Research Methods Flashcards
What is a laboratory experiment?
experiment that takes place in a controlled environment where the researcher manipulates the IV and records the effect on the DV
What is a strength of a laboratory experiment?
high control over extraneous and confounding variables
What is a limitation of a laboratory experiment?
lacks generalisability
What is a field experiment?
experiment that takes place in a natural setting where the researcher manipulates the IV and records the effect on the DV
What is a strength of a field experiment?
higher mundane realism as environment is more natural
What is a limitation of a field experiment?
loss of control of confounding and environmental variables, so difficult to establish cause and effect between IV and DV
What is a natural experiment?
experiment where change in IV is not brought about by the researcher (e.g. natural disater) and the researcher records the effect on a DV they have decided on
What is a strength of a natural experiment?
high external validity because they involve the study of real-world issues and problems as they happen
What is a limitation of a natural experiment?
naturally occurring event may only happen rarely, reducing the opportunities for research
What is a quasi experiment?
a STUDY where the IV has not been determined by anyone as the variables simply exist (e.g. young vs old)
What is a strength of a quasi experiment?
high ecological validity because there has been no manipulation of the independent variable
What is a limitation of a quasi experiment?
cannot randomly allocate participants to conditions and therefore may be confounding participants
What are the 4 Experimental methods?
- Laboratory experiment
- Field experiment
- Natural experiment
- Quasi-experiment
What is a naturalistic observation?
watching and recording behaviour in the setting within which it would normally occur
What is a strength of a naturalistic observation?
high external validity as can be generalised to everyday life
What is a limitation of a naturalistic observation?
lack of control over research situation makes replication difficult
What is a controlled observation?
watching and recording behaviour within a structured environment
What is a strength of a controlled observation?
confounding and extraneous variables are less of a factor so replication is easier
What is a limitation of a controlled observation?
may produce findings that cannot be as readily applied to everyday life
What is a covert observation?
participants’ behaviour is watched and recorded without their knowledge or consent
What is a strength of a covert observation?
removes demand characteristics and ensures behaviour observed is natural
What is a limitation of a covert observation?
unethical as has not consented (right to privacy)
What is an overt observation?
Participants’ behaviour is watched and recorded with their knowledge and consent
What is a strength of an overt observation?
more ethical than covert as they have given consent
What is a limitation of an overt observation?
demand characteristics; may of changed their behaviour as knew they were being observed
What is a participant observation?
the researcher becomes a member of the group whose behaviour they are watching and recording
What is a strength of a participant observation?
increased insight to the participants so may increase internal validity
What is a limitation of a participant observation?
could lose OBJECTIVITY as may come to identify too strongly with the participants
What is a non-participant observation?
the researcher remains outside of the group whose behaviour they are watching and recording
What is a strength of a non-participant observation?
less danger of them adopting a local lifestyle as has maintained an objective psychological distance from their participants
What is a limitation of a non-participant observation?
may lose the valuable insight to be gained from becoming a participant
What are the 3 groups of observational techniques?
- Naturalistic vs Controlled
- Covert vs Overt
- Participant vs Non-Participant
What is a questionnaire?
a set of written questions use to assess a person’s thoughts and/or experiences
What is an open question?
question for which there are no fixed choice of response and respondents can answer in any way they wish
What is a closed question?
questions for which there is a fixed choice of responses determined by the question setter
What is an interview?
a live encounter where one person asks a set of questions to assess an interviewee’s thoughts and/or experiences
What is a semi-structured interview?
is a mix between pre-determined questions and follow-up questions based on previous answers
What is a structured interview?
made up of pre-determined set of questions that are asked in a fixed order
What is an unstructured interview?
like a conversation, there are no set questions and tends to be free-flowing
What is a strength of a questionnaire?
cost effective and can be completed without the researcher being present
What is a limitation of a questionnaire?
responses may not always be truthful; social desirability bias
What is a strength of a structured interview?
straightforward to replicate due to standardised format
What is a limitation of a structured interview?
limits the richness of the data as cannot deviate form the set questions
What is a strength of an unstructured interview?
flexibility, which can give more rich data
What is a limitation of an unstructured interview?
may lead to an increase in interviewer bias
What are the 4 types of self-report techniques?
- Questionnaires
- Structured Interviews
- Semi-Structured Interviews
- Unstructured Interviews
What is a correlation?
illustrates the strength and direction of an association between two or more co-variables
What is a co-variable?
variables investigated within a correlation