Unit 2: Research methods Flashcards
What is operationalisation ?
clearly defining variables in terms of how they can be measured.
What is the independent variable ?
The variable that the researcher manipulates or changes naturally so the effects on the DV can be measured
What is the dependant variable ?
the variable that is measured by the researcher.
What are extraneous variables ?
any variable other than the IV that may effect the DV if not controlled
What are confounding variables ?
any variable other than the IV that may have affected the DV
Demand characteristics ?
any cue from the researcher that may have been interpreted by participants as revealing the purpose of the investigation. This can lead to participants changing their behaviour within the research situation.
What are investigator effects ?
Any effect of the investigators behaviour on the research outcome ( the DV )
What is randomisation ?
the use of chance In order to control for the effects of bias when designing materials and deciding the order of conditions
What is standardisation ?
using exactly the same formalised procedures and instructions for all p/pants
What are the types of experimental designs :
- independent groups
- matched pairs
- repeated measures
What is an independent groups design ?
participants are allocated to different groups where each group represents one experimental condition
What is a repeated measures design ?
all participants take part in all conditions of the experiement
What is a matched pairs design ?
pairs of p/pants are first matched on some variables that may effect the DV. Then one is assigned to condition A and the other condition B.
What is counterbalancing ?
an attempt to control for order effect in a repeated measures design.
half the p/pants experienced the conditions in one order the other half the other order.
Strengths and issues with a matched pairs design :
+ order effect and demand characteristics aren’t a problem
- p/pants can never be matched exactly and the matching itself can be time consuming and expensive
Strengths and issues with a independent groups design :
+ order effects not a problem
- less economical than repeated measures, individual differences
Strengths and issues with a repeated measures design :
+ economical, fewer p/pants needed so participant variables are controlled.
- order effects and demand characteristics. order effects can be fixed by counterbalancing
Strengths and limitations of a laboratory study :
+ high control over extraneous variables, replication is more possible
- low mundane realism, demand characteristics, low external validity, may lack generalisability.
Strengths and limitations of field experiments :
+ high mundane realism and external validity
- ethical issues
Strengths and limitations of natural experiments :
+ high external validity
- cannot be repeated
Strengths and limitations of quasi-experiments :
+ controlled conditions
- cannot randomly allocate p/pants to conditions - confounding variable
What are the types of sampling :
- random
- systematic
- stratified
- opportunity
- volunteer
What is systematic sampling ?
when every nth member of a target population gets selected
What is stratified sampling ?
composition of the sample reflects the proportions of people in different sub-groups (strata) within the target population or the wider population
What are the ethical issues stated in the BPS code of ethics :
- deception
- informed consent
- confidentiality
- protection from harm
What is a pilot study ?
a small scale version of an investigation that takes place before the real investigation to check if the procedure, materials , measuring scales etc work and allow the experimenter to tweak if necessary.
What is the difference between a single blind and double blind procedure ?
single blind the patient is unaware but experimenter Is not. In a double blind procedure both the participant and the researcher doesn’t know the true purpose of the experiment.
What are the different types of observations :
- naturalistic
- controlled
- covert
- overt
- participant
- non-participant
What’s a naturalistic observation ?
watching and recording behaviour in a setting which in would naturally occur in
What’s a controlled observation ?
watching and recording behaviour in a controlled structured environment
What’s a covert observation ?
p/pants behaviour is being watched and recorded without their knowledge or consent
What’s an overt observation ?
p/pants behaviour is being watched and recorded with their knowledge and consent
What’s a participant observation ?
the researcher becomes a member of the group which they are watching and recording
What’s a non-participant observation ?
the researcher remains outside of the group that they are watching and recording.
What is event sampling ?
a target behaviour or event is established then the researcher records this event every time it reoccurs
What is time sampling ?
a group is established and the researcher records their behaviour in a fixed time frame like every minute.
What is inter-observer reliability ?
to make researcher bias less likely research should be done by several researchers and they should be trained to establish inter-observer reliability this includes:
- familiarising themselves with behavioural categories used.
- they then observe the same behaviour at the same time - in pilot study for example
- observers should compare the data they have recorded and discuss any differences in interpretations.
- finally observers should analyse this data. inter-observer reliability is calculated by correlating each pair of observations made and an overall figure is produced.
What Is standard deviation ?
a value which tells us how far scores deviate from the mean. The larger the standard deviation the greater the dispersion within a set of data suggesting that not everyone was effected by the IV in the same way or that there was anomalies within the data.
A low standard deviation reflects tightly clustered data around the value of the mean suggesting the p/pants all responded in a similar way towards the IV
What is the accepted level of probability ?
p < 0.05
in other words the probability that results occurred by chance is equal to or lower than 5%
What are the main aims of peer review ?
- to allocate research funding
- to validate the quality and relevance of the research
- to suggest amendments or improvements
Requirements for the sign test :
we use this to determine whether the difference we have found is significant or not. To use this there are three requirements :
- we need to be looking for a difference
- we need to have used a repeated measures design
- we need atleast nominal data
How to do the sign test :
add up pluses and minuses of results . take the less frequent sign and this is our S value
Economical implications of psychological research :
- psychological research has shown that both parents are equally capable of providing emotional support needed for a healthy psychological development , this understanding has the potential to promote more flexible working arrangements within the family. Meaning that modern parents are better equipped to maximise their income and contribute more effectively to the economy.
- psychological research into the causes and treatment of mental illness has an important role in supporting a healthy workforce as in 2014 it was reported that 1/3 of work absences were as a result of mild to moderate mental health disorders.
