Research Types Flashcards

1
Q

What is experimental design?

A

The process of deciding how to implement scientific research.

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2
Q

Process to implement scientific research

A
  • Begin with broad questions
  • Narrow down, focus in
  • Operationalize
  • Observe
  • Analyze data
  • Reach conclusions
  • Generalize back to questions
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3
Q

What is a true experiment?

A
  • attempts to isolate cause and effect, and to eliminate alternative explanations of observed relationships between variables.
  • an independent variable is manipulated and all other salient
    variables are controlled, including the random allocation of participants to
    conditions.
  • measures any change in the dependent variable.
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4
Q

What is an independent variable?

A

Variable whose effect has to be
measured in an experiment.

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5
Q

What is a dependent variable?

A

Whose changes depend on the
manipulation of the independent variable.

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6
Q

What is a confounding variable?

A

a type of extraneous variable that not only affects the dependent variable, but is also related to the independent
variable.

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7
Q

What are extraneous variables?

A

any variable that you’re not investigating that can potentially affect the dependent variable of your research study.

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8
Q

What is a quasi-experiment?

A

Experiments where participants are not randomly allocated by the experimenter into conditions (creating non-equivalent groups)
of the manipulated independent variable or where the researcher does not control the independent variable.

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9
Q

What are natural experiments?

A

the study of a naturally occurring situation as it unfolds in the
real world.

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10
Q

Types of experimental designs

A
  • Independent sample design
  • Repeated measure design
  • Matched pair design
  • Single participant design / small n design
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11
Q

What is the independent samples design?

A

two experimental group is generated. One group performs main ‘experiment’ while the other one is assigned ‘control’ experiment.

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12
Q

What is the placebo group?

A

This is similar to control grouping that they
experience exactly the same condition as experimental group except for the level of independent variable that is thought to
affect the dependent variable.

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13
Q

What are participant variable/ non-equivalent groups?

A

refers to condition when difference in results between experiment and control group can be attributed
to different ability of participants in two groups.

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14
Q

How do you overcome participant variability?

A
  • Random allocation of participants to conditions.
  • Pre-test participants (baseline)
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15
Q

What is repeated measures design?

A
  • In this kind of design all participants are supposed to perform both ‘main’ and ‘control’ experiments.
  • Also known as within- subject design: as this type of design measures differences within each participant.
  • If the participants are same for both the conditions, and all other variables are controlled, any differences within participants should be the effect of the manipulated independent variable.
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16
Q

What is matched pairs design?

A

a type of experimental design where each participant is matched with another participant who is similar to them on certain key characteristics. Once participants are matched into pairs based on these characteristics, one member of each pair is randomly assigned to one experimental condition, while the other member is assigned to another condition. This ensures that any differences observed between the conditions can be attributed to the manipulation of the independent variable rather than to differences between participants.

17
Q

What are the advantages of matched pairs design?

A
  • Controls for lurking variables
  • Eliminates order effects
18
Q

What is a lurking variable?

A

a variable that is not accounted for in an experiment that could potentially affect the outcomes of the experiment.

19
Q

What are order effects?

A

refers to differences in outcomes due to the order in which experimental materials are presented to subjects.

20
Q

What are the disadvantages of matched pairs design?

A
  1. Losing two subjects if one drops out.
  2. Time-consuming to find matches.
  3. Impossible to match subjects perfectly.
21
Q

What is a single participant or small n design?

A

These types of designs are conducted in medical research where there are few participants suitable for the research.

22
Q

Steps of hypothesis testing

A
  1. Stating the hypothesis (Null or
    Alternative)
  2. Setting the criteria for a decision
  3. Collecting data
  4. Evaluate the Null hypothesis
23
Q

What is a null hypothesis

A

represents a theory that has been put forward, either because it is believed to be true or because it is to be used as a basis for argument, but has not been proved.

24
Q

What is the alternative hypothesis?

A

a statement of what a hypothesis
test is set up to establish.
1. Opposite of Null Hypothesis.
2. Only reached if H0 is rejected.

25
Q

What are the types of error in testing hypotheses

A
  • Type I:A type I error occurs when the null hypothesis (H0) is wrongly rejected.
  • Type II: A type II error occurs when the null hypothesis H0, is not rejected when it is in fact false.
26
Q

What is the margin of error?

A

refers to the amount of uncertainty or variability associated with a sample estimate of a population parameter. It quantifies the degree of accuracy or precision of an estimate and reflects the potential range of values within which the true population parameter is likely to fall.

27
Q

What is the confidence level?

A

The confidence level specifies the amount of uncertainty associated with your estimate. This is the chance that the margin of error will contain the true proportion. A higher confidence level requires a larger sample size.

28
Q

What is the sample proportion?

A

The sample proportion is what you expect the results
to be. This can often be determined by using the results from a previous survey, or by running a small pilot study.