RESEARCH METHODS (YEAR 1) Flashcards
Define the aim of a study
A statement of what the researcher(s) intend to find out in a research study
What are extraneous variables?
They do not vary systematically with the IV and therefore do not act as an alternative IV but may have an effect on the dependent variable - nuisance variables that muddy the waters and make it more difficult to detect a significant effect
Define operationalise
Ensuring that variables are in a form that can be easily tested
A concept such as ‘educational attainment’ needs to be specified more clearly if we are going to investigate it - e.g. it might be ‘GCSE grade in Maths’
Define standardise
- A set of procedures that are the same for all participants in order to be able to repeat the study
- Includes standardised instructions - the instructions given to participants to tell them how to perform the task
Identify the key features of an experiment
Explain why standardisation is important in research procedures
- It is important to make sure that each participant did exactly the same thing in each condition
- Otherwise, results might vary because of changes in procedure rather than because of the IV
Define confounding variable
- A variable under study that is not the IV but which varies systematically with the IV
- Changes in the DV may be due to the confounding variable rather than the IV + therefore the outcome is meaningless
Define external validity
The degree to which a research finding can be generalised to other setting (ecological validity); to other groups of people (population validly); over time (historical validity)
Define internal validity
The degree to which an observed effect was due to the experimental manipulation rather than other factors such as confounding/extraneous variables
Define mundane realism
- Refers to how a study mirrors the real world
- The research environment is realistic to the degree to which experiences encountered in the research environment will occur in the real world
Distinguish between extraneous variables and confounding variables
What is a confederate?
AN individual in a study who is not a real participant and has been instructed how to behave by the investigator
Define directional hypothesis
States the direction of the predicted difference between two conditions or two groups of participants
Define non-directional hypothesis
Predicts simply that there is a difference between two conditions or two groups of participants, without stating the direction of the difference
What is a pilot study?
A small-scale trial run of a study to test any aspects of the design, with a view to making improvements
Why would a researcher choose a non directional hypothesis rather than a directional hypothesis?
A non-directional hypothesis is often used when there is no past research or past research is contradictory
Define experimental design
A set of procedures used to control the influence of factors such as participants variables in an experiment
What is a repeated measures design?
- All participants experience all conditions (receive all levels of the IV)
What is an independent groups design?
Participants are placed in separate (independent) groups - each group experiences on condition
What is a matched pairs design?
- Pairs are matched within participants based on key characteristic believed to affect performance on the DV (e.g. IQ)
- One member of the pair experiences one condition and the other experiences the other condition
The characteristics the pairs are based on must be relevant to the study
Define order effect
In a repeated measures design, an extraneous variable arising from the order in which conditions are presented (e.g. practice effect or fatigue effect)
What is counterbalancing?
Technique used to overcome order effects when using a repeated measures design
In the two ways of doing this, there are two conditions: A (in the morning) + B (in the afternoon)
Explain the steps of counterbalancing
- Divide into two groups - group 1 does A (morning) then B (afternoon), group 2 does B then A
- Trial 1: Condition A
Trial 2: Condition B
Trial 3: Condition B
Trial 4: Condition A
What is a laboratory experiment?
An experiment carried out in a controlled setting
High internal validity due to good control over all variables
Low ecological validity
What is a field experiment?
Controlled experiment conducted outside a laboratory
Low internal validity + high external validity
What is a natural experiment?
Experiment in which the experimenter had not manipulated the IV directly due to ethical or practical reasons
What is a quasi-experiment?
‘Almost’ experiments
No IV manipulated since the condition already exists
Define demand characteristics
A cue that makes participants unconsciously aware of the aims of a study or helps participants work out what the researcher expects to find