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Psychology Aqa > Research Methods EXPERIMENTAL > Flashcards

Research Methods EXPERIMENTAL Flashcards

1
Q

What is a paradigm?

A

Paradigm: a shared set of assumptions about a subject AKA AN APPROACH

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2
Q

What is a paradigm shift?

A

When another idea becomes more popular than the current one.
Eg behaviourism becoming more popular than Freud

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3
Q

What are the two types of theory construction and explain them

A

Induction: proposing the theory at the end after all research

Deduction: proving a theory made at the beginning of the study.

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4
Q

What are the four features of science?

A

Falsifiable- can it be proven wrong
Objective- no bias of any sort
Replicable- builds the validity of the study
Empirical- not based on stories but based on facts

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5
Q

How many experimental methods of conducting research are there?

A

4

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6
Q

What are all the experimental methods?

A

Laboratory - carried out in a controlled environment

Field - carried out in a more natural environment

Natural - carried out when it’s not ethical or practical to manipulate variables

Quasi - the variables cannot change as it’s a natural difference

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7
Q

What are the advs and disadvs of laboratory experiments?

A

Advs: high internal validity, easy to replicate

Disadvs: low ecological validity, demand characteristics

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8
Q

What are the advs and disadvs of field experiments?

A

Advs: high ecological validity, lack of demand characteristics

Disadvs: not replicable, low internal validity

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9
Q

What are the advs and disadvs of natural experiments?

A

Advs: allows research where IV cannot be manipulated, high ecological validity

Disadvs: lack of causal relationship, lack of random allocation

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10
Q

What are the advs and disadvs of quasi experiments?

A

Advs: allows comparison between types of people, can be done in a laboratory

Disadvs: lab has low ecological validity, lack of random allocation

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11
Q

What’s an independent variable?

A

The variable that is manipulated

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12
Q

What is a dependent variable?

A

The variable that is measured

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13
Q

What’s an extraneous (control) variable?

A

Variables other than the IV that affect the DV, like age.

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14
Q

What is a confounding variable?

A

Variables that aren’t controlled and ruin the experiment, like mood of participants.

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15
Q

What is and how to write a hypothesis?

A

Hypothesis- a formal statement of what is predicted to happen.
It must include both conditions of IV and the predicted outcome of the DV

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16
Q

What is a directional hypothesis ?

A

Directional hypothesis - says if the DV outcome is predicted to be higher or lower between each IV condition .RISKY without previous research

Eg group a with glasses will do better than group b without.

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17
Q

What is a non-directional hypothesis?

A

Non-directional hypothesis does not state the predicted outcome of the DV.

Eg there will be a difference in scores between group a with glasses and b without

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18
Q

What is a Null hypothesis?

A

Null hypothesis does not state any predicted outcome between IV conditions

Eg there will be no difference in scores between group a in glasses and b without.

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19
Q

How can a study be seen as reliable?

A

CONSISTENT results.

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20
Q

What is internal reliability?

A

Each participant is treated the same

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21
Q

What is external reliability?

A

Similar results found after you repeat a test

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22
Q

How can you test reliability?

A

Test-retest method - test the same participant twice

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23
Q

If a study is valid it is also…

A

Has high ACCURACY (representativeness)

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24
Q

What is internal validity?

A

Does it measures what it’s supposed to?

