Designing/Reporting psychological investigations Flashcards
3 things designing psychological investigations
consent forms, standardised instructions, debriefing
consent forms
*Include the following:
oPurpose of the study
oLength of time that the participants will be required
oWhere the participants will need to go/stay
*You must also refer to the following ethical elements:
oRight to withdraw
oConfidentiality
oProtection from harm
It is essential to contain enough methodological and ethical information so that participants can make an informed decision about taking part in the investigation.
standardised instructions
*Be clear and succinct
*Explain the procedure in a way that participants will understand
*At the end, ask participants if they understand what they have to do
You do not have to refer to ethics but it is wise to add at the end that participants can withdraw from the investigation at any time.
debriefing
*Thank the participants for taking part
*Explain the main aims of the study and where appropriate, tell participants about any other groups of participants if they were asked to do something different (eg if independent groups design was used)
*Ask participants if they are happy to allow their data to be used in
the investigation
*Ask participants if they have any questions
*Ask if they would like to receive a copy of the write up
Remember that the main aim of debriefing is to ensure the participants leave the investigation in the same psychological state as when they arrived. It is an ethical requirement.
Reporting psychological investigations
Qualitative reports tend to be less formulaic than quantitative reports, mainly because there is greater variety within this type of research.
The most noticeable difference is in the Results (absence of statistical analysis) and Discussion sections, which are often combined. In addition, the Introduction is unlikely to include hypotheses if the research is purely qualitative.
