scientific processes

Question 1

reliability

Answer 1

extent to which a procedure produces consistently similar findings using the same participants when repeated

Question 2

factors affecting reliability

Answer 2

poor standardisation of procedure - not found in lab experiments, questionnaires etc

Question 3

assessing reliability

Answer 3

test-retest reliability

inter-rater reliability

Question 4

test-retest reliability

Answer 4

extent to which a procedure can be easily replicated using the same participants, so the consistency of findings can be checked

Question 5

inter-rater reliability

Answer 5

extent to which different researchers are likely to record similar findings using the same procedure

assessed by comparing the results of two raters or researchers who have conducted the same procedure, assessment or coding system. If both raters results are the same then the procedure is said to be reliable

Question 6

measuring reliability

Answer 6

assessed statistically using a correlation

test-retest results from first and second time the test is done are correlated against each other

inter-rater reliability the recording of the two researchers or raters would be correlated

for results to be reliable, a correlation should be found which can then be analysed using a statistical test (spearmans rho or pearsons) to see if correlation is statistically significant

correlation coefficient of +0.8 or higher is considered reliable

Question 7

improving reliability

Answer 7

remove extraneous variables

better operationalisation

Question 8

remove extraneous variables

Answer 8

removing any variable which, if left uncontrolled could randomly affect the DV > research more likely to get the same results when repeated or conducted with two or more researchers

e.g. removing confusion in participants through standardisation of instructions so they behave the same each time the study is replicated

Question 9

better operationalisation

Answer 9

by more clearly making the IV and DV operationalised the research is more likely to get the same results when repeated or assessed with two or more researchers

e.g. rather than simply recording what participants say, use a standardised scale to record their behaviour to increase the chance all researchers record the behaviour in the same way

Question 10

validity

Answer 10

two types internal and external

extent to which a study successfully measures what it intended - internal

external - extent to which findings can be applied to different settings, wider populations and over time

Question 11

factors affecting internal validity

Answer 11

demand characteristics

Question 12

factors affecting external validity

Answer 12

only using male or female participants

Question 13

assessing internal validity

Answer 13

face validity

concurrent validity

Question 14

face validity

Answer 14

extent to which an assessment or test subjectively measures what it intended to at face value

assessed by asking participant to complete the test and then asking them what they thought the test measured and how good a measure it was

if participants can identify the dv then the test has high face validity

Question 15

concurrent validity

Answer 15

extent to which an assessment or test produces similar results when compared with another established method widely known to be valid

assessed by comparing the results a participant achieved on the new measure from an established one

if results are similar the new measure is said to have concurrent validity

if no similar assessment exists an entirely different method could be used

Question 16

assessing external validity

Answer 16

ecological validity

temporal validity

Question 17

ecological validity

Answer 17

extent to which the findings of a study can be generalised to a variety of real-life settings, increasing the external validity of research

assessed by looking at how much the research findings related to a variety of real-life settings

e.g. a study into drivers reaction times using a simulator may have low ecological validity if their reaction times whilst driving on roads are very different

Question 18

temporal validity

Answer 18

extent to which the findings of a study can be generalised over time, increasing external validity of research

assessed by looking at how much the research findings remain the same over time

e.g. study investigating participants attitudes towards social norms conducted decades ago may have low temporal validity if when repeated today, gets very different results

Question 19

improving internal validity

Answer 19

remove extraneous variables

better operationalisationo

Question 20

remove extraneous variables

Answer 20

removing any variables which if left uncontrolled could randomly affect the dv, the research is more likely to be an accurate measure of what it intended to study

e.g. removing confusion in participants through standardisation of instructions

Question 21

better operationalisation

Answer 21

by more clearly making the iv and dv operationalised, the research is more likely to be an accurate measure of what it intended to study

e..g rather than simply recording what participants say, use a standardised scale to record their behaviour

Question 22

improving external validity

Answer 22

improve mundane realism

increase sample cross-culturally

Question 23

improve mundane realism

Answer 23

by making the procedure more like real life, the research is more likely to be generalised to real life settings

e.g. using a field experiment rather than a lab experiment

Question 24

increase sample cross-culturally

Answer 24

increasing the sample size of the study or by completing the study across different cultures and times the research is more likely to be generalised to real settings

e.g. use patients from multiple clinics across different cultures when studying disorders such as schizophrenia