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AQA AS Level Psychology Research Methods > Research Methods > Flashcards

Research Methods Flashcards

(56 cards)

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1
Q

Operationalise meaning

A

Ensuring that variables are in a form that can easily be tested

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2
Q

Standardised procedures

A

A set of procedures that are the same for all participants in order to be able to repeat the study

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3
Q

Repeated measures limitations

A

ORDER EFFECT —>
Practice effect - do better on the second test
Boredom effect - do worse on the second test due to boredom

GUESS CAUSE- on the second test participants may guess the purpose of experiment, change behaviour

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4
Q

Repeated measures dealing with limitations

A

PRACTICE EFFECT - use two different tests - though the two tests must be equivalent

ORDER EFFECTS - counterbalancing (reversing the order)
GEUSS THE AIM- cover story about aim used

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5
Q

Independent groups limitations

A

Participant variables - act as a confounding variables

Need more participants

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6
Q

Independent groups dealing with

A

Randomly allocate participants to deal with personal differences

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7
Q

Matched pairs issues

A

Time consuming

Cannot control all participant variables as only match on variables KNOWN to be relevant

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8
Q

Matched pairs dealing with

A

Restrict no. Of variables to match

Conduct a pilot study to identify all key variables

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9
Q

Lab experiment limitations

A

IV/DV may be operationalised in a way that doesn’t represent every day experiences( lacks mundane realism) - leads to low ecological validity

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10
Q

Field experiment strengths

A

Participants likely to be unaware - no demand characteristics

In natural environment -> more relaxed

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11
Q

Natural experiment

A

When it is not possible (ethically or practically) to deliberately manipulate an IV - it varies ‘naturally’

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12
Q

Quasi experiment

A

IV is too naturally occurring. Has not been made to vary by anyone however, it simply exists (gender)

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13
Q

Quasi experiment STRENGTHS and WEAKNESSES

A

STRENGTHS - allows comparisons between types of ppl

WEAKNESSES - participants may be aware of being studied - demand characteristics/reduced internal validity

  • dependant variable may be artificial task-reduces mundane realism
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14
Q

Investigator effects

A

Any cues from an investigator that might encourage behaviours in the participant and which lead to the fulfilment of the investigators expectations

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15
Q

SONGLE BLIND DESIGN
DOUBLE BLIND DESIGN
EXPERIEMENTAL REALISM

A

SBD- participant not aware of aims and/or conditions they will receive - stops them seeking cues

DBD- participant and experimenter blind to aims/hypothesis. Less likely to give or receive cues

ER- task sufficiently engaging that participant only pays attention to task

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16
Q

Stratified sample

A

Subgroups within a population are identified. Participants are obtained from each group in accordance to their groups proportion in the population

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17
Q

Systematic sampling

A

Using a predetermined system to select participants such as the nth. Person in a phone book.

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18
Q

Opportunity sampling STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

A

STRENGTHS - easy and quick

LIMITS - inevitably bias as sample drawn from a small proportion of population

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19
Q

Random sampling Strengths and weaknesses

A

STRENGTHS - unbiased - equal chance of selection

WEAKNESSES - time consuming - need every member of population included

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20
Q

Stratified sampling strengths and weaknesses

A

Strengths - most representative as is proportional as randomly selected

Weaknesses- very time consuming to identify subgroups and randomly select

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21
Q

Systematic sampling STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

A

STRENGTHS- unbiased

Weaknesses- no truly unbiased/random unless you start by selecting a number using a random method and then do this method afterwards

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22
Q

Volunteer sampling STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

A

STRENGTHS- give access to variety of participants making sample more representative and less biased

WEAKNESSES- biased as participants may be more motivated and/or with extra time on their hands. Leads to volunteer bias

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23
Q

Ethical issues

Study These Flashcards
A

Informed consent
Deception (cannot deliberately give false information)
Right to withdraw
Protection from physical and psychological harm
Confidentiality
Privacy

24
Q

Dealing with ethical issues

Study These Flashcards
A

Ethical guidelines (BPS ethical guidelines)
Cost benefit analysis
Ethics committees
Punishment (barred from psychological practice)

