P2: Research Methods

Question 1

Define: Aim

Answer 1

General expression of what the researcher wants to investigate

Question 2

Define: Hypothesis

Answer 2

Statement of what the researchers believes to be true

Question 3

Define: Experimental method

Answer 3

Researcher causes the IV to vary and records the effects on the DV

Question 4

Define: Extraneous variable

Answer 4

‘Nuisance’ variables that do not vary systematically with the IV

Question 5

Define: Confounding Variable

Answer 5

variables changes systematically with the IV

Question 6

Define: Demand Characteristics

Answer 6

Cues from the researcher/ research situation that may reveal the aim of the study

Question 7

Define: Investigator effects

Answer 7

Any effect of the investigators behaviour on the outcome of the research(the DV)

Question 8

Define: Randomisation

Answer 8

Use of chance when designing investigations to control the effects of bias

Question 9

Define: Standardisation

Answer 9

Using the exact same formalised procedure for all participants in a research study

Question 10

Define: Control groups

Answer 10

Act as a baseline and used for the purpose of setting a comparison

Question 11

Define: Single blind

Answer 11

A participant doesn’t know the aims of the study so that demand characteristics are reduced

Question 12

Define: Double blind

Answer 12

Both participant and researcher don’t know the aim of the study to reduce demand characteristics and investigator effects

Question 13

Define: Independent groups

Answer 13

One group does condition A, second group does condition B

- Randomly allocated to experimental groups

Question 14

State the benefits of using Independent groups

Answer 14

• No order effects, only tested once , can’t become bored

- Reduces demand characteristics, only tested once

Question 15

State the limitations of using independent groups

Answer 15

• Participant variables, EV/CV different people different effects/reactions
• More participants , mean more time and expensive

Question 16

Define: Repeated measures

Answer 16

Same participants take part in all conditions of an experiment

Question 17

State the benefits of using repeated measures

Answer 17

• participant variables, controls an important CV

- fewer participants , save money

Question 18

State the limitations of using repeated measures

Answer 18

• Order effects, doing a task twice has familiarity bias

- participants may guess aims , demand characteristics

Question 19

Define: Matched pairs

Answer 19

Two groups of participants are used but they are also related to each other by being paired on participants variables

Question 20

State the benefits of using matched pairs

Answer 20

• Participant variables, matched , better validity

- No order effect , only tested once

Question 21

State the limitations of using matched pairs

Answer 21

• imperfect matching, time-consuming , can’t control all variables
• More participants , more money

Question 22

Define: Population

Answer 22

Large group of people that the researcher is interested in studying

Question 23

Define: Sample

Answer 23

A smaller group chosen to represent a larger population

Question 24

Define: Generalisation

Answer 24

Sample drawn should be representation of population so generalisations can be made

Question 25

Define: Bias

Answer 25

Majority of samples are biased in that certain groups may be over-or-under-represented

Question 26

Define: Opportunity sample

Answer 26

• People who are simply most available

- how? Ask people nearby

Question 27

State 1 benefit and limitation of using opportunity sample

Answer 27

• quick method

- Inevitably biased , as it is unrepresentative of the target population

Question 28

Define: Volunteer sample

Answer 28

-Participants select themselves

Via advertising

Question 29

State 1 benefit and limitation of using volunteer sample

Answer 29

• participant are willing , more engaged

- biased, may share certain traits .e.g. curiosity

Question 30

Define: Random sample

Answer 30

Every person in target population has an equal chance of being selected
Can be achieved via lottery method

Question 31

State 1 benefit and limitation of random sample

Answer 31

• Free from researcher bias

- Representation not guaranteed

Question 32

Define: Systematic sample

Answer 32

Participants are selected using a ‘set’ pattern ,e.g. nth person from a list

Question 33

State 1 benefit and limitation of using systematic sample

Answer 33

• unbiased

- effort and time required

Question 34

Define: Stratified sample

Answer 34

Participants selected according to their frequency in the target population,
Typically ‘strata’ are identified (use of percentages)

Question 35

State 1 benefit and negative of using stratified sample

Answer 35

• Representative method

- stratas cannot reflect all ways in which people are different

Question 36

Define: Conflict in terms of ethics

Answer 36

Clash of rights between participants and aims of a study

Question 37

List ways in which you can deal with ethical issues in terms of consent

Answer 37

• Informed consent
• Deception
• Protection from harm
• Privacy/ confidentiality

Question 38

List different types of observational techniques

Answer 38

Naturalistic
Controlled
Covert
Overt
Participant -(researcher part of study)
Non-participant

Question 39

List different types of observational designs

Answer 39

• Behavioural categories -(target behaviour broken up into observation categories)
• Time sampling
• Event sampling