Component 2 Key Terms

Question 1

What is meant by objective ?

Answer 1

Objective is free from biased and isn’t based off feelings and opinion
Example: brain scanning

Question 2

What is meant by subjective?

Answer 2

Subjective can be biased and is based off feelings and interpretation
Example: Interviews

Question 3

What is meant by free will?

Answer 3

The idea that people are free to make their own choices, it isn’t affected by internal or external factors

Question 4

What is meant by determinism?

Answer 4

Individuals behaviour is influenced by internal and external factors. Depression is caused by lack of serotonin.

Question 5

What is meant by reductionism?

Answer 5

Explaining complex ideas with a simple explanation

Question 6

What is meant by nature?

Answer 6

Nature is affected by biology
Examples: brain, hormones, neurotransmitters

Question 7

What is meant by nurture?

Answer 7

Not all behaviour is determined by biology. Environmental influences and the way humans are conditioned to behave. For example: being rewarded and punished for our behaviour.

Question 8

What is meant by idiographic research?

Answer 8

Study based on one person or small groups
Example: case studies

Question 9

What is meant by nomothetic research?

Answer 9

Study based on a large group of people
Example: experiments

Question 10

What is meant by holism?

Answer 10

The opposite of reductionism. A holistic approach suggests that to explain behaviour we need to look at as a whole intergraged experience.
Biology alone can’t explain depression, environmental factors also play a role.

Question 11

What is meant by the test-retest method?

Answer 11

A method used to check reliability. The same test or interview is given to the same participants on two occasions to see if the same results are obtained.

Question 12

What is meant by the split half method?

Answer 12

A method of assessing internal reliability by comparing two halves.

Question 13

What is meant by inter-rater reliability?

Answer 13

The extent to which there is an agreement between two or more observers involved in observations of a behaviour.

Question 14

What is meant by internal reliability?

Answer 14

A measure of the extent to which something is consistent within itself.

Question 15

What is meant by internal validity?

Answer 15

The degree a study or test is measuring what was intended to be measured

Question 16

What is meant by external reliability?

Answer 16

The extent to which a measure varies from one occasion to another

Question 17

What is meant by external validity?

Answer 17

The degree to which a research finding can be generalised to other situations and people.

Question 18

What are the 8 threats to internal validity?

Answer 18

Confounding variables
Extraneous variables
Situational variables
Researcher bias
Social desirability
Demand characteristics
Participant variables
Mundane realism

Question 19

What are the 3 types of external validity?

Answer 19

Population validity
Historical validity
Ecological validity

Question 20

What are the strengths of a lab experiment?

Answer 20

Mundane realism improves external validity
A controlled environments means that there is more control over the extraneous variables, so less likely to become confounding- ensures C&E relationship.
Artificial setting is unrealistic to how the behaviour occurs outside the research so it lowers mundane realism
Standardised procedures improve internal/external validity.
Produces objective research- scientific and produce empirical findings, less chance of researcher bias- Improves internal validity

Question 21

What is random sampling?

Answer 21

Every member of the target population has an equal chance of being selected.

Question 22

What is an advantage of random sampling?

Answer 22

For very large samples it provides the best chance of an unbiased representative sample. All members of the target population have an equal chance of selection.

Question 23

What is a disadvantage of random sampling?

Answer 23

For large populations it is time-consuming to create a list of every individual. If the sample is too small, it could still be biased.

Question 24

What is systematic sampling

Answer 24

Using a predetermined system with a target population

Question 25

What is an advantage of systematic sampling?

Answer 25

Unbiased as participants are selected using an objective system.

Question 26

What is a disadvantage of systematic sampling?

Answer 26

Not completely random and not everyone has an equal chance of being picked

Question 27

What is self-selected sampling?

Answer 27

Individuals who have chosen to be in the study ( a volunteer )

Question 28

What is an advantage of self-selected sampling?

Answer 28

Relatively convenient, requires minimal input from researcher. Access to a wide variety of participants, which could lead to a more representative sample. Participants likely to be engaged.

Question 29

What is a disadvantage of self-selected sampling?

Answer 29

Unrepresentative as leads to bias on the part of the participant.

Question 30

What is stratified/quota sampling?

Answer 30

Dividing the target population into important subcategories. Selecting members in proportion that they occur in the population.

Question 31

What is an advantage of stratified/quota sampling?

Answer 31

A deliberate effort is made to make the sample representative of the target population. More representative than opportunity sampling as there is equal representation of subgroups.

Question 32

What is a disadvantage of stratified/quota sampling?

Answer 32

It can be time consuming as the subcategories have to be identified and proportions calculated. As it uses random or opportunity sampling it still has the weaknesses of these methods.

Question 33

What is snowball sampling?

Answer 33

Your initial small sample of participants recruit participants, who themselves then recruit further participants.

Question 34

What is an advantage of snowball sampling?

Answer 34

A quick and easy method that requires little input from the researcher A good way of getting participants who might otherwise be hard to reach

Question 35

What is a disadvantage of snowball sampling?

Answer 35

The sample will almost certainly end up biased, as all the participants are likely to know eachother and be from similar background stories

Question 36

What is opportunity sampling?

Answer 36

Simply selecting those people that are available at the time. E.g. going up to people in cafés and asking them to be interviewed.

Question 37

What is an advantage of opportunity sampling?

Answer 37

Quick and Easy You use the first participants you can find which means it takes less time to locate your sample compared to other sample methods, convenient and economical. A most common type of sampling in practice.

Question 38

What is a disadvantage of opportunity sampling?

Answer 38

Very unrepresentative samples and often biased by the researcher who will likely choose people who are 'helpful'. Will be biased as you will only be selecting from a small subgroup of the target population.

Question 39

What are demand characteristics?

Answer 39

When participants change their behaviour to meet the researchers aims/ aims of the study