L1 - 9 research methods

Question 1

what is operationalisation

Answer 1

clearly specifying/defining observable behaviours that represent the more general construct under investigation to enable the behaviour under investigation to be measured

Question 2

independent variable

Answer 2

some aspect of the experimental situation that is manipulated (changed) by the researcher, or changes naturally

Question 3

dependent variable

Answer 3

the variable that is measured by the researcher. Any effect on the dependent variable should be caused by the change in the IV

Question 4

experimental group/condition

Answer 4

the group/condition that in the experiment received the experimental treatment (IV)

Question 5

control group / condition

Answer 5

the group in the experiment that recieves no treatment (baseline)

Question 6

what is an alternative hypothesis

Answer 6

a clear precise and testable statement that states the relationship between the variables to be investigated.

Question 7

what is a directional hypothesis

Answer 7

states the kind of difference or relationshup expected between 2 conditions or groups of participants
e.g. people who do homework without TV produce better results than those who do homeowrk with the TV

Question 8

what is a non-directional hypothesis

Answer 8

predicts that there will be a difference or relationship between 2 conditions or groups of participants

Question 9

when do you use a directional

Answer 9

when there is previous research so you can predict the direction of results

Question 10

when do you use non direction hypothesis

Answer 10

when there is no previous research or when there is previous research but the studies found conflicting results (can’t predict the direction of results)

Question 11

what is a null hypothesis

Answer 11

opposite of an alternative hypothesis. when you predict there will be no difference between variables

Question 12

what is an extraneous variable

Answer 12

any variable, other than the independent variable that might affect the dependent variable if not controlled

Question 13

what is a confounding variable

Answer 13

a kind of EV but the key feature is that the confounding variable varies systematically with the \iv

Question 14

what are demand characteristics

Answer 14

any cue from the researcher or from the research situations that may be interpreted by participants as revealing the purpose of an investigation. This may lead to a participant changing their behaviour within the research situation

Question 15

how can demand characteristics be overcome

Answer 15

• single blind design
• double blind design
• randomisation

Question 16

what are investigator effects

Answer 16

any unintentional influence of the researchers behaviour on the research outcome. (this may include everything from the design, the slection process, interactions with participants)

Question 17

how are investigator effects overcome

Answer 17

• double blind design
• standardisation

Question 18

what are participant variables

Answer 18

characteristics of individual participants (e.g. age, intelligence) that might influence the outcome of the study

Question 19

how to overcome participant variables

Answer 19

randomisation

Question 20

what are situation variables

Answer 20

features of the environment that might affect the outcome of the study

Question 21

what is social desirable bias

Answer 21

a tendency for respondents to answer questions in such a way that presents themselves in a better light

Question 22

what is randomisation

Answer 22

the use of chance methods to control the effects of bias when desinging methods and deciding the order of conditions

Question 23

standardisation

Answer 23

using exactly the same formalised procedures and instructions for all participants in a reserach study so as to avoid investigator effects caused by different procedures

Question 24

how do you write about confounding/extraneous variables

Answer 24

1. you name the extraneous or confouding variable
2. you explain how it would have affected the results (the DV)
3. you explain how it means we can’t see cause and effect (if its an extraneous variable, you say it is more difficult to see cause and effect) (if its a confouding variable you say it is not possible to see cause and effect

Question 25

lab experiment

Answer 25

conducted in highly controlled environment, the IV is manipulated by the researcher

Question 26

s + w of a lab experiment

Answer 26

s - high levels of control over ev and cv <-- increasing validity - replication is made more possible w - lacks mundane realism so less generalisable - demand characteristics

Question 27

field experiment

Answer 27

manipulated in a more natural, everyday setting, but IV is still manipulated by the reseracher

Question 28

s +w of a field experiment

Answer 28

s - natural environment provides mroe valid and authentic behaviour - less chance of demand characteristics (because participants are unaware they're being studied) w - less control over ex and cv - **ethical issues** as participants are unaware so they can't sign for consent so experiements may be veiwed as an invasion of privacy

Question 29

natural experiments

Answer 29

when the researcher has no control over the IV as something else causes the IV to vary. DV may also be naturally occuring

Question 30

s + w of a natural experiment

Answer 30

s - high external validity as they involve the study or real-life issues and problems as they occur - they provide opportunities for reserach that may not otherwise be possible w - pariticpants may not be randomly allocated to experimental conditions (harder to tell is IV affects the DV) - some experiemtns may be in a lab so may lack realism

Question 31

quasi experiment

Answer 31

has an IV based on an existing difference between people e.g. age and gender. IV is not manipulated. DV may be naturally occuring

Question 32

s + w of quasi experiments

Answer 32

s - carried out in controlled conditions so similar to lab (replication and control) - allows us to explore naturally occuring differnece between different types of people w - may be confounding variables as participants can't be randomly allocated - can't claim that the IV has made an observable change

Question 33

what is validity

Answer 33

the extent to which a study measures what it intends to measure

Question 34

what is internal validity

Answer 34

whether the effects observed in an experiment are due to the manipulation of the IV and not another factor

Question 35

what is external validity

Answer 35

how well you can generalise from research participants (apply the findings of a study) to people, places and times outside of the study

Question 36

what is ecological validity

Answer 36

how well you can generalise study to different settings or situations

Question 37

what is population validity

Answer 37

extent to which the results of the research can be generalised to people outside of the study

Question 38

what is temporal validity

Answer 38

the extent to which the results of the research that took place at a certain point in time accurately reflect the way that behaviour would occur at a different point in time

Question 39

what are order effects

Answer 39

when the order that participants are in each experimental condition affects the outcome of the study

Question 40

how to overcome order effects

Answer 40

counter balancing - divide the grousps in half. One group does A then B. other group does B then A time gap - between conditions (at least 24 hours)