Methodologies

Question 1

What is a laboratory experiment?

Answer 1

Experiment where IV is manipulated while DV is measured, conducted under experimental and control conditions where participants are randomly allocated to either condition

Question 2

What are the advantages/disadvantages of laboratory experiments?

Answer 2

+High level of control
+Easy to replicate so reliability can be checked
-Problems of demand characteristics
-Low ecological validity

Question 3

What is a field experiment?

Answer 3

Experiment where IV is manipulated while the DV is measured, participants are unaware of research

Question 4

What are the advantages/disadvantages of field experiments?

Answer 4

+High ecological validity
+Fewer demand characteristics
-Unethical; participants are unaware of the research
-Extraneous variables affect results

Question 5

What is a quasi/natural experiment?

Answer 5

Quasi - IV is not deliberately manipulated and participants aren’t randomly allocated to either an experimental or control condition

Natural - Naturally changing IV is taken advantage of, where DV can be tested in a laboratory, field, or online

Question 6

What are the advantages/disadvantages of quasi/natural experiments?

Answer 6

+Allows research were IV can’t be directly manipulated due to practical or ethical reasons
+Allows researchers to investigate ‘real’ problems
-Cannot demonstrate causal relationships as IV isn’t directly manipulated
-Threat to internal validity as there is less control over extraneous variables

Question 7

What is a participant observation?

Answer 7

Researchers take part in the research and become part of the group and doesn’t reveal who they are

Question 8

What are the advantages/disadvantages of participant observations?

Answer 8

+Less chance of demand characteristics
+Enables research of people who would otherwise be very diffcilut to observe
-Observer bias may occur
-Findings may be unreliable

Question 9

What is a non-participant observation?

Answer 9

Observer doesn’t take part in the action, but watches and makes notes from a distance, while participants are unaware

Question 10

What are the advantages/disadvantages of non-participant observations?

Answer 10

+Less chance of observer bias
+Researchers can see how participants behave, producing more valid and reliable findings
-Observer bias
-Unethical as participants don’t always know they’re being observed

Question 11

What is content analysis?

Answer 11

Study where written or verbal material, or artefacts is analysed and information is broken down into categories

Question 12

What are the advantages/disadvantages of content analysis?

Answer 12

+Less chance of demand characteristics as items analysed already exits
+Can be replicated by others
-Observer bias can affect validity of findings, as different observers may interpret things differently
-Cannot draw cause and effect relationships as artefact origin is unknown

Question 13

What is a structured interview?

Answer 13

Interview where a pre-prepared set of questions that are asked in a fixed order to elicit a verbal response

Question 14

What are the advantages/disadvantages of structured interviews?

Answer 14

+Results easy to analyse as the same questions are used every time
+Replicable, so it is more reliable
-Restrictive as there is no chance to ask further questions
-Doesn’t allow for ‘sponteneous questions’, meaning interviwere is less responsive

Question 15

What is a questionnaire?

Answer 15

Set of written questions where answers are analysed by the researcher, which can produce either quantitative or qualitative data or a mixture of both

Question 16

What are the advantages/disadvantages of questionnaires?

Answer 16

+Can be used to assess psychological variables that may not be obvious
+Data can be collected from a large group of participants more quickly
-No guarantee that the participant is telling the truth
-Different participants may interpret the same question in different ways

Question 17

What is a semi-structured interview?

Answer 17

Begins with a general aim and a few pre-determined questions but subsequent questions develop based on the answers given by the participant

Question 18

What are the advantages/disadvantages of semi-structured interviews?

Answer 18

+More qualitative information can be gathered
+High validity since particiapants have the opportunity to fully express their true feelings
-Results are difficult to analyse as the same questions are not used every time
-Not replicable due to different questions being used

Question 19

What is a correlation?

Answer 19

Used to analyse the relationship or asocation betwen two continuous variables, which is illustrated using scatter diagrams/graphs

Question 20

What are the advantages/disadvantages of correlations?

Answer 20

+Shows the direction and strength of a relationship to make better predictions about behaviour
+Can be used when experiments are inappropriate
-Only shows that there is a relationship; not how or why variables are related
-Difficult to establish cause and effect using a correlation

Question 21

What is a case study?

