Psych Paper 3 Terms and Concepts

Question 1

Case studies

Answer 1

• A study into an individual or a specific group which uses multiple sources of data to provide a rich and detailed analyses

2 characteristics
- highly in-depth and detailed investigation
- Uses multiple data collection methods (think of HM)

Question 2

Naturalistic observation

Answer 2

• A study which observes participants/individuals in their natural environments without manipulating an IV

2 characteristics:
- Studied while participants are in their natural environment
- Researchers do not have any direct intervention

Question 3

Interviews

Answer 3

• Researchers ask participants a set of questions, and collect data via their responses

2 characteristics:
- More personable and flexible to questionairs/surveys
- Participants verbally share their thoughts

Question 4

Experiment

Answer 4

• Has an IV, and a DV, experiments aim to establish the effect of one variable on another in order to establish causation

3 characteristics:
- Have hypothesis
- Manipulate an IV to investigate the effect on a DV
- Consist of two or more conditions for participants

Question 5

Quasi Experiment

Answer 5

• An experiment where the IV is naturally occurring and not introduced by researchers
• Like experiments, they attempt to find a causation, but due to their nature introduce high amounts of confounding variables

2 Characteristics:
- The IV is not manipulated by the researchers
- participants are grouped based on pre-existing conditions

Question 6

Correlational Study

Answer 6

• Research which investigates the relationship between two variables, they are unable to establish causation

2 Characteristics:
- Attempt to establish the relationship / correlation between two or more variables
- cannot establish causation

Question 7

Independent sampling

Answer 7

• A study where participants are subjected to only one condition, and do not experience all of the conditions
• Is good as it allows for reduction of order effects and demand characteristics
• Flawed due to participant variables (individual differences)

Question 8

Repeated measures design

Answer 8

• A study where participants are subjected to all conditions of the experiment
• Enables the reduction of participant variables (individual differences)
• Introduces potential demand characteristics and order effects

Question 9

Random Sampling

Answer 9

• A sample where participants are randomly selected from a specific population
• Serves to be representative of the population as everyone has an equal chance of being selected

2 characteristics:
- Representative of the entire target population
- Out of a population, every individual has an equal chance of being selected

Question 10

Convenience/Opportunity Sampling

Answer 10

• A sample of participants which were chosen due their easy availability
• A weak method of sampling as it introduces sampling bias where participants are not representative of the entire population

2 characteristics:
- It is convenient for the researchers
- Isn’t representative and can result in low generalizability

Question 11

Self-Selected Sampling

Answer 11

• A sample of participants which volunteered for the experiment
• Only recruits types of individuals who are likely to accept offers to partake in a study

2 characteristics:
- Participants volunteer to partake in the study
- Results in biases which limits generalizability

Question 12

Ecological Validity

Answer 12

• Describes how applicable results of an experiment are to real-world settings/contexts

Question 13

Generalizability

Answer 13

• Describes how well a sample within a study may be used to apply the results on them to a wider population
• (e.g, do effects of an IV to a sample of only doctors cross over to how this same IV would affect the UK’s public?)

Question 14

Demand Characteristics

Answer 14

• A variable which occurs when participants discover what the aim of the study may be, which therefore influences their response to a condition/IV

Question 15

Internal Validity

Answer 15

• How well a study ensures that the observed effect on the dependent variable (DV) is solely due to the independent variable (IV), without interference from confounding variables.

Question 16

External Validity

Answer 16

• The extent to which the findings of a study can be generalized to other people, settings, and time periods.

Question 17

Reliability

Answer 17

• How consistent a study’s results are
• (e.g, in interviews, if questions aren’t strictly standardised they have low reliability)

Question 18

Snowball sampling

Answer 18

• A method of sampling where participants recruit other participants from their social networks

2 characteristics
- Participants recruit other participants
- Useful for hard to reach populations

Question 19

Naturalistic Experiment

Answer 19

• An experiment which takes place in a real-world setting rather than a controlled laboratory, and the independent variable is naturally occurring
• (e.g, the impact of natural disaster on mental health)

2 Characteristics:
- The IV is naturally occurring
- high ecological validity