Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

year 1 Psychology > Research Methods-non-experimental Techniques > Flashcards

Research Methods-non-experimental Techniques Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Psychology 101 flashcards GRE® Psychology flashcards AP® Psychology flashcards
1
Q

what is a case study

A

an in depth study of an individual or small group of people over time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

where are case studies usually carried out

A

in the real world

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

what do case studies involve the study of

A

unique or extreme circumstance that cannot be investigated experimentally

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

what are the 3 research methods used in case studies

A

psychological testing
observations
interviews

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

what is psychological testing

A

IQ testing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

what are observations

A

researchers may observe behaviour in different situations

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

what are interviews

A

to find out about their circumstances

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

what sources can be used during the interview

A

the individual themselves
family and friends

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

key word to describe case studies + definition

A

idiographic meaning individualistic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what is the opposite of idiographic + meaning

A

nomothetic meaning general laws of behaviour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

key word to describe case studies as being over a long period of time

A

longitudinal meaning changes to behaviour can be observed over time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Strengths of case studies
(concerned with data)

A

they provide a large amount of quantitative and qualitative data and therefore detailed understanding of the behaviour
case studies involve several methods which allows us to triangulate data enabling checks for validity and reliability

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Strengths of case studies
(reflecting real life experiences)

A

case studies are more ecologically valid
they reflect real life experiences

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

strength of case studies
(heuristic)

A

a single anomalous case may lead to revision of a theory
this means they have heuristic value

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

what does heuristic mean

A

potential to stimulate or encourage further thinking

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

limitation of case studies
(involving the study of a small amount of people)

A

case studies involve the study of a small amount of people so its not possible to make
generalisations-as each persons brain is unique
reliability-as you can replicate them

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

limitations of case studies
(large amount of data)

A

they generate large amounts of data so they have to be selective in the aspects they report
they are likely to pick data that supports their hypothesis
thus introducing the possibility of researcher bias
which decreases validity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

limitations of case studies
(memories)

A

we have to rely on peoples memories to find out what the individual was like before the incident
people memories are unreliable to we are unsure for certain what they were like before the event so we cant draw firm conclusions from it

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

limitations of case studies
(subjective)

A

there are problems around the subjective interpretation of the findings so may lack validity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

what are the ethical issues linked to case studies

A

confidentiality-because of the individuals unique characteristics they may be identified
however it is important to to retain anonymity because
-they may be embarrassed if people can identify them
-may be treated badly by people
may lead to psychological harm

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

what are observational techniques

A

observational techniques involve observing actual behaviour which are subsequently scored

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

what do the behaviours need to be so that the researcher can observe them

A

operationalised-so that the observer knows what to look out for and measure
eventually these can be counted(through tallying) to produce a score

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

what is a controlled obervation

A

where a researcher attempts to control certain variables
they can be achieved by carrying out experiments in a laboratory

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

what is a naturalistic experiment

A

examines behaviour in a natural setting without the investigator interfering in any way

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

advantages of a controlled experiment

A

high control over variables means the experiment can be replicated and reliability can be assessed
the exclusion of extraneous variables allows for greater inference of cause and effect

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

disadvantages of a controlled experiment

A

low ecological validity as its carried out in an artificial setting with potential outside interference from the researcher

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

advantages of a naturalistic experiment

A

high ecological validity as the researcher records behaviour in the naturally occurring environment without any outside interference from the researcher

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

disadvantages of a naturalistic experiment

A

lack of control over variables so the researcher can replicate it to check reliability

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

what is a participant observation

A

where the researcher become actively involved in the situation being studied
they take part in the same activities and become a member o that group

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

what is a non-participant observation

A

the researcher remains external to those being observed
they remain at some distance
and do not take part in group activities

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

what are the advantages of participant observation

A

the researcher can obtain in depth data which improves validity
they are close in proximity to the participant so are unlikely to overlook or miss any behaviour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

what are the disadvantages of participant observation

A

-the researchers presence may impact participants behaviour due to evaluation apprehension
-investigator effects may also be present
-this overall impacts validity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

what are the advantages of a non-participant observation

A

investigator effect and apprehension evaluation are less likely as the researcher is not visible

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

what are the disadvantages of a non-participant observation

A

due to lack of proximity the researcher may overlook/miss behaviours of interest which may decrease validity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

what is an overt observation

A

an observation where the observer is clearly visible (not hidden from view)
the participant is aware the observer is studying them

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

what is a covert observation

A

the participant does not know they are being observed

if its a participant observation they will pretend to be part of the group
if its non-participant they may observe from a distance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

what are the advantages of a overt observations

A

you can inform participants in advanced and obtain informed consent which is more ethical

