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Research Methods Flashcards

1
Q

What is inferential data, and how does it improve an investigation?

A

Is a test for significance, allowing the hypothesis to be accepted, increasing validity

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2
Q

What is an example of ordinal data?

A

Self report techniques

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3
Q

What is content analysis?

A

A method of quantifying qualitative data via categorisation, allows graphs, investigator bias

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4
Q

How can you use content analysis in an investigation?

A

Make standardized categories, tally when categories seen, e.g. emotion, movements

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5
Q

How can you improve the reliability of content analysis

A

Inter rater reliability, observers agree 80%, categories should be established

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6
Q

What are the 2 types of statistics?

A

Descriptive and inferential

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7
Q

What are the features of science?

A

Falsifiability, Objectivity, Reliability, Empirical Methods

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8
Q

Define paradigm.

A

A shared set of assumptions

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9
Q

Define paradigm shift

A

When a scientific revolution occurs and a new paradigm forms

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10
Q

What are the two types of theory construction?

A

Induction (observe, hypothesis, study, propose theory) and Deduction (observe, propose theory, hypothesis, study)

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11
Q

What is a hypothesis used for?

A

To test a prediction

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12
Q

What are the 4 experimental methods?

A

Laboratory, Field, Natural, Quasi

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13
Q

What are the 7 non experimental methods?

A

Observations, questionnaires, interviews, case studies, content analysis, correlational analysis, meta analysis

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14
Q

Describe a lab experiment

A

Artificial, variables controlled, high internal validity, low ecological validity

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15
Q

Describe a field experiment

A

Natural, pp unaware, high ecological validity, low internal validity

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16
Q

Define a natural experiment

A

IV occurs naturally, ethical or practical reasons, high ecological validity, lack of random allocation

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17
Q

Define a quasi experiment

A

IV is a difference that exists, can be carried out in lab

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18
Q

What are extraneous variables?

A

Anything other than the IV which might have an effect on the DV e.g. age, time limits

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19
Q

What are confounding variables?

A

Variables that aren’t controlled and affect results e.g. weather. mood

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20
Q

How do you write a non-directional hypothesis?

A

There will be a significant difference/relationship between the DV from IV group 1 and 2

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21
Q

How do you write a directional hypothesis?

A

IV group 1 will score higher/lower/positive relationship on the DV than IV group 2

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22
Q

How do you write a null hypothesis?

A

There will be no significant difference between the DV of IV group 1 and 2

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23
Q

Define reliability.

A

Consistency

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24
Q

What are the two types of the reliability?

A

Internal(all treated the same) and External(Outcome the same when repeated)

