Yr 1 research methods - Types of experiment, sampling, ethical issues and ways of dealing with them.

Question 1

Laboratory experiment

Answer 1

An experiment that takes place in a controlled setting where the experimenter manipulates the IV, measures the DV and tries to control extraneous variables.

Question 2

Field experiment

Answer 2

An experiment that takes place in a natural setting where the experimenter manipulates the IV, measures the DV and tries to control extraneous variables.

Question 3

Natural experiment

Answer 3

Experiment in which the experimenter hasn’t changed the IV but this has already occurred naturally. The experimenter measures the effect on the DV

Question 4

Quasi experiment

Answer 4

Experiment in which the IV is based on a difference between groups that already simply exists. The experimenter just measures the effect of this on the DV. For example, whether having a phobia or not having a phobia affects anxiety levels.

Question 5

2 strengths of laboratory experiments

Answer 5

1. More extraneous variables can be controlled

2. Replication is more possible

Question 6

2 weaknesses of laboratory experiments

Answer 6

1. They can lack external validity as they may not reflect real life behaviours (lack generalisability)
2. Demand characteristics can affect behaviour as participants may pick up clues about what the experiment is testing

Question 7

2 strengths of field experiments

Answer 7

1. Higher mundane realism because the setting is natural

2. Tend to produce more authentic behaviour, especially because sometimes particpants don’t know they’re being studied.

Question 8

2 weaknesses of field experiments

Answer 8

1. Less control is possible over extraneous variables so cause and effect more difficult to establish
2. Ethical issues can be more of an issue as if they don’t know they’re being studied, consent can’t be gained

Question 9

2 strengths of natural experiments

Answer 9

1. Allows study of behaviours and issues that couldn’t normally be studied for ethical or practical reasons (e.g. institutionalisation in attachment)
2. Often have high external validity because they’re naturally occurring changes

Question 10

2 weaknesses of natural experiments

Answer 10

1. Happen very rarely so reduce the opportunities for research
2. Participants can’t be randomly allocated to conditions in independent groups designs so affects confidence in the IV causing changes in the DV.

Question 11

2 strengths of quasi experiments

Answer 11

1. Often carried out under controlled conditions so extraneous variables can be minimised
2. Replication is possible to a certain extent

Question 12

2 weaknesses of quasi experiments

Answer 12

1. Participant variables are more difficult to control

2. Participants can not be randomly allocated to conditions so confounding variables may affect the DV

Question 13

Target population

Answer 13

The group of people that the researchers are interested in finding out about. They are a subset of the general population

Question 14

Sample

Answer 14

The group of participants that take part in a study. This is a smaller group of the target population as you can’t normally include them all!

Question 15

Representative

Answer 15

Used to describe how a sample used is as similar as possible to the target population

Question 16

Generalisation

Answer 16

The extent to which the results gained can be applied more broadly to the target or general population

Question 17

Sampling technique

Answer 17

The method used by psychologists to get their sample of participants. There are 5 you need to know.

Question 18

Random sampling

Answer 18

All members of the target population have an equal chance of being selected

Question 19

Systematic sampling

Answer 19

Where every ‘nth’ member of the target population is selected until you have the number required for your sample

Question 20

Stratified sampling

Answer 20

The composition of the sample reflects the proportions of people as they exist in the target population. e.g. % of males, ages, ethnicity.

Question 21

Opportunity sampling

Answer 21

Where the researchers simply ask a group of people who are willing and available to take part in the study

Question 22

Volunteer sampling

Answer 22

Where a group of participants select themselves to take part in the study by volunteering to take part. e.g. respond to an advertisement

Question 23

Strengths of random sample

Answer 23

1. This reduces researcher bias

2. More likely to result in a more representative sample

Question 24

Weaknesses of random sample

Answer 24

1. You still may, randomly, end up with an unrepresentative sample
2. Difficult and more time consuming to conduct

Question 25

Strengths of opportunity sample

Answer 25

1. Easy and quick to do

2. Less costly for the researcher as their time costs money

Question 26

Weaknesses of opportunity sample

Answer 26

1. Not representative of the target population as they are often drawn from the same area/street/university
2. Open to researcher bias as the researcher has complete control over who they select

Question 27

Strengths of systematic sample

Answer 27

1. Avoids researcher bias as the researcher is not selecting the participants as such
2. It is more likely to be representative of the target population than an opportunity sample for example.

Question 28

Weaknesses of systematic sample

Answer 28

1. More time consuming to do than opportunity or volunteer sampling
2. Still potentially could lead to a biased sample, e.g. all 3rd people could actually be male?

Question 29

Strengths of stratified sample

Answer 29

1. Avoids researcher bias because once the people have been divided into their strata, the sample from each is chosen randomly
2. More representative as it reflects the composition of the target population

Question 30

Weaknesses of stratified sample

Answer 30

1. More time consuming and difficult to do

2. Can never be fully representative as full stratification is never possible

Question 31

Strengths of volunteer sample

Answer 31

1. Very easy to do

2. Avoids researcher bias as participants select themselves

Question 32

Weaknesses of volunteer sample

Answer 32

1. Not representative of the target population as volunteers often have specific characteristics in their personality
2. Difficult to generalise the results reliably to other people in the target or general population

Question 33

Informed consent

Answer 33

Participants are told what the aim of the research in and what will they will be asked to do in the study, what their rights are and what their data will be used for . Participants then make a judgement about whether they want to be involved or not. It is not always used because of the problems it can create.

Question 34

Deception

Answer 34

Deliberately misleading or withholding information from participants

Question 35

Protection from harm

Answer 35

Participants should be protected from physical and psychological harm. This can include stress, embarrassment or undue pressure. They should not be at any greater risk than they would be in their daily lives

Question 36

Privacy and confidentiality

Answer 36

Participants have the right to control information about themselves and their data should be protected

Question 37

Ethical guidelines

Answer 37

This is a code of ethics produced by the BPS and researchers have a professional duty to observe these guidelines when conducting studies

Question 38

Parental consent

Answer 38

If participants are under 16 years old, parental consent must be gained for them to be involved in research

Question 39

Presumptive consent

Answer 39

A similar group of people are asked if they would give consent to the study in question. If they say yes, it is presumed that the sample in the actual study would also consent

Question 40

Prior general consent

Answer 40

Participants give consent to be involved in a number of studies, in which at least one of them will involve some deception.

Question 41

Retrospective consent

Answer 41

Participants are asked for their consent during debriefing, after they have taken part in the study. They then have the option to withdraw their data. They may not even know they have taken part in a study, or they may know and some deception may have been used

Question 42

Debrief

Answer 42

Participants are thanked and told about the full aims of the research after the study has finished. They are told all the details about the study including other experimental conditions.

Question 43

Anonymity

Answer 43

To protect confidentiality, participants names are not used in the write-up and their names are allocated a number or initials during the study

Question 44

Cost-benefit analysis in ethics

Answer 44

An ethics committee will weigh up the potential benefits of the research against the costs to the participants and society before allowing research to be conducted

Question 45

Briefing

Answer 45

Before participants take part in a study, they are introduced to it, and will give informed consent at this point, if this is being used.