Week 1

Question 1

6 components to the experimental research design

Answer 1

• current knowledge
• construct hypothesis
• design experiment
• execute experiment
• carry out statistical analysis
• interpret and report.

Question 2

What is a research design

Answer 2

a conceptual framework
a decision matrix
a network of condition for collecting and analysing data

Question 3

why is research design important

Answer 3

provides a smooth operation
makes research as efficient as possible
necessary precautions to reduce errors for the entire project
reliable results rely on design

Question 4

what makes a research design good?

Answer 4

specifies sources and info needed 
strategic roadmap for collecting and analysing data
refines timelines and costs 
a good design must include:
- clear statement of problem 
- procedures and techniques (ethics)
- range of processes and analysis

Question 5

key criteria of a research design

Answer 5

• reliability
• replicability
• validity (measurement, internal, external, ecological).

Question 6

define reliability

Answer 6

are the results from the research repeatable, and would it produce similar results. Are the measurements consistent. Are the instruments stable, e,g stopwatch.

Question 7

define replicability

Answer 7

is the study capable of being replicated based on the criteria of reliability.

Question 8

define validity

Answer 8

integrity of the conclusion that os drawn from the research.

Question 9

measurement validity

Answer 9

does the measure devised for the concept reflect the concept that is supposed to measure.

Question 10

internal validity

Answer 10

defined as the extent to which the observed results represent the truth in the population we are studying, not due to methodological errors

Question 11

external validity

Answer 11

extent to which you can generalise the findings of the study to other situations, people, settings etc.

Question 12

ecological validity.

Answer 12

are the scientific findings applicable to peoples everyday lives. Is an experiment conducted in a lab, replicable and applied outside the lab.

Question 13

what are variables

Answer 13

something that can vary and unique. e.g gender, temperature

Question 14

continuous variables

Answer 14

e.g temperature - scale

Question 15

discrete variables

Answer 15

e.g number of symptoms of illness, only certain discrete values within the range

Question 16

categorical variables

Answer 16

e.g marital status, ethnicity. Where values are recorded to specific category.

Question 17

primary research designs (4)

Answer 17

• correlational
• experimental
• quasi
• cross- sectional/ survey.

Question 18

describe correlational design

Answer 18

correlation not causation. a design where we measure the variables of interest and then see how each variable changes in relation to the changes in the other variables. - investigates relationships or association between variables.

Question 19

Techniques used in correlational design

Answer 19

Pearsons, spearmans rho, simple or multiple regression, chi squared.

Question 20

weakness of correlational design

Answer 20

can only test correlation not causation.

Question 21

describe an experimental design (true experiment)

Answer 21

one of the msot widely used designs in science. Experimenter manipulates the IV to see what effect it has on the DV. Defining feature of this design is the random allocation of participants to conditions

Question 22

what is the IV

Answer 22

value is not dependent on other variable

Question 23

what is the DV

Answer 23

assumed to be dependent on the value of the IV

Question 24

describe a quasi experimental design

Answer 24

involves seeing if there are any differences on the DV between conditions of the IV. No random allocation of Participants to various conditions of the IV - as not possible e.g gender. Harder to infer causation.

Question 25

design techniques for experimental and quasi designs.

Answer 25

t-test, Mann-Whitney U, Wilcoxon, ANOVA (analysis of variance)

Question 26

what is a within-participant design.

Answer 26

repeated measure - repeat experiment with same people 3 rtimes. same P in every condition of the IV.

Question 27

between persons designs

Answer 27

independent measures- 2 groups e.g one men one women and see effect of alcohol. group of P/s in one condition of the IV are different from P’s in another condition

Question 28

advantages of repeated measures

Answer 28

youu can control the inter-individual confound variables, they will have the same qualities for every condition.
you need fewer participants.

Question 29

disadvantages of repeated measures

Answer 29

people get bored or tired, leading to order effects. and demand effects. which is where participants realise purpose of exp and conform to it.

Question 30

define order effects

Answer 30

consequence of repeated measures, where by completing the conditions in a particular order leads to differences in the DV that are not a result of the manipulation of the IV. Can be due to practice fatigue or boredom

Question 31

how do you overcome order effects?

Answer 31

by counterbalancing- systematically vary the order in which participants take part in the various conditions of the IV.

Question 32

advantages of independent measures design

Answer 32

P’s less likely to get bored or tired, therefore reduces order and demand effects.

Question 33

disadvantages of independent measures design

Answer 33

• needs more participants, so more time and money.
• lose certain degrees of control over any confounding variables
• different people bring different characteristics to the exp setting, so when randomly allocating P’s you might by chance allocate all p’s with one characteristic to the one group.