research methods: experimental methods and design

Question 1

laboratory experiment?

Answer 1

investigates differences in controlled settings,
pts aware they are in study but not their role,
they are randomly allocated to conditions

Question 2

advantage of laboratory experiment?

Answer 2

high control- accuracy and objectivity,
cause and effect- manipulate is the cause as a result of control

Question 3

disadvantage of laboratory experiment?

Answer 3

investigator effects, demand characteristics, lacks ecological validity

Question 4

field experiment?

Answer 4

experiments are in natural setting, an independent variable is manipulated,
eg: bickman: compliance- researchers dressed casually or uniforms and asked public to do things

Question 5

field experiment advantage?

Answer 5

ecological validity, less demand characteristics

Question 6

field experiment disadvantages?

Answer 6

extraneous variable hard to control, less control so difficult to replicate, ethical issues

Question 7

natural experiment?

Answer 7

naturally varying IV’s investigated,
IV is not manipulated by researcher

Question 8

natural experiment advantage?

Answer 8

allows experimenter to study effects of an IV that can’t be ethically manipulated,
behaviour likely to be representative,
no demand characteristics

Question 9

natural experiment disadvantage?

Answer 9

cause and effect relationship difficult to ascertain- little control of IV

Question 10

quasi experiment?

Answer 10

naturally occurring IV where pts can’t be assigned randomly to groups

Question 11

repeated measures?

Answer 11

each pts tested in both conditions, pts tested against themselves

Question 12

repeated measures strengths?

Answer 12

pt variables reduced, fewer people needed

Question 13

repeated measures weaknesses?

Answer 13

need to change materials, the order that conditions take place could affect results

Question 14

how to overcome repeated measures weaknesses?

Answer 14

counterbalancing- randomly allocate half pts to C1 and C2 to do those conditions first, don’t let them discuss afterwards

Question 15

independent groups?

Answer 15

different pts in each condition, only do 1 condition

Question 16

independent groups strengths?

Answer 16

avoids order effects

Question 17

independent groups weaknesses?

Answer 17

pt variable, need more pts than repeated to end up with same amount of data

Question 18

how to overcome independent groups weaknesses?

Answer 18

random allocation- put names into random generator, 1st half condition 1, 2nd half condition 2

Question 19

matched pairs?

Answer 19

involves matching pts on key characteristics of study and placing them into conditions

Question 20

matched pairs strengths?

Answer 20

reduces pt variables as the researcher has tried to pair up the pts so that each condition has people with similar abilities

Question 21

matched pair weaknesses?

Answer 21

time consuming, can only match variables known to researcher, if one pt drops out you lose 2 pts data

Question 22

how to match pairs?

Answer 22

indentify key variables, test them on the variable, analyse results to find a match, and allocate to different conditions

Question 23

co variables?

Answer 23

the variables investigated in a correlation, not referred to as IV or DV as the study is investigating the relationship between them not trying to show a cause and effect

Question 24

what is a positive correlation?

Answer 24

occurs when one co variable increases as another co variable increases

Question 25

what is a negative correlation?

Answer 25

where one co variable increases while another co variable decreases