Basic Research Methods

Question 1

What are the 2 types of data?

Answer 1

1. Qualitative data - quality data that isn’t usually statistically analysed e.g. words
2. Quantitative data - data that is easily compared and statistically analysed e.g. numbers

Question 2

What are 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages of questionnaires?

Answer 2

1. Practical for collecting large amounts of data
2. Can provide both qualitative or quantitative data
3. Leading or ambiguous questions can provide invalid findings
4. Social desirability bias - easy to lie on a questionnaire

Question 3

What is 1 advantage and 2 disadvantages of interviews?

Answer 3

1. Can provide detailed findings
2. Interviewer bias
3. Social desirability bias

Question 4

What is a case study?

Answer 4

A detailed, qualitative account of one or two individuals and their experiences.

Question 5

What is 1 advantage and 2 disadvantages of case study?

Answer 5

1. Quality data - can be used to challenge theories & provide insight into further research.
2. Individual differences - findings can’t be generalised to wider population.
3. Experimenter may only report a small amount of data that supports their theory and ignore the rest of the data.

Question 6

What is a correlational analysis and what its 2 weaknesses?

Answer 6

A relationship between two variables.

1. Cause and effect can’t be established.
2. Other variables may affect the results - lowers internal validity of research.

Question 7

What are the 4 main hypothesis called and what are they?

Answer 7

1. Experimental - a precise, testable statement.
2. Alternative - anything when experimental not being used.
3. Directional - when previous research has been carried out.
4. Null - states the IV will not affect the DV. Have to believe this is true until research is finished and findings have been analysed.

Question 8

What is a directional hypothesis and what is a non-directional hypothesis?

Answer 8

Directional - predicts the effect of the IV on the DV.

Non-directional - states there will be an effect but not the direction of the effect.

Question 9

What is the IV and what is the DV?

Answer 9

Independant variable - the variable that the experimenter manipulates.
Dependant variable - the variable that you think will be affected by the IV, the variable that is measured.

Question 10

What is the EV?

Answer 10

Extraneous variable - other variables that can effect the DV but can’t be controlled. To ensure high validity, they must be constant for all P’s or eliminated.

Question 11

What does operationalising the variables mean?

Answer 11

To define the variable in terms of something that can be measured so other researchers can see how we measured it.

Question 12

What are the 3 different types of experimental design?

Answer 12

1. Independent groups
2. Matched pairs
3. Repeated measures

Question 13

What is 1 advantage and 1 disadvantage to the 3 types of experimental design?

Answer 13

IG - no order effects BUT individual differences.
RM - no individual differences BUT order effects.
MP - controls some participant variables, lowering individual differences BUT difficult to control all P variables as rarely find 2 people exactly the same.

Question 14

How can you overcome order effects?

Answer 14

Counterbalancing - half of p’s do condition A first and then B, and then the other half do condition B first and then A.

Question 15

What are 2 advantages and 3 disadvantages to lab experiments?

Answer 15

1. High levels of control = high internal validity.
2. High levels of control = easy to replicate.
3. Artificial - lacks ecological validity.
4. Demand characteristics - lowered internal validity.
5. Ethics - p’s may feel more pressured to not withdraw.

Question 16

What is a field experiment and what is 1 advantage and 1 disadvantage of them?

Answer 16

Experiment that take place in natural settings but the experimenter still manipulates the IV.

1. High in ecological validity.
2. Low in internal validity due to EV.

Question 17

What is a natural experiment and what are 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages of them?

Answer 17

A naturally occurring event - no manipulation of the variables.
1. P’s unaware - no demand characteristics - high internal validity.

2. Allows the study of variables that would otherwise be unethical to manipulate.
3. Sample tends to not be varied - can’t be generalised.
4. Ethical issues - confidentiality.

Question 18

What is an observation and what are the 2 different types?

Answer 18

P’s are observed engaging in the behaviours being studied & observations are recorded

1. Naturalistic - no interference from investigator.
2. Controlled - behaviour is observed in controlled condition.

Question 19

What is the difference between a structured observation and an unstructured observation?

Answer 19

Structured - focus on event sampling and time sampling - often use videos to record data to avoid immediate judgements.
Unstructured - no system, just record all relevant data - behaviours recorded may just be most visible not relevant.

Question 20

What is 1 advantage and 2 disadvantages of naturalistic observations?

Answer 20

1. High ecological validity.
2. Little control over EV - low internal validity.
3. observer bias - reduced internal validity.

Question 21

What is 1 advantage and 2 disadvantages of controlled observations?

Answer 21

1. Can manipulate multiple variables.
2. Observer bias - reduced internal bias.
3. Demand characteristics - reduced internal validity.

Question 22

What is a pilot study and what 3 things does it allow?

Answer 22

A practise study carried out prior to the real study.

1. Allows researchers to check procedures and method.
2. Helps ensure p’s know what is expected of them.
3. Highlights anything that needs to be changed.

Question 23

What are demand characteristics and how can the experimenter gain information on them?

Answer 23

When the p’s act in a certain way due to cues in the environment - can be to help or sabotage the experiment.
Experimenter can ask p’s what they thought the experiment was about.

Question 24

What are investigator effects and how can they be dealt with?

Answer 24

When the expectations and behaviour of the experimenter affects the p’s behaviour - can create biased results.
Single blind design - when the p’s don’t know the aim of the study.
Double blind design - when both experimenter and p’s don’t know the aim of the study.

Question 25

What is internal validity and what is external validity?

Answer 25

Internal validity - is the test measuring what it is intending to measure? External validity - can the findings be generalized beyond the context of the research situation?

Question 26

How can internal validity be compromised and how can it be ensured?

Answer 26

Compromised by things such as demand characteristics, investigator effects, extraneous variables, etc. Ensured by high levels of control.

Question 27

What is external reliability and how is it ensured?

Answer 27

When the results are reliable and if study is repeated same results are achieved - test-retest method.

Question 28

What is internal validity and how is it ensured?

Answer 28

The extent to which a test or procedure is consistent within itself - ensured by inter-rater reliability.

Question 29

What are the 9 sections of a report?

Answer 29

1. Title 2. Abstract 3. Introduction 4. Aim/Hypothesis 5. Method (design, procedure, participants, materials) 6. Results 7. Discussion 8. References 9. Appendices

Question 30

What are 6 things to include in the abstract? (APRPFC)

Answer 30

``` A - aim P - participants R - research P - procedure F - findings C - conclusion ```