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A Level Psychology > Research Method Key Vocab AO1 > Flashcards

Research Method Key Vocab AO1 Flashcards

(107 cards)

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1
Q

Aim

A

States intent of study in general terms

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2
Q

Hypothesis

A

Prediction of investigation outcome that references independent and dependent variables

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3
Q

Independent Variable

A

Characteristics manipulated or changed by researcher

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4
Q

Dependent Variable

A

Variable measured in experiment

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5
Q

Null Hypothesis

A

No difference or no relationship between variables
Eg) predicting no effect

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6
Q

Operational Variable

A

Measurable variables

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7
Q

Extraneous Variable

A

All variables that are not the IV but may effect the DV

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8
Q

Confounding Variable

A

Not the IV but does vary systematically with it.
Cause change in DV

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9
Q

(controlling EV)
Standardisation

A

All aspects of environment standardised as much as possible

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10
Q

(controlling EV)
Single Blind

A

Participant has no knowledge of what to expect for outcome

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11
Q

(controlling EV)
Double Blind

A

Participant has no knowledge of study and experimenter doesn’t know the aim

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12
Q

(controlling EV)
Random Allocation

A

Randomly allocate participant to each condition of IV

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13
Q

Situational Variables

A

Factors in environment that can unintentionally effect DV
Eg) noise, temp, lighting etc

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14
Q

Participant Variable

A

Individual characteristics of each participant that may impact how they respond to experiment

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15
Q

Demand Characteristics

A

Participants finding out the aim of experiment and changing behaviour

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16
Q

Investigator/Experimenter Variable

A

Experimenter conveys to participant how they should behave
Eg) smile and nod at participant when they do what they’re expected

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17
Q

Order Effects

A

Any effect that comes from participants doing both conditions of experiment
Eg) boredom, improved performance due to practice

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18
Q

Social Desirability

A

When participant wants to come across well to researchers
Eg) not complete questionnaire truthfully about prejudice to seem more moral

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19
Q

Placebo Effect

A

Brain tricking people into thinking they feel a certain way due to drug working, as they expect to feel this way. Mind over matter