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25
What are the three types of external validity?
Ecological- realistic setting? Population validity- who’s used in your sample? Temporal validity- has the people changed?
26
How to assess validity?
Face validity- eyeballing it Concurrent validity- if others research is similar to yours
27
What are the three experimental DESIGNS?
Independent groups Repeated measure Matched pairs
28
What is an independent group design?
When a group of people do condition A and another different group does condition B
29
What is a repeated measure design?
When the same participants do condition A and B
30
What is a matched pair design?
When a pair of similar people are found and then divided into condition A and B
31
What’s the adv and disadv of independent group design
Adv- no order effect, pp less likely to guess aim so no demand characteristics Disadv- more ppl needed, no control over participant variables
32
How to fix the disadv of independent group design
Random allocation solves participant variable problem
33
What’s the advs and disadvs of repeated measure?
Advs- no participant variable, not so many people to pay and find etc Disadvs- order effects doing study twice so boredom or demand characteristics
34
How to fix the disadvs of repeated measure
Counterbalancing half the participants do conditions in order half do reverse order
35
What are the advs and disadvs of matched pairs
Advs- no order effect, less demand characteristics Disadvs- time consuming to match everyone, how to know what to match people on
36
What is a pilot study ?
A small scale prequel version of the study to see if there are any problems
37
Advantages and disadvantages of using the MEAN
Advs- uses whole spread of data Disadvs- skewed easily by anomalies
38
Advantages and disadvantages of using the MEDIAN
Advs- not affected by anomalies Disadvs- doesn’t use all the data
39
Advantages and disadvantages of using the MODE
Advs- used in nominal data Disadvs- not useful if several modes
40
Advantages and disadvantages of using the RANGE
Advs- easy to calculate Disadvs- affected by anomalies, does not use all data
41
What are the two types of distribution?
Symmetrical and Skewed
42
What is the difference between positive skew and negative skew
Positive skew- median is higher than the mode Negative skew- median is lower than the mode
43
How many types of sampling methods are there
5 (skittles lesson)
44
What are the names of the sampling methods
Opportunity sampling Random sampling Stratified sampling Systematic sampling Volunteer sampling
45
What are the advantages and disadvantages of opportunity
Adv: easiest, convenient, all 100% willing Disadv: only one type of person (uni students), investigator bias (suckups)
46
What are the advantages and disadvantages of random
Adv: no investigator bias Disasv: time consuming, may not be willing, only works for small populations
47
What are the advantages and disadvantages of stratified
Adv: get a large population, accurate population validity Disadv: most time consuming, may not be willing
48
What is stratified sampling
Reflects the proportions of subgroups in target population (sorting skittles on colour)
49
What is systematic sampling
Every nth member of the target population selected
50
What are the advantages and disadvantages of systematic
Adv: no investigator bias Disadv: time consuming, not guaranteed a good sample
51
What are the advantages and disadvantages of volunteer
Adv: very easy, 100% willing Disadv: bias, expensive bribes, actually get enough people to volunteer
52
When was the ethical guidelines adopted
1980
53
Why were the ethical guidelines adopted
Because people were scared of crazy psychologists and didn’t wanna participate in studies 🤪
54
For ethical guideline one (INFORMED CONSENT) do you need a signature from the pp
Not necessarily you need **A** signature Retrospective consent - ask after Presumptive consent- ask people similar to pp Prior general- pp signs but is totally oblivious
55
Deception is *technically* not allowed… how can we bypass this
Debrief so explain why you needed to lie Option to withdraw
56
Technically you’re not *supposed* to harm pps… how can we bypass this
Debrief so explain why you needed to lock them in a prison cell *hint hint Zimbardo* Right to withdraw Off paying for counselling *hint hint Zimbardo*
57
How can we be confidential
All field and natural experiments done in public Guarantee anonymity
58
You **cannot** bypass privacy 🙄 how can you ensure it
Use numbers not names Never broadcast videos or photos
59
What are the four data types?
Nominal Ordinal Interval Ratio
60
What is **nom**inal data?
Categories in a usually small table
61
What is ordinal data?
Scaled or ranked data (look for out of ten)
62
What is interval data?
Data with units including negative numbers
63
What is ratio data?
Data with units but NO negative numbers
64
What is the significance level needed for a study to be seen as VALID
**p** greater than or equal to **5**
65
How do you challenge another psychologist into a significance duel?
1. Do a study with a lower significance level than your partner 2. Rub it in their face
66
What is a type 1 error?
False Positive - you rejected null hypothesis when you *rlly shouldn’t*
67
What is a type 2 error?
False negative- accept null hypothesis when you *rlly shouldn’t*
68
How to reduce errors?
**Bigger** sample
69
Inferential Statistics
Carrots 🥕 - *chi squared* Should- *sign* Come- *chi squared* Mashed- *Mann-Whitney* With- *Wilcoxon* Swede - *Spearman* Under- *Unrelated Test* Roast- *Related Test* Potatoes 🥔 - *Pearson*
70
Formal write-ups for journals MUST include:
Title, duh Abstract (blurb) Introduction **method** **results** **discussion** **references** Appendices
71
What’s an abstract?
Overview of report at the beginning, includes everything
72
What’s in an introduction ?
Background information about why you did the topic
73
What is in the method?
Ethics, experiment design, pp information, procedures
74
What’s in a discussion?
Yap a lot about the findings
75
Give an example of how you would write a reference!
Jones, D. (2021). Brain chemistry when teaching English vs Mathematics. 2nd edition. Salisbury: JHS Printing
76
What is included in the appendix?
A little package of all the paperwork you used eg Consent Forms Standardised Instructions Copy of questionnaires etc Raw Data Debrief Forms
77
What is a *peer* ?
An expert in the department of psychology you wanna submit work for.
78
Are peer reviewers useful?
They protect the quality of published work so psychology can look good.
79
How can peer reviewers be evil?
Delay your work so they can a) publish their own or b) cuz they hate you personally Journals LOVE exciting cases so yours may be delayed
80
What is investigator bias?
When a researchers expectations, actions skew results
81
How to fix investigator bias ?
Double blind tests = **both** parties don’t know which group is which condition Standardised instructions

Psychology Aqa (5 decks)

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