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

what are the disadvantages of a overt observations

A

behaviour may be distorted through investigator effects in which participant may change there behaviour through social desirability bias

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

what are the advantages of a covert observation

A

investigator effects are unlikely meaning that participants behaviour will be genuine which improves validity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

what are the disadvantages of a covert investigation

A

less ethical as particpents are unaware they are taking part so you cannot obtain informed consent

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

what should you look at when observing behavior

A

the researcher needs to decide….
-what they are observing
-how often they are observing it
-how they are going to record the data eg-video, photographs, on the spot note taking

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

what should behavioral categories be

A

-be objective and unambiguous
-cover all possible component behavior
-be mutually exclusive

43
Q

why should behavioral categories be objective and unambiguous

A

they observer shouldn’t make judgements they should simply record explicit actions

44
Q

why should behavioral categories cover all possible component behavior

A

avoid a waste basket category

45
Q

why should behavioral categories be mutually exclusive

A

it should not be possible for on behavior to fit into two categories

46
Q

how should behavioral categories be recorded

A

they should be recorded through tallying the frequency with which they occur

47
Q

whys is it important to use behavioral categories

A

improves inter-rater reliability
as researchers can observe/record behavior in the same way and check for consistency in recording

48
Q

how else can behavioral categories be recorded

A

through a coding system where letters describe certain characteristics
this means the observer would avoid having to write out a lengthy description so they can remain focused on the subject matter

49
Q

what is time sampling

A

where researchers decide on a specific event relevant to the investigation
they record behaviors in a set time frame at prescribed intervals eg-every 30s

50
Q

what is event sampling

A

where researcher decide on a specific event relevant to the investigation
they record a complete event every time it happen

51
Q

what is an advantage of time sampling

A

quicker and easier which is a practical strength

52
Q

what is a disadvantage of time sampling

A

your going to miss behavior so lacks validity

53
Q

what are some strengths of event sampling

A

your going to observe all behavior so improves validity

54
Q

what are some disadvantages of event sampling

A

its time consuming which is a practical issue

55
Q

What is inter-rater reliability

A

this is where observers consistently code behavior in the same way

56
Q

when should inter observer reliability be established

A

before carrying out the study
this could be through a pilot study to establish what the behavioral categories and coding systems should be

57
Q

Explain how the reliability of the controlled observation could be assessed through
inter-observer reliability

A

two observers would use same behavioural categories/discuss and agree on an interpretation of each
of the social behaviours in the category system
* two observers would make independent observations/tallies (of the same child at the same time/the 5-
minute sessions are filmed and each observer watches and records the data for each film)
* the two observers’ tally charts would be compared to check for agreement/calculate the correlation
between the recordings of the two observers to determine the level of inter-observer reliability
* researchers generally accept +0.8 correlation as a reasonable degree of reliability.

58
Q

what are self-report techniques

A

when the participants give information about themselves to the researcher providing detail of their own feelings or thoughts on behavior

59
Q

what is a questionaire

A

a set of written questions that have been predetermined by the researcher

60
Q

what are closed questions

A

they have pre-set fixed answers that a respondent has to select
they provide quantitative data

61
Q

what are the 3 types of closed questions

A

fixed choice questions eg-yes or no
likert scale eg-how strongly do you agree
rating scale-scale from 1-10

62
Q

advantages of closed questions
(analysing responses)

A

there’s less researcher bias as you don’t have to interpret results as its quantitative data so percentages and averages can be calculated
since you don’t have to interpret results its easier to analyse which is a practical strength

63
Q

advantages of closed questions
(length of questions)

A

its quicker and easier to fill out as there’s no long questions meaning more people will be willing to complete it increasing your sample size so population validity was increased

64
Q

what is a disadvantage of closed questions
(lack of answers you can pick)

A

there may not be an option available that reflects how they feel so they have to pick one that doesn’t so this may impact upon validity
you cannot detail why you have picked a certain answer

65
Q

what is a disadvantage of closed questions
(researcher bias)

A

there may be researcher bias as the researcher has decided the possible questions and answers which may be influenced by there own expectations

66
Q

what are open questions

A

don’t involve pre-set answers but allow respondents to freely respond
this allows them to elaborate on their answer and justify their opinion
they generate qualitative data

67
Q

what is an example of an open question

A

you can start them with either “why” or “what do you think”
saying “do you like”-is not accepted

68
Q

what is an advantages of open questions
(detail of information)

A

high yield of qualitative data allows a person to elaborate on their answers it allows the researcher to find out why someone holds a certain view which increases validity

69
Q

what are some disadvantages of open questions
(time consuming)

