Research methods Flashcards
1
Q
What is a Laboratory experiment
A
A laboratory experiment is an experiment where the independent variable is manipulated in an artificial environment
2
Q
Strengths of Lab studies
A
High control over EVs
3
Q
Weakness of Lab studies
A
Demand Characteristics
4
Q
What is a Field experiment
A
an experiment where the independent variable is manipulated in a natural, everyday life setting.
5
Q
Pros of Field experiments
A
Higher ecological validity
6
Q
Cons of Field Experiments
A
EVs are hard to control
7
Q
Quasi Experiment
A
where the independent variable can’t be manipulated and randomly allocated to groups because it’s a personal characteristic of the participants
8
Q
Pros of Quasi experiments
A
Highly controlled
9
Q
Cons of Quasi Experimetns
A
individual differences
10
Q
What is a natural experiment
A
an experiment where the independent variable is an event that has already happened.an experiment where the independent variable isn’t manipulated and can’t be randomly allocated.
11
Q
Pros of Natural experiment
A
Can experiment things we would be able to do
12
Q
Cons of Natural experiment
A
We cant replicate as it would be unethical to do so
13
Q
Matched pairs design
A
Tests for a specific participant variable and then matches them into pairs, they allocate one participant to each condition
14
Q
Pros of matched pairs design
A
increases internal validity
15
Q
Cons of matched pairs design
A
Can match every single variable
16
Q
Independent groups
A
when the researcher allocates different participants to each group but doesn’t match the participants for any variables.
17
Q
random allocation
A
when the same participants take part in all of the experimental conditions
18
Q
repeated measures is when….
A
All participants take part in all conditions
19
Q
repeated measures limitations
A
order effects
20
Q
counterbalancing is used in
A
repeated measures
21
Q
counterbalancing prevents
A
order effects from influencing results
22
Q
counterbalance is when in a repeated measures design
A
the participants take part in the conditions in different orders
23
Q
Repeated measures strength
A
Participant variables cannot be confounding
24
Q
An Aim
A
is the reason as to why we are doing the experiment
25
A hypothesis is
A prediction of what we think is going to happen in the experiment
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Directional Hypothesis states
the direction in which we think the results will go
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Non- directional hypothesis states
no direction in which we think the results will go
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Independent Variable
what we change in an experiment
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Dependent variable
What we measure in an experiment
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Operationalisation
defining how the variable is going to be measured.
31
Volunteer sampling
Volunteer sampling is when researchers post an advert and wait for people to volunteer.
32
Pros of volunteer sampling is that
it can be easy cheap and can reach lots of people
33
Cons of volunteer sampling
May not be very representative
34
Opportunity sampling
approaching people who are willing and easily available.
35
opportunity sampling pro
It is quick and easy to get participants
36
importunity sampling negative
unrepresentative
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Systematic sampling
follow a system over every nth person of a list
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pros of Systematic sampling
may be more likely to get a representative sample
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Cons of systematic sampling
It requires a list which may be hard to get
40
Random sampling
picking randomly every person has an equal chance of getting picked
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Pro of Random sampling
likely to be representative sample
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Cons of Random sampling
More difficult as it requires a list and a way to randomize it
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what is stratified sampling
Stratified sampling is when researchers sample so that their sample has the same proportion of each subgroup as the total population.
44
what is a sample
A sample is a smaller group of people selected from the target population that the researcher is studying.
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what is sampling
Sampling is the process of selecting a sample of people from the target population that the researcher is studying.
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how many key features of science is there
7
47
Hypothesis testing
we use scientific processes to test hypothesis
48
Empirical evidence
Information that collected through direct observation
49
Falsifiability
must be able to prove that it is false
50
Replicability
repeating a study to re-test the hypothesis
51
A control group
a level of IV which is not manipulated
52
EV
Things other than what we are studying which effect the DV
53
CV
Type of extraneous variable which varies according to the level of IV
54
Objectvity
No personal bias
55
Theory reconstruction
A comprehensive explanation which has been backed up by research
56
Validity
A test is valid when it measures something it claims to be measuring
57
Face validity
Does it look right
58
Concurrent validity
comparing with a test that is know to be valid
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reliability
measure of consistency
60
External reliable
consistency of result
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Test retest
same participant doing same test
62
Internal reliability
items are consistent with each other
63
Participant variables
A personal characteristic of the participant which is and EV
64
Investigator effect
When the researcher influences the behavior of a participant
65
Situational variables are
Features of an external environment that can effect a study
66
Uncontrolled extraneous variables lower
the validity and the reliability
67
standardization
EV the same for all participants in a study
68
Random allocation
Assigned randomly to groups
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Single blind study
participant doesn't know what experimental group they are in
70
Double Blind study
participant and researcher doesn't know what group they are in
71
External validity
study generalizes to others
72
Internal validity
when the study measures what it claims to measure
73
Ecological validty
generalize to how people act in real life
74
Temporal validity
generalize to others over time
75
Population validity
Does it generalize to the everybody
76
Consent
informed, participants must give agreement to take part in study, and fully understand what it involved
77
Deception
participants are told things which aren't true
78
withdraw
participants can quit at any point, and research ,must communicate it to them
79
Confidentiality
There identity must not be shared
80
Harm
Participants must not be harmed in any way, more then in real life
81
Non experimental methods
Doesn't investigate cause and effect
82
Single variable studies
Involves one variable, No IV
83
Correlational studies
Look for an association between two variables
84
Positive correlation
When both increase or decrease at the same time
85
Negative correlation
One variable increases and the other decreases
86
correlations doesn't equal
causation
87
Case study
a detailed study into an individual or small group of individuals
88
Strength of correlational studies
Often more practical, less likely to be unethical,
89
Weakness of correlational study
correlation doesn't equal causation
90
Strengths of case studies
in depth, rare situations
91
Weakness of case studies
cant establish cause effect, may not generalize to others, anonymity issues.
