Research Methods Flashcards
What are control variables and examples that you can apply?
Factors that are kept the same across all conditions of an experiment
Eg. 1. Memory- Baddeley 1966b : time given to learn the words,room conditions, age or education level of ppts
2. Social- obedience study, Milgram and burger: script followed by authority figure, room layout and tone of voice
What are the 5 sampling techniques?
Volunteer
Random
Stratified
Systematic
Opportunity
What is opportunity sampling and an advantage and disadvantage?
Participants who are willing to take part and accessible at the time are targeted
Adv: easy and inexpensive
Disadv: sample may not be representative and subject to bias
What is random sampling and a strength and a weakness?
Random sampling is when participants are randomly chosen and gives every member of the population an equal chance of being selected
Strength : high validity, unbiased sample, can be generalisable to the whole population
Weakness: small minority groups may affect results, might not be representative of the population just the group being studied
What is stratified sampling and a strength and weakness?
Stratified sampling is when the sampler divides the population into groups, each showing a key characteristic and randomly selects members of the group
Strength: high validity, more representative and reduces bias
Weakness: time consuming as it takes more time and resources to plan
What is systematic sampling and a strength and a weakness?
Systematic sampling is the process of choosing participants in a systematic way such as a pattern or every nth person is chosen.
Strength: representative sample of population, simple and easy to follow, can reduce bias
Weakness: not very practical, can be subject to bias if the researcher manipulates the system in order to reach their desired results
What is volunteer sampling and a strength and weakness?
Volunteer sampling consists of a sample of people who have volunteered to be in the study
Strength: achieves large sample size as it reaches a large audience
Weakness: all ppts may display similar characteristics meaning that the sample is not representative
What are the 4 types of experiments in a level psychology ?
Natural experiment
Field experiment
Quasi experiment
Lab experiment
What is a lab experiment and a strength and weakness?
A lab experiment is conducted in a controlled environment and under controlled conditions
Strengths: reliable and easy to replicate, high level of control on environment and variables
Weaknesses: lacks ecological validity and is harder to apply to real life as it is artificial