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25
How can you test reliability?
Test retest, inter rater reliability, Correlation of 0.80%
26
Define validity
Accuracy
27
What are the 5 types of validity?
Internal (measures what its supposed to), External (generalizable) , ecological, population, temporal
28
How can you test validity?
Face validity, concurrent
29
How can you improve validity?
Larger sample, realistic setting
30
What are the 3 types of experimental designs?
Independent groups, repeated measures, matched pairs
31
Explain an independent groups design.
Recruit, divide randomly, two conditions, compare, no demand characteristics, participant variables
32
Explain a repeated measures design
Recruit, complete both conditions, compare, no pp variables, demand characteristics
33
Explain a matched pairs design
Recruit, study the people, recruit more who match characteristics, independent groups, no demand characteristics, only match one factor
34
Describe counterbalancing and its purpose
Half pps do condition A then B, other half do B than A, attempts to control order effects in repeated measures
35
What is a pilot study and why is it used?
A small scale trial run of an experiment, used to check for sources of errors so changes can be made for actual study, reduces time wasted
36
What are the 5 types of sampling?
Opportunity, Random, Stratified, Systematic, Volunteer
37
Describe opportunity sampling
Anyone willing in vicinity, quick, sample may be bias
38
Describe random sampling.
All members of target population have equal chance of selection, no experimenter bias, not representative
39
Describe stratified sampling
Represents proportions of subgroups, best population validity, time consuming
40
Describe systematic sampling
Every nth member, no experimenter bias, time consuming
41
Describe opportunity sampling
Self selected sample, willing participants, certain type of people(pop valid)
42
What are the 4 ethical guidelines?
Informed consent, deception, protection from harm, confidentiality
43
How can ethical issues be dealt with?
Right to withdraw, debrief, counselling, use numbers rather than names
44
What are the 3 types of informed consent?
Retrospective(afterwards), presumptive(someone else), prior general (consent without knowing what's going to happen)
45
What are the 4 types of observations?
Naturalistic v Controlled Overt (aware) v Covert Participant(observer joins) v Non participant Structures v Unstructured
46
What 4 evaluative points can be used for observations?
Ecological validity, demand characteristics, investigator bias, miss something
47
What are the two observational sampling techniques?
Event (singular set times) and Time (Multiple time intervals)
48
What are the two types of self report techniques?
Questionnaires and interviews
49
What are the advantages and disadvantages of questionnaires?
Easily distributed, replicable, social desirability
50
How can you write a good questionnaire?
Avoid jargon and leading questions, use filler questions
51
What are the advantages and disadvantages of interviews?
Truthfulness likely, interviewer bias
52
What are the 3 types of interviews?
Structures (set questions), unstructured, semi-structured
53
Define a correlation coefficent?
A number from -1 to 1 which gives the strength and direction of a relationship between 2 co variables
54
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a correlational analysis?
No cause and effect, Economical (not costly)
55
How can you avoid investigator effects?
Double blind designs
56
What is meta analysis?
Collating results from multiple larger studies, removes individual experimenter bias, May be unethical
57
What is a case study?
A detailed analysis of an individual, low population validity, used to support/challenge
58
Define a peer review.
Assessment of scientific work by specialists in the field, protects quality of work, publication bias(exciting findings published = file drawer problem)
59
Why is peer review used?
Funding allocated to were needed, validates quality of research
60
Define qualitative data.
Reasons, explanation's ect. easy to analyse, more likely to be bias
61
Define qualitative data
Numerical data, measurable, can be converted into a graph
62
What are the 4 types of data?
Quantitative, qualitative, primary, secondary
63
What are the 4 levels of measurement?
Nominal (qualitative, tallied, mode), ordinal (scaled/ranked, median), interval (standardised measurements, mean), ratio (standardised measurement with a zero)
64
What are the most common central tendencys?
Median, mode
65
What are the most common measures of dispersion?
Range, standard deviation
66
Do bar charts or histograms have gaps between bars?
Bar Charts
67
What are the two types of skewed distribution?
Negatively skewed (mean to the left, may be too difficult), positively skewed (mean to right, may be too easy)
68
What pattern should graph data have?
A normal distribution
69
How is probability measured?
Using a significance level of 0.05, 95 out of 100 participants need to show the predicted behaviour
70
What significance level is used to challenge research?
0.02
71
Define a type 1 error
A false positive, rejecting a null hypothesis when its true
72
Define a type 2 error
A false negative, accepting a null hypothesis, when its false
73
How can you reduce the chance of a type 1 and 2 error?
Type 1 - Make the significance levels stricter (however this will increase chance of type 2). For both increase sample size
74
What is needed in a report?
Title, abstract, intro, method, results, discussion, references, appendices
75
What is written about in the method?
The design, materials, participants, procedure, ethical issues
76
What is put in the results section of a report?
A table, a graph, statistics, statistical test, level of significance
77
What is written in the discussion of a report?
Explains findings, accepts or rejects hypothesis, notes possible errors
78
What is written in the abstract of a report?
design/sampling/participants etc
79
What must be written in a consent form?
The aim, things which may influence the pps decision, right to withdraw, confidentiality, opportunity to ask questions, a place to sign with name and date
80
What must be written in a debrief form?
Thanks, purpose of study, explain deception, offer counselling, provide a contact, ask not to talk about study
81
What is put in a reference?
Author, year, title, edition, place, publisher
82
How can you gain informed consent?
By contacting the parents and getting them to sign a consent form
83
How an you obtain a stratified sample?
Work out the proportionate subgroups, use random allocation

Psychology (12 decks)

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