Ch1 - Key Science skills Flashcards
(46 cards)
Psychology
the scientific study of human mental states and behaviour
Aim
a statement outlining the purpose of an investigation
Hypothesis
a testable prediction about the outcome of an investigation
(it was hypothesised that…)
Population
the group of people who are the focus of the research and from which the sample is drawn
Controlled experiment
a type of investigation in which the causal relationship between two variables is tested in a controlled environment
the effect of the IV on the DV is tested while aiming to control all other variables
Advantages: follows strictly controlled procedure so can be repeated to check results
Disadvantage: often only conducted in a lab so may not reflect real life
Independent variable (IV)
the variable for which quantities are manipulated by the researcher, and te variable that is assumed to have a direct effect on the DV
Dependent variable (DV)
the variable the researcher measured in an experiment for changes it may experience due to the effect of the IV
Controlled variables
variables other than the IV that a researcher controls in an investigation, to ensure that changes in the DV are solely due to changes in the IV
Case study
an in-depth investigation of an individual, group, or particular phenomenon that contains a real or hypothetical situation and includes the complexities that would be encountered in the real world
Advantage: provide highly detailed info about phenomenon being studied
Disadvantages: results can’t be generalised
Correlational study
a type of non-experimental study in which researchers observe and measure the relationship between two or more variables without any active control or manipulation of them
Advantages: no manipulation of variables required
Disadvantage: can be subject to influence of extraneous variables
Fieldwork
any research involving observation and interaction with people and environments in real-world settings, conducted beyond the laboratory
Experimental group
the group of participants in an experiment who are exposed to a manipulated IV
Control group
the group of participants in an experiment who receive no experimental treatment or intervention in order to serve as a baseline for comparison
Within-subjects design
an experimental design in which participants complete every experimental condition
Between-subjects design
an experimental design in which individuals are divided into different groups and complete only one experimental condition
Types of fieldwork
- direct observations
- qualitative interviews
- questionnaires
- focus groups
- yarning circles
Sample
a subset of the research population who participate in a study
Generalisable/external validity
the ability for a sample’s results to be used to make conclusions about the wider research population
Convenience sampling
any sampling technique that involves selecting readily available members of the population, rather than using a random or systematic approach
Advantage: time effective
Disadvantage: unlikely to produce representative sample
Random sampling
any sampling technique that uses a procedure to ensure every member of the population has the same chance of being selected.
Advantage: reduces experimenter bias
Disadvantage: may be time-consuming
Stratified sampling
any sampling technique that involves selecting people from the population in a way that ensures that its strata are proportionally represented in the sample
Advantage: likely to produce a representative sample
Disadvantage: can be time-consuming & expensive
Extraneous variable
any variable that is not the independent variable but may cause an unwanted effect on the dependent variable
Confounding variable
a variable that has directly and systematically affected the DV, apart from the IV
Participant related variables
characteristics of a study’s participants that may affect the results