A

it takes the respondent a long time to complete open questions so a smaller sample size may be obtained

70
Q

what are some disadvantages of open questions
(analysing the data)

A

its time consuming to analyse the data
they have to read the answers and put them into categories which is subjective

71
Q

what are some disadvantages of open questions
(less educated respondents)

A

open questions require superior writing skills which may not be suitable for less educated respondents

72
Q

how should questions be constructed

A

as the researcher is not present whilst the questionnaire is being completed it is important that questions aren’t
-too technical
-ambiguous
-complex

73
Q

how can you avoid response bias

A

by reversing statements

74
Q

how can you ensure questions are clear

A

by avoiding use of double negatives
and double barrelled questions

75
Q

how can you ensure questions are not biased

A

by avoiding leading questions

76
Q

how can you distract participants from the main purpose of your experiment

A

by including some filler questions however these should be kept to a minimal as it unethical as participants are wasting there time on something that is unnecessary

77
Q

how should you sequence questions

A

have simple questions at the start and save any socially sensitive questions till the end

78
Q

advantages of questionnaires
(ethics)

A

right to remain confidential
right to withdraw data

79
Q

advantages of postal questionnaire
(representative)

A

as you can send a lot to a wide variety of people so its more representative

80
Q

advantages of questioners
(reliability)

A

they are reliable as standardized instructions are written so everyone receives the same set of instructions

81
Q

disadvantages of questionnaires
(unrepresentative)

A

the people who are likely to do them are motivated, helpful personality

82
Q

disadvantages of questioners
(social desirability bias)

A

participants are likely to give socially desirable answers which impacts upon validity

83
Q

what is an interview

A

a real time exchange between the interviewer and another individual

84
Q

what is a structured interview

A

-produces quantitative data
-it uses a standardized format in which the wording/order of the questions are pre-determines

85
Q

what are the advantages of a structured interview

A

-data analysis may be simpler as all participants have answered the same set of questions so you can draw comparisons between the groups
-due to the standardized procedure they are more easily replicated and you can therefore establish reliability
-less risk of the results being affected by interviewer bias since the interviewer is more likely to be objective

86
Q

what are the disadvantages of a structured interview

A

-you cannot ask follow up questions which means vital information is missed decreasing validity
-due to the formality if the situation participants may display social desirability bias

87
Q

what is an unstructured interview

A

its an informal interview and more like a guided conversation
-less rigid

88
Q

what are some advantages of an unstructured interview

A

-the interview is less formal so the interviewer can build a rapport with with the participants so they are more likely to open up increasing validity
-the interviewer can ask questions tailored to the participant which allows the interviewer to get more in depth data

89
Q

what are some disadvantages of an unstructured interview

A

-fewer interviews will be carried out as they take longer leading to a smaller sample size decreasing population validity
-the data is harder to analyse and make comparisons as there no set questions

90
Q

what is a semi-structured interview

A

some prepared questions from the interviewer but some opportunity for the participants to expand on their answers
-most successful approach

91
Q

what is a clinical interview

A

used to diagnose abnormal behaviour which is carried out by a psychiatrist

92
Q

general advantage of interviews
(flexible)

A

the interviewer can tailor questions to the responses of an interviewee so that issues can be explored in depth

93
Q

general advantage of interviews
(tackling sensitive topics)

A

allows the researcher to identify personal and private aspects of behaviour

94
Q

general disadvantage of interviews
(misinterpreting data)

A

qualitative data can be difficult to analyse leading to participants misinterpreting data

95
Q

general disadvantage of interviews
(participants response)

A

they may not be able to articulate there thoughts clearly. They may also display social desirability bias

96
Q

what variables are there in a correlational analysis

A

two co-variables

97
Q

what is a positive corralation

A

as one variable increase so does the other

98
Q

what is a negative correlation

A

as one variable increases the other decreases

99
Q

what is a zero correlation

A

no relationships between the two variables

100
Q

where can corrolations be plotted

A

on a scattergram

101
Q

what is test-retest reliability

A

-used to determine the consistency of a test overtime
-it involves conducting an experiment and repeating it again in the future
-best used for things that remain stable overtime eg-intellegance

102
Q

2 positive of test-retest reliability

A

-can be used when its not ethical/impractical to manipulate variables
-allows us to make predictions if we know the value of one variable then we can make a prediction about what the valu of the other varible is likely to be.

103
Q

3 negatives of test-retest reliability

A

-doint have an IV or DV simply have 2 variables so we cannot establish cause and effect relationships
-could be a 3rd intervening varibale that is causing the correlation

year 1 Psychology (47 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions