Research Methods: Research Methods Flashcards
What are aboratory experiments
Aim is to control all relevant variables except for one key variable which is changed to see what the effect is
Conducted in artificial setting
Strengths of laboratory experiments
Control - effects of confounding variables are minimised
Replication- strictly controlled so it can be repeated to check the findings
Causal relationship- ideally it’s possible to establish whether one variable actually causes change in another
Limitations of laboratory experiments
Artificial - experiments may not measure real-life behaviour
Demand characteristics- ppts may respond according to what they think is being investigated, which can bias the results
Ethics - deception is often used, making informed consent difficult
What are field experiments
Conducted outside the laboratory
Behaviour is measured in a natural environment
A key variable is still altered so that it’s effect can be measured
Strengths of field experiments
Causal relationships - can still establish causal relationships, but may be difficult in field experiments
Ecological validity - less artificial than in a laboratory, so they relate to real life better
Demand characteristics - these can be avoided if the ppts don’t know they’re in a study
Limitations of field experiments
Less control - confounding variables may be likely in a natural environment
Ethics - ppts who didn’t agree to take part might experiences distress and often can’t be debriefed. Observation must respect privacy
What can laboratory and field experiments be called
Can be called true experiments as variables can be controlled and manipulated
What are natural experiments
Where the researcher looks at how an independent variable, which isn’t manipulated by the researchers by the researchers, affects a dependent variable
The independent variable is one that occurs naturally
Strengths of natural experiments
Ethical - possible to study variables that it would be unethical to manipulate
Demand characteristics - ppts might not know they’re in a study, so their behaviour is likely to be more natural
Ecological validity- they tend to be less artificial than laboratory
Limitations of natural experiments
Causal relationships - because the independent variable is not manipulated, and because other variables could be having an effect, it’s hard to establish causal relationships
Ethics - deception is often used, making informed consent difficult. Also, confidentiality may be compromised if the community is identified
What are quasi experiments
The researcher isn’t able to use random allocation to put ppts in different conditions
This is usually because the independent variable is a particular feature of the ppts, such as gender or the existence of a mental disorder
Strengths of quasi experiments
Control - often carried out under controlled conditions
Ecological validity - research is often less artificial than laboratory studies, more likely to be able to generalise results to real life
Limitations of quasi experiments
Participant allocation - can’t randomly ppts to each condition, and so confounding variables may affect results
Causal relationships - hard to establish cause and effect because the independent variable isn’t being directly manipulated
What is a double blind trial
Neither ppts or the researcher are aware of the aims of the investigation
Used in drug trials
What is a single blind trial
Ppts are not aware of the condition they are in
Used to control for the confounding effects of demand characteristics
What is a controlled observation
When the researcher has some measure of control over the environment
Strengths of controlled orbservation
Control over extraneous variables
Inter-observer reliability
Easy to replicate
Weaknesses of controlled observation
Cannot be applied to real-life settings
May be subjective towards what the researcher wants to see
What is naturalistic observation
Studying behaviour in a natural setting where everything has been left as it is normally
Strengths of naturalistic observation
High external validity
Natural environment- generalised to everyday life
Few demand characteristic
Weaknesses of naturalistic observation
Replication difficult - lack of control
Uncontrolled extraneous variables
What are covert observations
The ppts are not aware that they are being observed
Strengths of covert observation
No demand characteristics
Weaknesses of covert observation
Ethical issues as they do not know they are being observed
What are overt observations
The ppts are aware that they are being observed
Strengths of overt observation
Less ethical issues as they are not being deceived
Weaknesses of overt observation
There maybe demand characteristics as they know they are being observed
What is participant observation
The observer acts as part of the group being watched
What is non-participant observation
The experimenter does not become part of the group being observed
Strengths of participant observation
Participants experience situation
Insight
Increased validity
Weaknesses of participant observation
Lose objectivity
Difficult in recording observation
Ethical
Strengths of non participant observation
More ethical
More objective
Weaknesses of non participant observation
Less insight
Not experiencing the same things
Lower in validity
What are structured observations
The researcher determines precisely what behaviours are to be observed and uses a standardised checklist to record the frequency with which they are observed within a specific time frame
What are unstructured characteristics
The observer recalls all relevant behaviour but has no system
What are behavioural categories
Devising a set off component behaviours
What is event sampling
Counting the numbers of times a certain behaviour (or event) occurs in a target individual or individuals
What is time sampling
Recording behaviours in a given time frame
E.g. noting what an individual is doing every 30 seconds
Strengths of structured observations
It is easier to gather relevant data because you know what you are looking for
Weaknesses of structured observations
Interesting behaviours could go unrecorded because they weren’t pre-defined as important
Strengths of unstructured observations
Interesting behaviours do not go unrecorded because they are pre-defined as important
Weaknesses of unstructured observations
It is harder to gather relevant data because you know what you are looking for