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20
Q

Participant Observation

A

researcher joins in becoming part of group they are studying

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21
Q

Non Participant Observation

A

Researcher remains detacthed from observation

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22
Q

Structured Observation

A

Clearly defined way of measuring behaviour

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23
Q

Unstructured Observation

A

No set categories to look for

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24
Q

Observer Bias

A

Only see what you want to see based on prior knowledge or subjective feelings

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25
Naturalistic Observation
takes place in setting where behaviour naturally occurs. Nothing manipulated
26
Ecological Validity population Validity Historical Validity
Measures how generalisable experiment findings are to; real world other people other times
27
Controlled Observation
Standardised procedure
28
Covert Observation
Participant unaware that they are being watched
29
Overt Observation
Aware of being watched
30
Event Sampling
Record observation when target event behaviour occurs
31
Time Sampling
recording all behaviours during specified time period
32
Counterbalancing
Balances out order effects. Half do condition 1 other half do condition 2 first.
33
Standardised Instructions
Same instructions for all participants
34
Ensuring Anonymity
Participants know results anonymous
35
Vicarious reinforcement
indirect learning through others experience of reward and punishment
36
Modelling
Someone influential on individual
37
Limitation
Observe and copy behaviour
38
identification
Wanting to be like role model depending on extent of similarities
39
Retention
Memory of behaviour must be formed to be performed by observer
40
Motivation
Behaviour likely to be imitated by observer if perceived reward outweighs perceived cost
41
Attention
Pivotal in whether behaviour has influence on others imitation
42
reproduction
recreation of behaviour
43
Descriptive statistics
Anything that describes data
44
Standard deviation
Measures amount of variation from mean
45
What does a small standard deviation suggest?
Participants respond in similar way Test was reliable
46
Conditional probability
Probability of an event if something else occurs
47
Sampling bias
When sample does not reflect characteristics of target population
48
Opportunity sampling
Uses people from target population willing to take part in
49
Systematic sampling
Choose subject in orderly way from target population
50
Stratified sampling
Identify people making up target population and work out proportions needed for representative samples
51
Random sampling
Everyone in target population has equal chance of selection
52
Volunteer sampling
People who offer to be in study
53
When do ethical issues exist?
When there is a conflict between participants rights and researcher gaining valuable findings
54
Cost benefit analysis
Comparing potential cost and benefit of behaviour possible to predict which behaviour will occur
55
Inter-rater reliability
Level of agreement between different 'raters'
56
How do you obtain good IRR?
Compare and agree on categories to use
57
How do you check for IRR?
Conduct content analysis separately and compare tallies to check for reliable ratings Statistical tests check for correlation
58
Peer review
Where research is judged by experts in same field of study
59
Why is peer review necessary?
To avoid fraud and false information
60
Fabrication
Making up data
61
Falsification
Changing data
62
Plagiarism
Presenting someone else's work as your own without their consent
63
Scientific fraud
Act of deception and violating codes of scholarly conduct
64
Publication bias
When outcome of research influences weather to publish it
65
The file-drawer effect
Researchers not publishing studies that have no statistical significance
66
Inferential tests
Mathematical tests allowing to accept or reject hypothesis
67
Significant
Strong enough to accept hypothesis
68
Interval data
Standardised measurement Eg) kg,cm,secs
69
Ordinal data
Subjective, ranked in order Eg) scale 1-10
70
Nominal data
Category and frequency Eg) tally, tickbox, bar graph
71
Related design
Matched pairs or repeated measures
72
Unrelated design
Independent groups
73
Parametric test
Normal distribution (internal only)
74
Independent groups
Participants experience one type of IV
75
Matched pairs
Participant's experience one type of IV
76
Repeated measures
Participant experiences both conditions of IV
77
Lab study
Manipulated IV Artificial environment
78
Field study
Manipulated IV Natural environment
79
Natural study
Non-manipulated IV Natural environment
80
Quasi Study
Non-manipulated IV
81
6 ethical issues are
Confidentiality Deception Debrief Consent Withdrawal Participant harm
82
Content analysis
Indirect observational method used to analyse human behaviour through studying human artefacts
83
How do you perform a content analysis?
1. Decide a research question 2. Select sample 3. Coding 4. Work through data by tally number of times pre determined categories appear 5. Data analysis to search for patterns
84
What is an advantage of content analysis?
External validity because artefacts taken from real world
85
What is a disadvantage of content analysis?
Researcher/observer bias
86
Basic design
comparisons between values of IV
87
Systematic review
Psychologists review studies that have already been done
88
Meta-analysis
Calculating overall finding on the basis of multiple previous studies
89
Positive correlation
Scores rise and fall together
90
Negative correlation
Scores rise and fall in opposite directions
91
Structured interview
Set questions with limited answers
92
Semi structured interview
Set questions but allow follow up questions
93
Unstructured interview
No set questions and detailed answers
94
Fixed choice
Tick box that applies to
95
Likert scale
Indicates agreement with statement
96
Rating scale
Strength of feeling towards topic
97
What is an experiment?
Controlled situation where researcher manipulates IV to find effect on DV
98
Type l error
False positive
99
Type ll error
False negative
100
Concurrent validity
Test produces the same result to benchmark test
101
Face validity
Being able to tell what test is supposed to measure
102
Ecological validity
How well test reflects real life situation
103
Temporal validity
How well test results stand over time
104
External reliability
Test-retest should produce the same results
105
Internal reliability
Split half method to find strong positive correlation between both halfs
106
Inter-observer reliability
Same research for all participants Standardised procedure
107
Reductionism
Reduced explanation into a simple one

A Level Psychology (12 decks)

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