research methods: investigation design Flashcards
what is a hypothesis?
precice testable predication about what is expected to happen
what is an experimental hypothesis?
what you expect to happen
what is a null hypothesis?
any difference found is by chance
what is a directional hypothesis?
x will beat y, previous research is needed.
C1 - change word - DV - C2
what is a non directional hypothesis?
there is no known direction which it will go, conflicting evidence,
difference - DV - C1 - C2
what is the independent variable?
thing changed
what is the dependent variable?
thing measured
what is extraneous variables?
anything other than an IV that could impact DV, they need to be controlled to ensure everthing is the same for pts.
MULTO - materials, understanding, location, time, objectivity
what are controls?
measures put in place to deal with extraneous variables, standardising
what is randomisation?
use of chance in setting up the investigation to avoid bias
what are confounding variables?
that have already had an affect on the study
what is validity?
the extent at which a study measures what it sets out to measure
what is reliability?
the consistency of results
what is external validity?
concerned with how much the findings can be generalised to settings beyond the study
what is population validity?
extent to which findings from the study can be generalised to other groups of people, this is affected by an unrepresentative sample
what is ecological validity?
extent to which research findings can be generalised to real life situations, this is affected by an unrealistic setting
what is internal validity?
extent to which we can be sure that the findings of a study are due to what we say they are
what are demand characteristics?
when pts pick up clues and work out hypothesis of a study and behave accordingly
what are investigator effects?
any intentional influence of the researchers behaviour affects pts results
what are pilot studies?
small scale investigation to check design and identify EV’s
