Research Methods & Ethics Flashcards
1
Q
why is the scientific method important?
A
Enables us to distinguish true effects from folk knowledge, anecdotes, etc.
2
Q
steps in scientific method
A
- Choose a question
- Formulate hypothesis
- Conduct study
- Analyze data -> draw conclusion about hypothesis
- Make findings public
3
Q
2 standards of research
A
reliability and validity
4
Q
reliability
A
consistency; will the same results be found if the study is repeated?
- interrater reliability: do different observers agree re: behaviour they witness?
- test-retest reliability: does performance stay similar when re-tested?
5
Q
validity
A
- accuracy; are you measuring what you think you’re measuring?
- Internal validity: can effects observed be attributed to what you’re manipulating?
- External validity: is your finding applicable to new contexts?
6
Q
basic research designs
A
- correlational
- experimental
7
Q
correlational designs (and pros/cons)
A
- no manipulation; determines if a relationship exists between 2 variables
- pros: measures people as they are; learn about cause and effect
- cons: no causal info -> directionality and 3rd variable problem
8
Q
experimental designs (and pros/cons)
A
- participants randomly assigned to different groups -> does IV manipulation cause changes in DV?
- pros: causal info
- cons: random assignment necessary, ethical considerations
9
Q
longitudinal designs (and pros/cons)
A
- same participants tested repeatedly at different ages
- ex. following same group of kids from birth to age 3
- Advantages: gives info about stability/patterns of change in individuals; cohort effects avoided
- Disadvantages: time consuming and expensive; attrition
10
Q
cross-sectional designs (and pros/cons)
A
- different groups of participants tested at different ages around the same time
- ex. test groups of newborns, 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, and 3-year-olds all at once
- Advantages: reveal similarities and differences between kids of different ages
- Disadvantages: risk of cohort effects, no info about stability over time
11
Q
ethical considerations
A
- Balancing risks vs. Benefits -> do the benefits to be gained from a study outweigh any potential risks?
- Ex. Physical risk, psychological risk
- ex. Strange Situation ethically okay because it’s minimal risk (no greater risk than child would encounter in everyday life, ex. at daycare)
12
Q
ethical issues when working with developmental populations
A
- Non-harmful procedures: using the least stressful procedure possible
- Consent: needed from both parents and child
- Anonymity & privacy: important to keep all data private
- Discussing child’s well-being with parents: if child discloses something that may negatively influence their well-being, you are ethically obligated to disclose it to parents
- Unforeseen consequences: research must immediately be stopped if it causes unforeseen negative consequences
- Being mindful of effect of findings on parents/children (implications for society): framing research findings in an appropriate and ethical way so that they’re best interpreted by society (ex. Anti-depressant study)
13
Q
contexts for gathering data about children
A
- interviews
- naturalistic observations
- structured observations
14
Q
interviews
A
- Children answer questions asked either in person or on a questionnaire
- 2 types:
- structured: self-reports on same topics from all participants
- clinical: in-depth info about 1 child
- Advantages: reveals child’s subjective experience, inexpensive/easy, clinical allows for flexibility
- Disadvantages: reports are often biased, subject’s memory often inaccurate/incomplete, participant’s ability to predict their actions are often inaccurate
15
Q
naturalistic observations
A
- Observing child in everyday settings
- Used when the primary goal is to DESCRIBE behaviour
- Advantages: useful for describing everyday behaviour and studying social interactions
- Disadvantages: can’t control all variables, hard to determine which variables influenced the behaviour, observer may influence behaviour, behavior of interest might occur rarely