25
Naturalistic observation
Situation where everything has been left as it normally is - researcher does not interphere
26
Controlled observation
Some variables in environment are regulated - participants more likely to know they are being studied
27
Overt observation
Aware of observation
28
Covert observation
Not aware of observation
29
Non participant observation
Observer merely watching
30
Participant observations
Observer participating
31
Unstructured observations
Researcher records all relevant behaviour- no system ISSUE - too much to record, most behaviour caught would be most eye catching (may not be relevant)
32
Structured observations
Observational techniques are objective and rigorous Two types: behavioural categories, sampling procedures
33
Behavioural catagories
Breaking down actions into specific observation groups (I.e different facial expressions)
34
Sampling procedures
EVENT SAMPLING - counting no. Of times certain behaviour occurs TIME SAMPLING - recording behaviours in a given time frame
35
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES questionnaires
STRENGTHS- can be distributed to large no. Cheaply and quickly - more willing to give personal information that in an interview (less self conscious LIMITATIONS- biased towards ppl who can read/write and have time
36
Structured interview
Pre determined questions | Questioned in real time
37
Unstructured interview
New questions are developed over the course of the interview | Interview begins with general aims
38
Structured interview STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
STRENGTHS- easily repeated - answers from different ppl can be compared Easier to analyse that unstructured, as answers more predictable WEAKNESSES- interviewers expectations may influence the answers the interviewees gives - compatibility may be difficult if interviewer behaved differently
39
Unstructured intervention STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
STRENGTHS - more detailed information obtained LIMITATIONS- interviewers require more skill to develop questions on the spot - these ppl are more expensive - questions may lack objectivity than the predetermined as they have no time to reflect on what to say
40
Questionnaire construction
- clarity - bias - analysis (closed questions) - filler questions (distraction) - sequencing (easy to hard questions) - pilot study
41
Correlations | STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
STRENGTHS- investigate trends in data. If correlation significant, further investigation justified -easily repeated WEAKNESSES- cannot assume causal conclusions, only correlations conclusions - intervening variables may be the cause for the trend in data, and connect the co variables that are studies
42
Content analysis
Observational study where behaviour is observed indirectly in written/verbal material such as interviews, conversations, books, dairies or TV programmes
43
Meta analysis STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
STRENGTHS- reviewing results from multiple studies increase validity of conclusions drawn -often a group of studies on a similar topic have different results. Can reach an overall conclusion using MA LIMITATIONS - research designs may vary between studies, so the studies are no longer truly comparable
44
Content analysis STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
STRENGTHS- based in observations - high ecological validity - when sources can be accessed by others, findings can be replicated WEAKNESSES- observer bias reduces objectivity/validity because different observers may interpret observations differently
45
Case study WEAKNESSES STRENGTHS
STRENGTHS - rich in-depth data - useful in researching human behaviour that is rare WEAKNESSES- difficult to generalise from individual cases - often use recollection of past event - may be unreliable data - case studies are only identified after an event has occurred - cannot be sure changes were not already present
46
Measures of central tendency
Mean median mode
47
Measures of dispersion
Range standard deviation
48
Nominal data
Data in separate categories (I.e fave footie teams)
49
Ordinal data
Data ordered in a specific way. Intervals between data not the same. (I.e orders in how much they like their fave footie teams)
50
Interval data
Data measured using units of equal intervals ( I.e counting no. Of correct answers)
51
Standard deviation
Measure of the average distance between each data item above and below the mean, ignoring plus or minus values
52
Standard deviation STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
STRENGTHS - is a precise measure of dispersion because it takes all the exact values into account WEAKNESSES- may hide some characteristics of the data set
53
Histogram
Areas within the bar chart must be proportional to the frequencies represented. No gaps between bars
54
Quantitive v qualitative data
Quantitive - how much or how long, how many etc. (Numbers) Qualitative - Can’t be counted but can be put into categories then counted . What ppl think/feel (words)
55
Primary v secondary data
Primary - data observed/collected from first hand experience . Can be collected using an experiment secondary - information that was collected for a purpose other than the current one (I.e data collected for a different study, government statistics)
56
One tailed v two tailed
One tailed- directional hypothesis - know which direction experiment going Two tailed - non directional hypothesis - experiment goes in both ways

AQA AS Level Psychology Research Methods (2 decks)

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