Research methods Year 1

Question 1

What is a laboratory experiment?

Answer 1

An experiment conducted in a controlled environment where the IV is manipulated.

Question 2

What is a field experiment?

Answer 2

An experiment conducted in a natural setting where the IV is still manipulated.

Question 3

What is a natural experiment?

Answer 3

An experiment where the IV is naturally occurring and not manipulated by the researcher.

Question 4

What is a quasi experiment?

Answer 4

An experiment where the IV is based on existing differences, such as gender or age.

Question 5

What is an independent variable (IV)?

Answer 5

The variable that the researcher manipulates.

Question 6

What is a dependent variable (DV)?

Answer 6

The variable that is measured.

Question 7

What is an extraneous variable?

Answer 7

A variable that could influence the DV but is not the IV.

Question 8

What is a confounding variable?

Answer 8

An extraneous variable that has influenced the DV.

Question 9

What is operationalisation?

Answer 9

Making variables measurable and specific.

Question 10

What is an independent groups design?

Answer 10

Different participants are used in each condition of the experiment.

Question 11

What is a repeated measures design?

Answer 11

The same participants take part in all conditions of the experiment.

Question 12

What is a matched pairs design?

Answer 12

Participants are matched on relevant variables and placed in different conditions.

Question 13

What is random sampling?

Answer 13

Each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected.

Question 14

What is opportunity sampling?

Answer 14

Participants are selected based on who is available at the time.

Question 15

What is volunteer sampling?

Answer 15

Participants self-select to take part.

Question 16

What is systematic sampling?

Answer 16

Every nth person is selected from a list.

Question 17

What is stratified sampling?

Answer 17

Participants are selected in proportion to their occurrence in the population.

Question 18

Name three ethical issues in psychology research.

Answer 18

Informed consent, protection from harm, right to withdraw.

Question 19

What is quantitative data?

Answer 19

Numerical data that is easy to analyse statistically.

Question 20

What is qualitative data?

Answer 20

Non-numerical, descriptive data providing detailed insight.

Question 21

What is primary data?

Answer 21

Data collected first-hand by the researcher.

Question 22

What is secondary data?

Answer 22

Data previously collected by someone else.

Question 23

What are the three measures of central tendency?

Answer 23

Mean, median, and mode.

Question 24

What are the two measures of dispersion?

Answer 24

Range and standard deviation.

Question 25

What is the usual significance level in psychology?

Answer 25

p ≤ 0.05

Question 26

What is a Type I error?

Answer 26

False positive: rejecting a true null hypothesis.

Question 27

What is a Type II error?

Answer 27

False negative: failing to reject a false null hypothesis.

Question 28

What is a naturalistic observation?

Answer 28

Observation in a natural setting without interference.

Question 29

What is a controlled observation?

Answer 29

Observation in a structured and controlled environment.

Question 30

What is the difference between overt and covert observation?

Answer 30

Overt: participants know; Covert: participants do not know.

Question 31

What is participant observation?

Answer 31

The researcher becomes involved in the group being studied.

Question 32

What are two sampling methods in observation?

Answer 32

Time sampling and event sampling.

Question 33

What are the two main self-report methods?

Answer 33

Questionnaires and interviews.

Question 34

What are the three types of interviews?

Answer 34

Structured, unstructured, and semi-structured.

Question 35

What does a correlation measure?

Answer 35

The relationship between two variables.

Question 36

What is a correlation coefficient?

Answer 36

A value between -1 and +1 that indicates strength and direction of a relationship.

Question 37

Why can't correlation show cause and effect?

Answer 37

Because it only shows relationships, not causality.

Question 38

What is content analysis?

Answer 38

A method of analysing qualitative data by converting it into quantitative data.

Question 39

What is thematic analysis?

Answer 39

Identifying patterns or themes within qualitative data.

Question 40

What is a pilot study?

Answer 40

A small-scale version of a study used to test design and procedures.

Question 41

What is a directional hypothesis?

Answer 41

Predicts the direction of the effect (e.g., increase or decrease).

Question 42

What is a non-directional hypothesis?

Answer 42

Predicts a difference but not the direction.

Question 43

What is a null hypothesis?

Answer 43

Predicts no effect or difference.