Research Methods Knowledge Flashcards
What ethical issues arise in psychology?
Conflict between the rights of participants and the needs of researchers.
What is informed consent?
Making participants aware of the aims, procedures, and their rights regarding participation.
True or False: Participants should feel coerced to take part in research.
False
What is deception in psychological research?
Withholding information or being deliberately dishonest with participants.
What does protection from harm entail?
Participants should not be placed at more risk than in their daily lives and should be protected from physical and psychological harm.
What is confidentiality?
Participants’ rights to have their personal data protected.
What is the BPS Code of Ethics?
A set of ethical guidelines that researchers must follow when conducting research.
What does presumptive consent involve?
Getting consent from a similar group rather than the participants themselves.
What is prior general consent?
Participants give permission for multiple studies, including those that may involve deception.
What is retrospective consent?
Participants are asked for consent during debriefing after already participating in the study.
What must be included in a debrief after a study?
The true aims of the investigation, details not provided earlier, and information on data usage.
True or False: Participants have the right to withdraw their data.
True
What is the definition of population in research?
The large group of individuals that a researcher is interested in studying.
What is a sample in research?
A smaller group selected from the population for investigation.
What is random sampling?
Each member of a population has an equal chance of being selected.
List one strength of random sampling.
- Potentially unbiased
- Enhances internal validity
What is a limitation of random sampling?
It is difficult and time-consuming to conduct.
What is systematic sampling?
Every nth member of the target population is selected from a sampling frame.
List one strength of systematic sampling.
- Objective selection process
- Reduces researcher bias
What is a limitation of systematic sampling?
It can be difficult and time-consuming to conduct.
Fill in the blank: The right to _______ refers to participants controlling information about themselves.
[privacy]
What is the target population?
A subset of the general population that a researcher is interested in.
What is the role of ethics committees?
To implement ethical guidelines and assess research proposals’ ethical acceptability.
What psychological harm might participants experience?
- Embarrassment
- Feeling inadequate
- Undue stress or pressure
True or False: Participants’ data must be shared with other researchers.
False
What is stratified sampling?
A sampling method where the composition of the sample reflects the proportions of people in certain sub-groups (strata) within the target population
Examples of sub-groups include age or gender.
What must a researcher do before conducting stratified sampling?
Identify different sub-groups within the target population and calculate needed proportions for a representative sample.
What is the strength of stratified sampling?
Produces a representative sample that allows for generalisation of findings.
List two limitations of stratified sampling.
- Identified strata may not reflect all differences among people
- It is time-consuming and difficult to conduct.
What is opportunity sampling?
Selecting anyone who happens to be willing or available to take part in the study.
What is a strength of opportunity sampling?
It is convenient and less costly in terms of time and money.
What is a limitation of opportunity sampling?
Samples are unrepresentative of the target population, leading to findings that cannot be generalised.
What is volunteer sampling?
A method where an advert is produced, and individuals self-select themselves to take part.
What is a strength of volunteer sampling?
It requires minimal input from the researcher, making it less time-consuming.
What is a limitation of volunteer sampling?
Volunteer bias may attract a certain profile of person, reducing the representativeness of the sample.
What is the purpose of formulating a hypothesis in research?
To predict a statistically significant effect of an independent variable (IV) on a dependent variable (DV) or a significant relationship between variables.
What is a directional hypothesis?
A hypothesis that states the direction of the difference or relationship, using terms like more, less, higher, or lower.
What is a non-directional hypothesis?
A hypothesis that does not specify the direction of the difference or relationship.
Fill in the blank: In an experiment, the researcher manipulates the _______ variable and measures the effect on the _______ variable.
[independent], [dependent]
What is the control condition in an experiment?
The condition that provides a baseline measure of behaviour without manipulation of the IV.
What is the experimental condition in an experiment?
The condition that involves the manipulation of the independent variable.
Define extraneous variables.
Any variable other than the IV that may affect the DV if not controlled.
What are confounding variables?
Extraneous variables that vary systematically with the IV, obscuring the true source of change in the DV.
List four examples of confounding variables in a study measuring calorie intake on weight.
- Metabolic rate
- Age
- Physical activity
- Height
What are demand characteristics in research?
Clues that participants use to interpret the experimental situation, which may lead to altered behaviour.
What are investigator effects?
Any impact of the investigator’s behaviour on the research outcome, whether conscious or unconscious.
What is a single blind procedure?
