Research Processes Flashcards
What are demand characteristics?
A participant changing their behaviour to meet the aim of the investigation.
What are investigator effects?
The effect of the investigator’s behaviour (conscious or unconscious) on the research outcome.
What is a single blind design?
When a participant is unaware of the aims of an investigation (but the researcher is aware)
What is a single blind design?
When a participant is unaware of the aims of an investigation (but the researcher is aware)
What is a double blind design?
When neither the participant or the researcher are aware of the research aims of an investigation (to avoid demand characteristics and investigator bias)
What is a control group?
A group of participants who do not undergo a change in IV condition. Used as a baseline behaviour measure.
What is a confederate?
An individual in the study who is not a real participant but has been instructed on how to behave, by the researcher.
Why is it random allocation to conditions important?
Technique used to reduce participant variables, so each participant has the same chance of being in any condition.
What is randomisation?
The use of chance methods to control for the effects of bias when designing materials and deciding on the order of conditions.
What is standardisation?
Using the same standardised procedures and instructions for all participants in a study (to avoid investigator effects)
What is a pilot study and what are the aims?
A small scale trial run to check procedures, instructions, materials etc work, in order to make any necessary changes before the real study.
Why are pilot studies carried out?
To check the method is measuring what it intends to measure
(i.e- validity)
How can research issues (demand characteristics and or investigator effects) be dealt with?
Single blind design or double blind design.
Give two advantages of carrying out a pilot study:
-Testing the apparatus and study for validity
-In order not to waste money
