Research Methods - Methodological issues

Question 1

What is generalisability?

Answer 1

The ability to generalise the results to the target population

Question 2

what is representativeness?

Answer 2

The ability to make the sample represent the target population regarding age, gender and ethnicity

Question 3

What is population validity?

Answer 3

How accurately a sample represents the intended population and how accurately it measures behaviour of general population

Question 4

What is low population validity?

Answer 4

When the generalisability is low, the population validity is low as findings from sample do not truly represent behaviours of population

Question 5

What is high population validity?

Answer 5

When the generalisability is high, the population validity is high as findings from sample represent behaviours of population

Question 6

What is reliability?

Answer 6

Whether a test can be repeated and produce the consistent results

Question 7

What is split half method?

Answer 7

Where one half of the test and the second are tested to see if they give the same consistency of results on each half

Question 8

What is external reliability?

Answer 8

The extent to which test scores vary form one time to another
* if i gave an IQ test to someone today would it give the same reading as if I give the test six months’ time?

Question 9

What is internal reliability?

Answer 9

How consistent results of a test are across items within the test

Question 10

What is test-retest reliability?

Answer 10

To see if the same results are achieved in both tests

Question 11

What is inter-rater reliability?

Answer 11

When two or more researchers consistently rate or observe the same behaviour and ratings are correlated

Question 12

What is validity?

Answer 12

How accurate research or test is at measuring what is set out to measure

Question 13

What is internal validity?

Answer 13

The extent to which the affect of the IV on the DV is being truly measured

Question 14

What is high internal validity?

Answer 14

When the research does not have many extraneous variables

Question 15

What is external validity?

Answer 15

How much the results can be generalised to other settings

Question 16

What is face validity?

Answer 16

How good a test or research looks to be testing what it is meant to be testing

Question 17

What is construct validity?

Answer 17

Where a test or study measures the actual behaviour it sets out to measure
* a test for intelligence shouldn’t asses general knowledge or memory

Question 18

What is concurrent validity?

Answer 18

When a test or piece of research gives the same results as another test or piece of research which claims to measure the same behaviour

Question 19

What is criterion validity?

Answer 19

How much one measure predicts the value of another measure

Question 20

What is predictive validity?

Answer 20

Where the test or research can predict certain behaviours, such as an IQ testing predicting success in education

Question 21

How would predictive validity be tested?

Answer 21

A group of people would be tested and tested again at a later stage in life to see if predictions were correct

Question 22

What is ecological validity?

Answer 22

How much the research is like real-life

• lab experiments lack EV
• field experiments have high EV

Question 23

What is demand characteristics?

Answer 23

When ppts change their behaviour to fit the aims of the experiment/research

Question 24

What is social desirability bias?

Answer 24

When ppts act in a certain way because they feel it will represent them in a good light