Week 2 Flashcards
Is a tentative belief about the way two or more variables interact/ impact each other
It predicts the findings that should be observed if the theory is correct.
Hypothesis
Is a systematic way of organising and explaining observation; different schools of thought promoting different theories.
Theory
That is the same for all participants except where variations is introduced to test a hypothesis.
It exposes the participants in a study to as similar procedures as possible.
Standardised procedure
Sample that is representative of the population
Generalisability
Measures that are reliable that produce consistent results.
Objective measurement
Any phenomenon that can differ or vary from one situation to another or from one person to another.
….. is anything that can vary, be changed, such as memory attention, time taken to perform a task.
Variable
Has a continuum of possible values and varies across this range( e.g., reaction time in seconds ranging from 0.05 to 5 secs)
Continuous Variable
Can take on fixed values and only those fixed values (e.g., make of car, biological gender)
A variable with a number of possible values, yet these are fixed and limited into set groups or classes. Eg. Blood group.
Categorical Variable
Is the entire group of people that a researcher is interested in
Population
Smaller subsets of the population and make interferences back to the entire populated on the…
Samples
To be valid the sampling must be…
Representative
In-depth observation of a small number of cases.
Describes psychological processes as they occur in individual cases.
Allows study of complex phenomena not easily reproduced experimentally.
Descriptive Designs
Manipulation of variables to assess cause and effect.
Replicability: a study can be repeated to see if the same findings emerge.
Maximises control over relevant variables.
Experimental designs
Examines the extent to which two or more variables are related and can be used to predict one an other.
Reveals relationships among variables as they exist outside the laboratory.
Correlational Designs
In-depth observation of a phenomen as it occurs in the wild
Reveals the phenomena as they exist outside the laboratory.
Naturalistic Observation
Asking people questions about their attitudes, behaviour etc.
Reveals attitudes or self-reported behaviours of a large sample of individuals.
Survey research
Produce consistent measurements over time, or amongst items in a scale of measurement.
Refers to a measure’s ability to produce consistent results.
Reliable
Actually measure the variable of interest; or is a measure used for the purposes for which it is designed.
It refers to the measure ability to assess the variable it is supposed to assess.
Valid
Does the test give similar values if the same participant takes it two or more times?
Test- retest reliability
Different items that measure the same variable should produce similar answers- be consistent.
A measure is …… If several ways of asking the same question yield similar results.
Internal consistency
Two testers who rate the same person on the same variable, should give similar ratings to the participant.
Integrated reliability
The scientific approaches 3 main goals?
- summarises data produced in a way that makes the events and the relationship between them easily understandable.
Description
The scientific approaches 3 main goals?
- Using outcome of research to identify what is likely to occur in the future
Prediction
The scientific approaches 3 main goals?
- Identifying the causal(underlying) factors that led to the results found
Understanding
Manipulated by the experimenter, which is outside the participants control.
The aim is to assess the impact of these manipulations on the way participants respond.
Independent Variable(IV)
Participants responses.
Is the response the experimenter measures to see whether the experimental manipulation had an effect.
Dependant Variable (DV)
A group that is similar to the experimental group, except that it has not been exposed to the treatment.
Control Group
Shares the logic and many features of the experimental method but do not allow as much control over all relevant variables.
Quasi-experimental designs
An in-depth observation of one person or a small group of individuals.
Case study
High values of one variable are associated with low values of the other variable.
Negative Correlation
High values of one variable are associated with high values of the other variable.
Positive correlation
Informed consent
Maintain participants welfare
Voluntary participation
Ensure confidentiality
Avoid deception
Fair and humane treatment of animals
Gain appropriate ethics approval
Code of ethics
Measures electrical activity towards the surface of. The brain(near the skull).
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Uses computer programs to convert the data taken from brain-scanning devises into visual images of the brain.
Neuroimaging techniques
Rotates an X-ray tube around a persons head producing a serious of X-ray pictures.
CAT Scan
Is a neuroimaging technique that provides that produces similar results without using X-rays
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Is a neuroimaging method used that requires injections of small quantity of radioactive glucose.
Positron emission tomography (PET)
