Sampling, Credibility, Generalizability and Bias - Quantitative Research Methods Flashcards

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1
Q

define participants

A

people who take part in a psychological study

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2
Q

define target population

A

specific group of people whom they are interested in for their study

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3
Q

define sample

A

a group of participants that are chosen from the target population to take part in the study

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4
Q

define sampling

A

the process of finding and recruiting individuals for a study

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5
Q

What is the most important property of sampling

A

representativeness - a sample must represent the target population by containing all essential characteristics

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6
Q

What is random sampling + 1 EXAMPLE

A

each member of the target population has an equal chance of becoming part of a sample
e.g. drawing names out of a hat, selecting randomly from a list

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7
Q

advantages of random sampling

A

more likely to contain all characteristics of the target population, with greater representativeness. Therefore, it has high external population validity and it is easier to generalize results to the wider target population

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8
Q

disadvantages of random sampling

A

it is impossible to carry out truly random sampling and there is always a chance you could miss a group in the target population

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9
Q

What is stratified sampling + 1 EXAMPLE

A

the sample reflects the characteristics of the target population. The researcher will study the distribution of these characteristics and then recruit participants in a way that keeps the proportions of the sample the same as the population
e.g. looking at grade point average of school students. Therefore you distribute the groups by their different grades.

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10
Q

advantages of stratified sampling

A

the sample contains all groups in the population with great representativeness. Therefore, it has a high external population validity and it is easier to generalize results to the wider target population

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11
Q

negatives of stratified sampling

A

requires knowledge on the characteristics of the target population which can be difficult to find - more complicated

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12
Q

What is opportunity sampling + 1 EXAMPLE

A

participants are selected based on naturally occurring groups that are easily available
e.g. a psychology class, nursing home

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13
Q

advantages of opportunity sampling

A

financially more efficient and useful when generalizations are not a priority

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14
Q

disadvantages of opportunity sampling

A

lack of representation, therefore it has a low external population validity as it is hard to generalize results to the wider target population

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15
Q

What is self-selected sampling + 1 EXAMPLE

A

participants volunteer to take part in a study, usually in response to advertisements or the internet

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16
Q

advantages of self-selected sampling

A

quick and easy way to recruit participants, could also have a large representation if the advertisements are targeted to a large population

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17
Q

negatives of self-selected sampling

A

lack of representation as participants are usually more motivated than the average participants. Therefore there is low external population validity and it is hard to generalize to the wider population

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18
Q

how to measure the quality of an experiment

A

looking at the internal and external validity

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19
Q

what is construct validity

A
  • to what extend do the operationalizations reflect the construct
  • if the construct is clearly defined in terms of observational behaviour
  • operationalization still reflects the construct
    e.g. stress
20
Q

what are the 2 types of external validity

A

population validity and ecological validity

21
Q

what is population validity

A

the extent to which findings can be generalized from the sample to the target population

22
Q

what is ecological validity

A

the extent to which findings can be generalized from the experiment to other settings or situations

23
Q

what does high population validity mean

A

the sample is representative of the target population and therefore can be generalized

24
Q

what does low population validity mean

A

the sample is not representative of the target population, therefore it is hard to generalize to the wider population

25
Q

what does low construct validity mean

A

the variables/concept hasn’t been operationlized very well and therefore it doesn’t clearly measure what it is supposed to. The construct isn’t clearly defined

26
Q

what does high ecological validity mean

A

the experimental situation is close to real-life situations e.g. field experiments, therefore it is easier to generalize findings to real-life setting and situations

27
Q

what does low ecological validity mean

A

the experimental situation is artificial and highly controlled which does not occur in a participant daily lives e.g. lab experiments, therefore it is hard to generalize findings to real-life setting and situations

28
Q

what are the characteristics of generalizability

A

construct validity, external validity - population validity + ecological validity

29
Q

what is the relationship between internal validity and ecological validity

A

high internal validity = low external validity because the variables are so controlled that it doesn’t reflect the real world. Harder to generalize findings from artificial settings to the real world.

30
Q

characteristics of credibility

A

internal validity

31
Q

what is internal validity/credibility

A

to what extend is the DV influenced by the IV, how well were the confounding variables kept constant to allow for a cause-and-effect relationship

32
Q

what does high internal validity/credibility look like

A

confounding variables are highly controlled or eliminated, therefore there is no bias that could affect the variables

33
Q

what is validity

A

refers to the quality and accuracy of an experiment, does it measure what it claims to measure?

34
Q

what is reliability

A

the consistency of a measure, how consistent the results are, can they be confirmed in other findings?

35
Q

how is bias and internal validity related

A

bias is a threat to internal validity as it reduces the credibility of an experiment

36
Q

how is bias and internal validity related

A

bias is a threat to internal validity as it reduces the credibility of an experiment

37
Q

what are demand characteristics

A

“participant expectations” where participants understand the true aims of the experiment and alter their results

38
Q

what is the expectancy effect

A

when the participants aims to discern the experiments hypothesis with the goal of helping the researcher, or acting in a certain way to give the right answer

39
Q

what is the screw you effect

A

when the participant aims to discern the experiments hypothesis in order to destroy the credibility of the study

40
Q

what is the social desirability effect

A

when a participant answers in a way that makes them look good to the researcher to avoid embarrassment or judgement

41
Q

what is a double blind control

A

the participants don’t know if they are in a control of experimental group and the researcher doesn’t know the aim of the study either

42
Q

types of order effects

A

fatigue effect, practise effect, interference effect

43
Q

what is the fatigue effect

A

a type of order effect where a participant decreases in performance in later conditions because they are tired or bored with the activity

44
Q

what is the practise effect

A

a type of order effect where a participant improves in performance in later conditions because practise has lead to the development of skill or learning

45
Q

what is the interference effect

A

a type of order effect where the first condition may influence the outcome of the second condition
e.g. remembering a word from the list in the first condition when trying to recall a word in the second condition