92
Self report is when
people report on their own thoughts feeling and behaviors
93
Interviews are when
the questions are asked directly, face to face
94
questionnaires
Participants has to write down their response
95
structured Interviews
researcher has a set number of questions they have to ask and cant ask others
96
Unstructured interview
Interviewer may decide on Additional questions
97
Open questionnaire
participants asked to answer in their own words
98
Closed questionnaire
Participants has to choose from an answer
99
Limitations of the self report technique
people aren't always accurate when they answer, social desirability bias
100
Observational technique
When researchers observe participants and measure or record there behaviors
101
Controlled research
done in a controlled artificial setting
102
Naturalistic experiment
Research done in a natural enviroment
102
Overt experiment
participants are aware they are bieng watched
102
Covert experiment
Participants aren't aware that they are being watched
102
Participant research
the researcher takes part in the experiment
103
Non-participant research
The researcher doesn't take part in the experiment
104
Behavioral categories
Breaking down behavior into smaller easier-to-measure behaviors
105
Event sampling
Counting every time a behavior happens
106
Time sampling
categorizing behaviors at regular intervals
107
Strength of Controlled observations
Better control over extraneous variables,
108
Strength of Naturalistic observations
higher ecological validity
109
strengths of Overt Observation
more ethical, informed consent
110
Strength of Covert observations
less investigate effects, social desirability bias
111
strengths of participant variables
more insight
112
Strength of non-participant variables
less investigator effects
113
Pilot studies
Small test study, with small group of participants, to identify potential flaws in an experimenter
114
Strengths of a pilot study
cost effective
115
Peer review
the process where other researchers in a field study review, criticizes and suggest improvements for a report before it is published
116
Strengths of Peer review
helps to protect from bad research, suggest improvements
117
Qualitative data
Can't be described as numbers
118
Quantitative data
Can be described with numbers
119
Nominal Data is ...
categorized data and don't have a natural order
120
Ordinal data is
Categorized data which does have a natural order
121
Discrete data
data that is limited to certain numbers
122
Continuous data
data which is not restricted to certain numbers
123
positive skew
tail on the right, more towards the left of the graph
124
Negative skew
tail on the left, more towards the right of the graph
125
Central Tendency
a number which tells us where the middle is located
126
Mode
the value in the data set which has the most frequency
127
Mean
The average of all our data points
128
Median
The value that splits your data exactly in half
129
In positive skew the mode median mean goes in order of
mode median mean
130
In negative skew the mode median mean goes in the order of
mean, median, mode
131
Dispersion
tells us how spread out the data is
132
Range
the difference between the highest and the lowest data point
133
Standard deviation
the average distance of the data from the mean
134
Inference
Taking something we can observe to make a conclusion about something we cannot observe
135
Inferences may not be
Representative
136
Thematic analysis
to find consistent ideas, or themes, that occur in a set of data
137
Step one of thematic analysis
convert data into written form
138
step to of thematic analysis
familiarize self with data
139
step three of thematic analysis
label data using codes
140
step four of thematic analysis
categories codes with themes
141
step five of thematic analysis
write report
142
Content analysis
Creates coding units before reading through, then reading through and tallying how much that behavior comes up
143
Content analysis strengths
words to numbers, test hypothesis, any wordy form of research, look for same coding units
144
Thematic analysis strengths
More detailed
145
Thematic analysis weakness
requires written for, less reliable
146
The abstract
a short summary of the report
147
Introduction
explains past research, the aim and hypothesis
148
Method
The exact procedure
149
Results
presents the data
150
Discussion
where researcher interprets report and writes conclusions
151
reference
list other studies they mentioned
152
