person (curious and keen).

40
Q

What is systematic sampling?

A

Every nth member of a target population is selected and placed in different conditions.

41
Q

What is a strength of systematic sampling?

A

It is convenient if the sample is small because you are likely to get a complete sampling frame that can be used.

42
Q

What is a weakness of systematic sampling?

A

It is difficult if the population is large as it may be unrepresentative because it is very difficult to obtain a complete sample frame from a large population.

43
Q

What is stratified sampling?

A

The researcher identifies key strata (layers) of the population then calculate the correct proportions of each strata based on the proportions of the population.

44
Q

What is a strength of stratified sampling?

A

It is likely to be the most representative of all because the method makes sure that the strata in the sample reflects the strata in the target population.

45
Q

What is a weakness of stratified sampling?

A

It requires the most amount of time and resources because you need to obtain a full sampling frame and calculate the correct proportions, then randomly allocate them to ocnditions.

46
Q

What is quantitative data?

A

Numerical data
Collected in experiment-based research methods.

47
Q

What is qualitative data?

A

Descriptive data.
Often collected in case studies, unstructured observations and unstructured interviews.

48
Q

What are measures of central tendency?

A

Information about the ‘typical’ score

49
Q

What are measures of dispersion?

A

Information about how spread out the scores are.

50
Q

What are the advantages of the mean average?

A

It uses all the scores and is therefore the most powerful and sensitive measure of central tendency.

51
Q

What are the disadvantages of the mean average?

A

It can be easily distorted by extreme scores, making it unrepresentative.

52
Q

What are the advantages of the median?

A

It is unaffected by extreme values.
Easier calculated than the mean.

53
Q

What are the disadvantages of the median?

A

It only takes into account one or two scores.

54
Q

What are the advantages of the mode?

A

Unaffected by extreme values.
Easier to calculate than the mean

55
Q

What are the disadvantages of the mode.

A

It is not useful for small sets of data or when there are too many modes.
It doesn’t take into account the other scores.

56
Q

What are the advantages of range?

A

It is fairly easy and quick to work out.
It takes full account of extreme scores.

57
Q

What are the disadvantages of range?

A

It can be distorted by extreme scores.

58
Q

What are the advantages of standard deviation?

A

It takes into account all the scores and is therefore a more sensitive measure of spread.

59
Q

What are the disadvantages of standard deviation?

A

It is less meaningful if the data is not normally distributed.

60
Q

What are bar charts?

A

Used for non-continuous data.
Bars should separate and not touch.

61
Q

What are histograms?

A

Show data measured on a continuous scale of measurement and are useful for showing the distribution of scores.
Each column shows a class interval.
Frequency on y-axis

62
Q

What are scattergrams?

A

Used for displaying the results of correlations.
No line of best fit.

63
Q

What is normal distribution?

A

Any given attribute or behaviour, most people will gain a score that centres on the mean.
Median, mean and mode all occur on the same place.

64
Q

What is negatively skewed distribution?

A

Contains significantly higher scores than lower scores and can be classed as having a ceiling effect.

65
Q

What is positively skewed distribution?

A

Contains more low scores than high scores, and can be classed as having a floored effect.

66
Q

What does rights to withdraw mean?

A

All participants should be informed that they can drop out of the study at any time. They can also withdraw their data at a later point if necessary.

67
Q

What is debriefing?

A

Researchers must speak to all participants at the end of the study explaining what the study was fully about and what their results mean. It is the researcher’s responsibility to provide support if the Pt feels that they have been harmed in any way.

68
Q

What is protection from harm?

A

Pt’s must be protected from physical and mental harm. If vulnerable groups are used, they must receive special care.

69
Q

What is deception?

A

Intentionally with-holding information about the study or its aims from the participants.

70
Q

What is informed consent?

A

Participants should know as much as possible about the procedure before they agree to take part in the study.

71
Q

What is confidentiality?

A

Researchers need to make sure that that the participants privacy and identity is protected at all times.

72
Q

What is observational research?

A

Researchers are only allowed to complete research in the public domain, and this is often with the participant’s consent.

73
Q

Can Do Can’t Do With Participants?

A

Consent
Deception
Confidentiality
De-brief
Withdrawal
Protection from harm

Psychology (9 decks)

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