Vocab Related to Research Methods Flashcards
Define: demand characteristics
- participant tries to guess the nature of the research they are participating in and then act accordingly
- therefore decreasing the reliability (internal validity)
Define: social desirability effect
participants modifying behavior so that it will be viewed favourably by others
Define: order effects
order of conditions in an experiment having an effect on the participant’s behaviour e.g. practice or fatigue
Define: investigator bias
errors in a research study due to the predisposed notions or beliefs of the experimenter. Reflexivity can often reduce this.
Define: extraneous variables
variables (other than the IV) that could influence the results if they are not controlled
Define: reliability
similar to accuracy, can be established in 2 ways:
- did more than one person record and interpret the data, do they agree?
- if you use the method again in the same situation, do you get the same results?
Define: test-retest reliability
if you use the method again in the same situation, do you get the same results?
Define: inter-rater reliability
did more than one person record and interpret the data, do they agree?
Define: external validity
the extent to which the findings from the study can be generalised to other people/situations:
- ecological validity: research done in artificial environment? tasks performed in study artificial?
- can we generalise from the participants in the sample to the wider population?
Define: internal validity
concerned with the quality of the research itself (particularly in experiments that try to make cause-effect claims):
- IV and DV must be clearly defined (operational definition)
- IV and DV must be a fair reflection of the phenomenon being studied
- extraneous variables eliminated/ effects minimised
Define: ecological validity
does the environment in which the study was carried out reflect real life
Define: quantitative data (conceptual and methodological)
- aims to infer cause-effect relationship using statistics
- assumes a fixed and measurable reliability
- numerical data
Define: qualitative data (conceptual and methodological)
- concerned with understanding/ describing human behaviour from perspective of informant
- assumes a dynamic and negotiated reality
- data analysed by themes from descriptions by informants
Define: informed consent
- ‘consent’ indicates agreement
- ‘informed’ means that participants have been made aware of the purpose, duration, procedures of research; and of their rights, benefits, and any possible negative consequences of participation
Define: debrief
nature, results and conclusion of research are made available to participants ASAP
Define: deception
misleading or not fully revealing a part of the study e.g. the purpose to avoid demand characteristics
Define: anonymity
identity kept secret
Define: content analysis
allows themes to emerge from the data:
- data -> raw themes -> superordinate themes -> reconstruct story
Define: generalisability
the extent to which findings from the study can be applied to other people than those who participate in the study
Define: triangulation
involves the use of different approaches to the gathering of data in a single study in order to improve the trustworthiness of conclusions
(data, researcher, theoretical, methodological)
NB: triangulation not always guaranteed to increase credibility, e.g. if there is a systematic bias in terms of researcher expectancies
Define: reflexivity
researcher reflecting on research:
- how and why they are doing the research
- how their bias about a topic might have influence data collection/analysis
Define: operational definitions
descriptions of variables that are specific and quantifiable
Define: Hawthorne effect
when participants try to perform in a way that they think meets the expectations of the researcher
Define: screw-you effect
where participants act in a way that might sabotage the researcher’s aims
Define: Bales grid
- grid constructed to record behaviour in observations (just tick appropriate cell when behaviour is observed)
- grid designed in advance by researchers = reflects their assumptions and expectations
Define: confidentiality
research data will not be known to anyone outside the study:
- researcher may change minor details about participant
- destroy recordings e.g. videotapes