Answer 21

In-depth study of a unique individual, small group or event, using many different research methods, which mainly collects qualitative data

Question 22

What are the advantages/disadvantages of case studies?

Answer 22

+Produces rich qualitative data which is of high ecological validity
+Allows study of cases that couldn’t ethically or practically be manipulated
-Researcher bias
-Difficult to generalise findings beyond the individual/group studied

Question 23

What is a self-report?

Answer 23

Methods that involves the participant reporting infromation about themselves, including interviews, questionnaires, inventories, and diaries

Question 24

What are the advantages/disadvantages of self-reports?

Answer 24

+Offer insight into why people behave as they do, so there is no need to guess reasons for behaviour
+Qualitative information can be gathered
-Possible risk of social desirability bias
-People may not recall accurately, especially is conducted over long periods

Question 25

What is quantitative data?

Answer 25

Data that can be measured numerically by the psychologist, so that statistical analysis can be completed

Question 26

What are the advantages/disadvantages of quantitative data?

Answer 26

+Data is easy to analyse
+Easier to collect data from a large group of participants
-Loses the ‘human’ level of behaviour
-Offers a shallow view of behaviour

Question 27

What is qualitative data?

Answer 27

A type of data that can be observed, but not measured numerically, which usually takes the form of words, thoughts and feelings, and is difficult to analyse

Question 28

What are the advantages/disadvantages of qualitative data?

Answer 28

+Can offer more individualised, ‘human’ view of behaviour
+Provides in-depth, detailed data
-Can be difficult to analyse collected data
-Data tends to come from a limited range of people

Question 29

What is a primary source?

Answer 29

Information/data that is directly collected by the researcher first-hand

Question 30

What are the advantages/disadvantages of primary sources?

Answer 30

+Researcher can control the format in exactly how data is collected; specifically relate to the aims of the research
-Data may lack validity due to social desirability or demand characteristics

Question 31

What is a secondary source?

Answer 31

Information sources/data that have not been directly collected/created by the researcher

Question 32

What are the advantages/disadvantages of secondary sources?

Answer 32

+Data produced without the ‘participant’ knowing the artefact would be used in research could be more valid
-Researcher can’t control the format of how the data is produced or collected

Question 33

What is a CAT scan?

Answer 33

Set of x-rays combine together to form 2D or 3D images of the area of the brain that is being scanned

Question 34

What are the advantages/disadvantages of CAT scans?

Answer 34

+High quality images, better than those produced by x-ray alone
+Can reveal structures in the brain that appear abnormal
-Only provide a researcher with the brain structure, not the electrical activity
-Exposure to radiation

Question 35

What is a PET scan?

Answer 35

Patient is given radioactive glucose, where areas of the brain that appear to be more active are the areas which require more glucose, which are highlighted by detectors in the scanner

Question 36

What are the advantages/disadvantages of PET scans?

Answer 36

+Allow researchers to see chemical activity in the brain
+Useful for psychological research as they look at more active brain areas
-Costly to run and maintain, as there is limited availability for research
-Not as precise as scans such as an MRI

Question 37

What is a longitudinal study?

Answer 37

Study conducted over a long period of time, where participants are assessed on two or more occasions as they get older

Question 38

What are the advantages/disadvantages of longitudinal studies?

Answer 38

+Same person is tested several times so participant variables are controlled
+High attrition rate as research takes so long
-Development trends can be spotted as tests are repeated at regular intervals
-Participants are more likely to be aware of the aims of the study so may show demand characteristics

Question 39

What is a cross sectional study?

Answer 39

One group of participants representing one section of society are compared with participants from another group

Question 40

What are the advantages/disadvantages of cross sectional studies?

Answer 40

+Relatively quick and cheap as participants only need to be tested once for comparisons
+Participants are easier to obtain as there’s less pressure for them to take part
-Difficult to determine why there are differences between the two cohorts as participants cannot always be asked about the differeces
-Data collected is from a snapshot in time, so it’s harder to identify or analyse developmental trends in these studies

Question 41

What is an MRI scan?

Answer 41

Mapping out of the brain’s structure using magnetic fields

Question 42

What are the advantages/disadvnatges of MRI scans?

Answer 42

+Give detailed images of soft tissue in the brain
+No x-rays used
-Take a long time to complete
-Uncomfortable for patients