A procedure where participants do not know which condition they are taking part in.
What is a double blind procedure?
A procedure where neither the participants nor the investigator know which condition the participants are in.
What is randomisation in research?
The use of chance to control for the effects of investigator bias when designing materials and deciding the order of conditions.
What is the purpose of standardisation in research?
To ensure all participants are subject to the same environment, information, and experience to reduce extraneous variables.
What is experimental design?
The way in which participants are used in experiments, including how they are arranged in relation to different experimental conditions.
What is a sample in experimental design?
A selection of participants from the target population that represent the population.
What is Independent Groups Design?
A design where two separate groups of participants experience two different conditions of the experiment.
How are participants allocated in Independent Groups Design?
Through random allocation (lottery method) to ensure each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to a group.
What is Repeated Measures Design?
A design where all participants experience both conditions of the experiment.
What are order effects in Repeated Measures Design?
Effects that can occur due to the order in which conditions are experienced by participants.
What is counterbalancing?
A technique to reduce order effects by having half of the participants experience conditions in one order and the other half in the opposite order.
What is Matched Pairs Design?
A design where participants are paired on relevant variables, and one from each pair is allocated to different conditions.
What is a lab experiment?
An experiment conducted in a highly controlled environment.
What is a strength of lab experiments?
High control over confounding and extraneous variables, increasing internal validity.
What is a limitation of lab experiments?
They may lack generalizability due to the artificial environment, resulting in low ecological validity.
What is a field experiment?
An experiment where the IV is manipulated in a natural, everyday setting.
What is a strength of field experiments?
Higher ecological validity and mundane realism due to the natural environment.
What is a limitation of field experiments?
Loss of control over confounding and extraneous variables, making it difficult to establish cause and effect.
What is a natural experiment?
An experiment where the researcher has no control over the IV, which varies due to external factors.
What is a strength of natural experiments?
They provide opportunities for research that may not be possible for practical or ethical reasons.
What is a limitation of natural experiments?
Naturally occurring events may happen rarely, limiting research opportunities and generalizability.
What is a quasi experiment?
An experiment where the IV is based on an existing difference between people, such as age or gender.
What is a strength of quasi experiments?
They are often conducted under controlled conditions, sharing strengths with laboratory experiments.
What is a limitation of quasi experiments?
They cannot randomly allocate participants, leading to potential confounding variables.
Fill in the blank: In Independent Groups Design, participants are assigned to groups by _______.
random allocation
True or False: Counterbalancing eliminates order effects.
False
What is a pilot study?
A small-scale trial run of the actual investigation.
What is the main purpose of a pilot study?
To road test the procedure and check if the investigation runs smoothly.
True or False: Pilot studies are only used in experimental studies.
False
How does a pilot study benefit self-report methods?
It helps to try out questions in advance and remove or reword ambiguous ones.
What role does a pilot study play in observational studies?
It checks coding systems before the real investigation is undertaken.
List three strengths of pilot studies.
- Saves time and money
- Valid data collection
- Provides practice for researchers
What is a limitation of pilot studies regarding participants?
More participants are required for the main study.
What could be a downside of a pilot study being shared publicly?
Future participants may experience demand characteristics.
What are observations in research?
A non-experimental method to study observable behaviour.
What are the three categories of observations?
- Controlled vs. Naturalistic
- Overt vs. Covert
- Participant vs. Non-participant
Describe naturalistic observations.
They take place in the setting where the target behaviour usually occurs.
List a strength and a limitation of naturalistic observations.
- Strength: Higher external validity
- Limitation: Difficult to replicate due to lack of control
What is a controlled observation?
An observation with some control over variables.
Give an example of a researcher who used controlled observation.
Mary Ainsworth in her Strange Situation studies.
True or False: Controlled observations have higher ecological validity.
False
What characterizes covert observation?
Participants are unaware they are being observed.
List one strength and one limitation of covert observations.
- Strength: Reduces demand characteristics
- Limitation: Ethical concerns regarding privacy
What is overt observation?
Participants know they are being observed and have given consent.
What is a potential drawback of overt observation?
Participants may alter their behaviour due to awareness of being observed.
What is participant observation?
The observer becomes part of the group being studied.
List one strength and one limitation of participant observation.
- Strength: Increased insight into participants’ lives
- Limitation: Loss of objectivity
Define non-participant observations.
Researchers remain separate from those they are studying.
What is a strength of non-participant observation?
Increased objectivity due to psychological distance.