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Research methods Flashcards

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1
Q

What is an experimental method

A

a scientific method involving the manipulation of variables to determine cause and effect

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2
Q

What is a variable

A

any object, characteristic or event that varies in some way

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3
Q

In an experiment, what does the researcher manipulate

A
  • independent variable (IV)
  • dependent variable (DV)
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4
Q

Definition of research methods

A

the means by which explanations are tested

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5
Q

What is an IV

A

the factor manipulated by researchers in an investigation

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6
Q

What is a DV

A

the factor measured by researchers in an investigation

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7
Q

Definition of operationalisation of variables

A

the process of defining variables into measurable factors

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8
Q

Definition of extraneous variables

A

variables other than the IV which affect the DV

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9
Q

What are confounding variables

A

uncontrolled extraneous variables that negatively affect results

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10
Q

What are demand characteristics

A

features of a research which allow participants to work out its aim and/or hypothesis

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11
Q

What are the 3 main types of extraneous variables

A
  1. participant variables- concern factors such as p’s age or intelligence
  2. situational variables- concern the experimental setting and surrounding environment
  3. experimenter variables- concerns changes in the personality, appearance and conduct of the researcher
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12
Q

What technique reduces demand characteristics

A

single-blind procedure

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13
Q

What are some advantages of lab experiments

A

+ highly controlled
+ easily replicable
+ cause and effect
+ can isolate variables

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14
Q

What are some disadvantages of lab experiments

A
  • experimental bias
  • problems operationalising the IV and DV
  • low ecological validity
  • there are demand characteristics
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15
Q

What are field experiments

A

experiments conducted in naturalistic settings where the researcher manipulate the IV

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16
Q

What is a natural experiment

A

experiment where the IV varies naturally

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17
Q

What is a quasi experiment

A

where the researcher is unable to freely manipulate the IV or randomly allocate p’s to different conditions

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18
Q

Advantages of field and natural experiments

A

+ high ecological validity
+ no demand characteristics

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19
Q

Weaknesses of field and natural experiments

A
  • less control
  • less easy to replicate
  • ethical issues regarding lack of informed consent
  • sample bias
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20
Q

What are the two types of observational techniques

A
  • participant observation - involves observers becoming actively involved in the situation e.g. Zimbardo
  • non-participant observation - doesn’t involve researchers becoming actively involved in the behaviour being studied e.g. Ainsworth
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21
Q

Two ways that observations can be

A
  1. overt- when p’s are aware they are being observed
  2. covert- when p’s aren’t aware they are being observed
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22
Q

What are some advantages of observational techniques

A
  • high external validity
  • practical method
  • fewer demand characteristics
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23
Q

Weaknesses of observational techniques

A
  • cause and effect- causality cannot be inferred since the variables are only observed
  • observer bias
  • replication
  • ethics into informed consent
  • practical problems
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24
Q

What are naturalistic observations

A

surveillance and recording of naturally occurring events

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25
What are behavioural categories
dividing target behaviours into subsets of behaviours through use of coding systems
26
What is inter-observer reliability
where observers consistently code for behaviour in the same way
27
What is event sampling
counting the number of times a behaviour occurs in a target individual or individuals
28
What is time sampling
counting behaviour in a set time frame
29
What is self-report technique
p's giving information about themselves without researcher interference
30
What are questionnaires
self report method where p's record their own answers to a pre-set list of questions
31
What are the 2 types of questions
- closed - open
32
Advantages of questionnaires
- quick - lack of investigator effects - quantitative and qualitative analysis - replication
33
Weaknesses of questionnaires
- misunderstanding - biased samples - low response rates - superficial issues - social desirability/idealised answers
34
What are the three types of interviwew
- structured - unstructured - semi-structured
35
Advantages of interviews
- complex issues can be covered - ease misunderstandings - data analysis - replication
36
Weaknesses of interviews
- interviewer effects - interview training - ethical issues - participant answers
37
What are correlation studies
factors measured in a correlation to asses their direction and strength of a relationship
38
What are the 2 types of correlation
- positive - negative
39
40
Advantages of a correlation study
- allows predictions to be made - allows quantification of relationships - no manipulation
41
Weaknesses of correlation study
- quantification problem - cause and effect - extraneous relationships - only works for linear relationships
42
What is an aim
a precise statement of why a study is taking place
43
What is a hypothesis
precise testable research predictions
44
What is an experimental hypothesis
predicts that differences in the DV will be beyond the boundaries of chance
45
What is a null hypothesis
- the hypothesis of no differences - IV wont affect the DV - it says there wont be any significant difference
46
What are the two types of experimental hypothesis
- directional ( one tailed) - non-directional ( two tailed)
47
What is sampling
the selection of p's to represent a wider population
48
strengths of random sampling
- unbiased selection - generalisation
49
weaknesses of random sampling
- impractical - not representative
50
What is opportunity sampling
selecting participants who are available and willing to take part
51
What is volunteer sampling
they self-select themselves to take part in a study
52
What is systematic sampling
taking every nth person from a list to create a sample
53
What is stratified sampling
small scale reproduction of a population
54
What are pilot studies
- small scale practice investigations to see if there are any problems with the design
55
What are independent group design
use different p's in each of the experimental conditions
56
What are repeated measures design
each p gets tested in all conditions of an experiment
57
What are matched pairs design
experimental design where p's are in similar pairs with one of each pair performing in each condition
58
What are some of the code of ethics
- informed consent - avoidance of deception - adequate briefing/debriefing - protection of participants - right to withdraw - confidentiality - observational research - incentives to take part
59
What is quantitative data
data occurring in numerical form
60
What is qualitative data
non - numerical data expressing meanings, feelings and descriptions
61
What is primary data
data collected specifically towards a research aim, which has not been published before
62
What is secondary data
data originally collected towards another research aim, which has been published before
63
What is meta analysis
a statistical technique for combining the findings of several studies of a certain research area

Psychology (7 decks)

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