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psychology > research methods (Mr Daniels 1) > Flashcards

research methods (Mr Daniels 1) Flashcards

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1
Q

what are aims?

A

a general statement that describes the purpose of the investigation.

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2
Q

what is a hypothesis?

A

a statement made at the start of the of the study that states the relationship between the variables.

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3
Q

what is the difference between directional (one tailed) and non directional (two tailed) hypotheses?

A
  • directional is when the researcher makes it clear what difference they are expecting to see. it will be the difference between the conditions or groups. it may include words like slower, faster more.
  • non-directional states the difference between conditions or groups but the nature of difference is not specified.
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4
Q

what is a null hypothesis?

A
  • it suggests that nothing will happen.
  • psychology aims to disprove a null hypothesis so we start with two and use findings to accept one and reject the other.
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5
Q

what is the dependant variable?

A

the variable we measure.

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6
Q

what is the independent variable?
what are the levels?

A
  • the variable that is manipulated.
  • there are two levels which are tested.
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7
Q

what is operationalization?

A

turning an idea into something concrete.

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8
Q

what are extraneous variables?

A

any other variables apart from the IV that could interfere with the results.
e.g. age of participants, lighting in the lab.

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9
Q

what are confounding variables?

A

variables that do change systematically with the IV.

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10
Q

what are demand characteristics?

A

when participants look for clues to find out what the purpose of the research is. the clues are demand characteristics that can help the participant second guess the experimenters intentions. this alters the way they act.

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11
Q

what is investigator effects?

A
  • the unconscious behaviour that an investigator might display which can affect the research outcome.
  • e.g. smiling when a participant does a certain action.
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12
Q

what is randomisation?

A
  • helps reduce researchers influence on the design of the investigation.
  • participants should be randomly determined to different conditions.
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13
Q

what is standardisation?

A
  • all participants should be subjected to the same environment, information and experience.
  • there is a list of exactly what will be done in the study.
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14
Q

what is independent groups experiment design?

A
  • when 2 separate groups of participants experience two different conditions.
  • if there are 2 levels of IV each group will experience a different level.
  • two groups are compared.
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15
Q

EVALUATION of independent groups

A

+no order effects because participants aren’t repeating the task.

-there may be individual differences in participants

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16
Q

what is repeated measures experiment design?

A

participants complete all the conditions.

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17
Q

EVALUATION of repeated measures

A

+participant variables are controlled
+fewer participants needed

-order effects

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18
Q

what is matched pairs experiment design?

A
  • participants are paired together based on a variable related to the experiment.
  • each participant does a different condition.
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19
Q

EVALUATION of matched pairs

A

+no order effects
+minimised individual differences

-matching is time consuming and expensive
-participants cant be matched perfectly

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20
Q

what are lab experiments?

A
  • conducted in highly controlled environments
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21
Q

EVALUATION of lab experiments

A

+high control of extraneous variables
+reliable

-artificial and lacks generalisability
-demand characteristics
-low mundane realism

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22
Q

what are field experiments?

A
  • where the IV is manipulated in a natural, more everyday setting.
23
Q

EVALUATION of field experiments

A

+higher mundane realism
+high external validity

-loss of control over extraneous variables
- ethical issues

24
Q

what are natural experiments?

A
  • when the researcher takes advantage of a pre-existing independent variable.
  • variable would have been changed even if the researcher was not interested.
25
Q

EVALUATION of natural experiments

A

+gives opportunities for research that may not have happened otherwise due to practical or ethical reasons. e.g. Romanian orphans.
+high external validity

-a naturally occurring event only happens rarely which reduces chances for research.
-less generalisable.

26
Q

what are quasi experiments?

A
  • IV is based on an existing difference between people.
  • no one manipulated the variable.
  • e.g. gender.
27
Q

EVALUATION of quasi experiments

A

+controlled conditions

-participants aren’t randomly allocated so there may be a confounding variable.

28
Q

what are correlations and the types?

A
  • they illustrate the strength and direction of an association between variables.
  • positive correlations = when one co-variable increases so does the other.
  • negative correlations = when one co-variable increases the other decreases.
  • zero correlation = when there is no relationship between co-variables.
29
Q

what is the difference between correlations and experiments?

A
  • in an experiment the researcher manipulates IV to measure the effect of DV.
  • in a correlation there is no manipulation so we cant establish cause and effect.
30
Q

EVALUATION of correlations

A

+provide a concise and quantifiable measure of how variables are related
+suggests further research

-no establishing of cause and effect

31
Q

what are measures of central tendency?

A
  • averages which give information about most typical values.
  • mean, median, mode.
32
Q

what is the mean?

A

adding up all the scores and dividing it by the total number of scores

33
Q

EVALUATION of mean

A

+its includes all scores so is representative

-mean can be distorted by extreme values

34
Q

what is the median?

A
  • the middle value of a set of data
35
Q

EVALUATION of median

A

+extreme scores don’t have an impact
+easy to calculate

-not all scores are included in the final calculation

36
Q

what is the mode?

A
  • most frequently occurring value in a set of data
37
Q

EVALUATION of mode

A

+easy to calculate

-its very different from the mean and median

38
Q

what are measures of dispersion?

A
  • they are based on the spread of scores - how far they vary and differ from one another
  • range, standard deviation
39
Q

what is the range?

A
  • taking the lowest value from the highest value and adding 1.
40
Q

EVALUATION of range

A

+easy to calculate

-only takes into account the two most extreme values
-unrepresentative

41
Q

what is standard deviation?

A
  • a single score that tells you how far the scores deviate from the mean.
  • larger the standard deviation, the greater the spread within the set of data. this suggest not all participants are affected by the IV in the same way.
42
Q

EVALUATION of standard deviation

A

+more precise measure of dispersion than range because it involves all values

  • can be distorted by a single value
42
Q

what is continuous data?

A
  • quantitative data that can be measured.
  • infinite number of possible values within a selected range.
  • e.g. temperature range.
43
Q

what is discrete data?

A
  • quantitative data that can be counted.
  • finite number of possible values.
  • e.g. days of the week.
44
Q

what is a bar chart used for?

A
  • discrete data.
  • shows differences in data.
45
Q

what are scattergrams used for?

A
  • discrete data (correlation)
  • shows associations between co-variables.
46
Q

what are histograms used for?

A
  • continuous (grouped data)
  • shows how grouped data are spread.
47
Q

what are line graphs used for?

A
  • continuous (not grouped data)
  • shows how a variable changes.
48
Q

what are what is normal distribution?

A
  • when measuring certain variables, the frequency of these measurements should from a bell curve.
  • most people are located in the middle and few at the extreme ends.
49
Q

what are skewed distributions?

  • positive skew?
  • negative skews?
A
  • unbalanced, asymmetrical patterns.
  • it leans to one side or the other.
  • positive skews are focused on the left. e.g. test results.
  • negative skews are focused on the right. e.g. easy test.
50
Q

what is probability?

A
  • maths of chance.
  • a number that tells you how likely something is to happens.
51
Q

what is the sign test?

A
  • determines whether the difference we have found is significant.
52
Q

concept of probability

A
  • the accepted probability in psychology is 0.05. this is the level where a psychologist can decide to accept the hypothesis or not.
  • we can be confident that its not due to chance.
53
Q

how to do the sign test?

A
  1. state hypothesis.
  2. record data and work out sign. record a + if data has increases and - if data has decreased.
  3. find the calculated value. add up all pluses and add all minuses. the smaller is the calculated value.
  4. find the critical value. total number of scores. then use table.

psychology (7 decks)

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