Research methods (Mock) Flashcards
What are strengths of Laboratory experiements?
Usually high in internal validty because extraneous variables can be controlled.
What is a laboratory experiment?
An experiment conducted in a special enviroment where variable can be carefully controlled.
What are limitations of Laboratory experiements?
- Participants usually are aware that their behaviour is being studied. Leading to particpants searching for cues about the aims of the experiments and affect behaviour reducing realness.
- Low ecological validty as P’s may feel uncomfortable in an unknown and artifical enviroment. Causes change in usual behaviour.
What is a field experiment?
An experiment conducted in a more natural enviroment i.e. in ‘the field’.
What are strengths of Field experiments?
- Participants are not likely to be aware that their behvaiour is being studied
- A field experiment takes places in a more natural setting (e.g a classroom), particpants are more relaxed.
What are limitations of Field experiments?
- It is more difficult to control extraneous variables.
- There is a major ethical issue
What is a Natural Experiment?
An experiment conducted when it is not possible, for ethical or practical reasons, to deliberately manipulate an IV.
What are the strengths of Natural experiments?
- Allows research where IV can’t be manipulated for ethical or practical reasons.
- Enables researchers to study ‘real’ problems such as the effect of a disaster on health (increased mundane realism and ecological validty).
What are limitations of Natural experiments?
- Cannot demomstrate casual relationships because IV not directly manipulated.
- Can only be used where conditions vary naturally.
- Participants may be aware of being studied, creating demand characteristics and reducing internal validity.
What is strength of Quasi-experiments?
Allows comparisons between types of people.
What are limitations of Quasi-experiments?
- Participants may be aware of being studied, creating demand characteristics and reducing internal validty.
- The DV may be a fairly artificial task, reducing mundane realism.
Hypothesis
A precise and testable statement which is based on an assumption of a relationship between variables.
What are the strengths of Mean?
Most sensitive measure of central tendency as it includes all the raw data most suitable for interval or ratio data.
What are the limitations of Mean?
Can be biased by skewed (outlying) scores. (eg. 2.4).
Can not be representative of the data at all times eg average family size 2.4 children!
Correlation
Determing the relationship between two variables. May both increase together (postive) or one co-variable increase while the other decreases (negative)
What is a correlation used for?
Analyse the association between two variables, in this case co-variables
Directional hypothesis (one/tail)
States the direction of the predicted different (or relationship in the correlational study) between two condition or two groups of participants.
Meta analysis
A research looks at findings from a number of different studies and produced a statistic to represent the overall effect.
Strengths of meta analysis
- Increase validity of the conclusions drawn as they are based on a wider sample of participants.
- Allows us to reach an overall conclusion by having statistic to represent the findings of different studies
Limitations of Meta analysis
The studies are not truly comparable. - Conclusion may not all be valid
Standard deviation
The amount of variation in a data set. It assesses the spread of data around the mean
Strengths of SD
- Takes into account all scores
- More precise measure of SD
- Not difficult to calculate if you have a calculator
Limitations of SD
- May hide some characteristics of the date set eg extreme values
Correlation coefficient
A measure of extent of correlation that exists between the co-variables. it is a numerical value between +1 and -1
Perfect postive correlation
1
High positive correlation
0.8
Low positive correlation
0.3
No correlation
0
Low negative correlation
-0.3
High negative correlation
-0.8
Perfect negative correlation
-1
