methodology Flashcards
(17 cards)
what is the methodology for the cognitive approach?
experiments
Case studys
what is an experiment?
where you can manipulate variables and keep everything else the same to determine cause and effect relationships
what is an independent variable?
the variable the experimenter manipulates
what is the dependent variable?
the variable the experimenter is measuring
what is an operationalised variable?
stating clearly how a variable will be manipulated (IV) or measured (DV)
what is a field experiment?
a study that is conducted outside the laboratory in a “real-world” setting
what is a laboratory experiment?
an experiment that is conducted in a controlled environment
what are the 3 strengths of conducting an experiment?
- high control of variables: establish cause and effect
- reliability: can be replicated to check for consistency
- objectivity: using standardised procedures, reducing bias
what are 3 weaknesses of conducting an experiment?
- low ecological validity: artificial settings may not reflect real life
2.demand characteristics: pp may guess the aim and change their behaviour
3.ethical issues: some tasks might cause stress of discomfort
what is a case study?
an extensive investigation into a single individual or small group of individuals
What is the HM case study?
HM had his hippocampus removed in 1953 to treat his severe epilepsy which resulted in an impaired episodic memory where he couldn’t form new EM’s but his procedural memory was still in tact.
He lost recent memories and couldn’t form new ones
What did Scoville and Milner (1957) say about the HM case study?
suggested a link between the hippocampus and ability to remember specific facts and episodes
What was HM’s post-op memory?
His STM was unimpaired (proven by a number span test) but was unable to convert memories from his STM into his LTM.
What was the Clive Wearing case study?
suffered from brain damage due to a viral infection in 1985
it attacked his CNS and caused significant damage to his L+R temporal lobes and frontal lobes
He had an impaired episodic memory but his procedural memory was still in tact
What was the Kent Cochrane case study?
Hippocampus was destroyed in an injury and he lost all his episodic memory- after the accident he couldn’t recall or form new episodic memories
semantic memory was in tact as he could still remember things he learnt in a book
what are the strengths of using case studies?
rich + in-depth data
longitudinally done
allows us to study the brain and determine which parts of the brain are responsible for what actions
What are the weaknesses of using case studies?
- not generalisable as the experiences are unique and personal
-can’t give informed consent
-may be unethical or impossible to replicate
-data may be subjective and therefore cannot be used to build a body of knowledge
