Research Methods Flashcards
1
Q
Definition of pilot studies
A
Small scale study run of the experiment before the real experiment
2
Q
Internal validity
A
Does it measure what it’s supposed to measure?
3
Q
Population Validity
A
Can the findings be generalised to another group of people
4
Q
Ecological validity
A
Generalised to another setting
5
Q
Reliability
A
How consistent the findings are
6
Q
Temporal validity
A
Generalised to another setting
7
Q
Why run a pilot study?
A
Because you can check timing, how clear the instructions are, participants opinion, check materials, test questions, check behavioural categories
8
Q
Experimenter bias
A
Experimenter influences the experiment which changes the result
9
Q
Demand characteristics
A
Participant guesses what is happening
10
Q
Single blind
A
Participant does not know what condition they are in.
11
Q
Double blind
A
Both researcher and participant don’t know what is happening
12
Q
Naturalistic observation
A
Observation carried out in an everyday setting
13
Q
Covert observation
A
Observing people without their knowledge
14
Q
Non participant observation
A
Observer is separate from people being watched
15
Q
Participant
A
Observations made by someone taking part
16
Q
Overt observations
A
When participants know their behaviour is being studied
17
Q
Controlled observations
A
Under conditions that have been created
18
Q
Qualities data
A
Language data
19
Q
Quantitative data
A
Number data
20
Q
What type of data does a bar chart hold?
A
Categorised data
21
Q
What type of data does a histogram hold?
A
Continuous
22
Q
What type of data does scatter graph hold?
A
Associates
23
Q
What type of data does a line graph hold?
A
Continuous
24
Q
What is an advantage and disadvantage of controlled observations
A
A - extraneous variables
D- low ecological validity
25
What is an advantage and disadvantage of a natural observation
A - high ecological validity
| D- replication of extraneous variables
26
What is an advantage and disadvantage of a covert observation
A- less demand characteristics
| D- ethical issue
27
What is an advantage and disadvantage of an overt observation
A- ethically good
| D- demand characteristics
28
What is an advantage and disadvantage of a participant observation
A- better understanding of behaviour
| D - rely on memory
29
What is an advantage and disadvantage of a non participant observation
A- can write down information when it happens
| D- researcher bias
30
What is a structured interview
Determined questions asked in a set order
31
What is a semi structured interview
Some questions are set but you can ask more
32
What is an unstructured interview
No set questions
33
What is an advantage and disadvantage of a structured interview
A- easy to repeat, reduces bias
| D- you can't divert questions so loose validity
34
What is an advantage and disadvantage of an unstructured interview
A- much more flexibility
| D- hard to repeat/ analyse
35
What is a likert scale
Where the question ranges from strongly agree to strongly disagree
36
What is a rating scale
Where you rate something against numbers
37
What are the strengths of self report techniques
Low cost
Quick
Not much effort
38
What are the limitations of self report techniques
Demand characteristics
Response bias
Social desirability bias
39
What is a peer review
It happens before publication and all aspects of research are reviewed.
40
What are the aims of peer review
The aims are to allocate funding, validate the quality, suggest improvements
41
What are the strengths of peer review
Protects quality
| Minimises fraud
42
What are the limitations of peer review
Publication bias
| Researcher could ignore the research
43
What is the central tendency in descriptive stats
It's the average mean median and mode
44
In descriptive stats what does it mean when there is a normal distribution
Mean, median and mode are all at the same point
45
In descriptive stats what does it mean when there is a negative skew
Most of the information of the curve is to the left
46
In descriptive stats what does it mean when there is a positive skew
Most information is to the right
47
How do you do a sign test
You find the smallest difference
| People with the same get disregarded
48
Why do researchers use stats tests?
To determine wether the likelihood that the effect/difference/relationship they have found occurred due to chance
49
What is a large standard deviation?
When data is far away from the mean
50
How do you work out standard deviation
Work out the mean
Each number subtract the mean and then square the result
Work out the mean of the squared number
Take the square root of that
51
What is a hypothesis?
A prediction about what is going to happen
52
What is an independent variable
What you are changing
53
What is a dependant variable
What you measure
54
What is a one directional hypothesis
Where you predict that one condition will do better than another
55
What is a two directional hypothesis
There will be a difference, your not sure which condition will perform better
56
What is a null hypothesis
IV will not effect the DV
57
What is an extraneous variable
A variable that could effect the DV
58
What is a confounding variable
A variable that could effect the DV which changes the IV
59
What is a demand characteristics
Participants guessing the aim
60
What is investigator effects
How the experimenter influences
61
What is standardisation
Using the same procedure and instructions for all participants
62
What are the ethical issues
```
Right to withdraw
Anonymous
Physical/mental harm
Informed consent
Deception
```
63
What is presumptive consent
A similar group gives consent
64
Prior general consent
Participants give permission for a number of different experiments
65
What is retrospective consent?
Where you give consent at the end
66
What is internal validity
How well the experiment is done
67
What is population validity
How well the findings can be generalised to another group
68
What is ecological validity
How well it can be generalised to another setting
69
What is temporal validity
How well the findings can be generalised to another time
70
What is reliability
How consistent your findings are
71
What is randomisation
Randomly allocating participants to a condition
72
What is standardisation
Using the same procedure and instructions for all participants
73
What is a control group
They are used to compare
74
What is a single blind experiment
Participants don't know what conditions they are in
75
What is a double blind experiment
Researcher and participants don't know the aim
76
What is a repeated measures design
Every participant does every condition
77
What is a strength and limitation of a repeated measures design
L- demand characteristics
| S- fewer participants needed
78
What is an independent groups design
Separate conditions, separate groups
79
What is a strength and limitation of independent groups design
L- individual differences
| S- demand characteristics
80
What is a matched paired design
Where participants are matched on certain characteristics then put in certain groups
81
What is a strength and limitation of matched pairs design
L- time
| S- demand characteristics
82
What is a lab experiment
It is created in a highly controlled environment where the IV is manipulated and controls for extraneous
83
What is an advantage and disadvantage of a lab study
A- high control over extraneous
| D- mundane realism
84
What is a natural experiment
Created in a realistic environment and the IV naturally occurs
85
What is a strength and limitation of a natural experiment
S- realistic
| L- limited opportunities for this to happen.
86
What is a field experiment
Created in a realistic environment and manipulates the IV
87
What is a strength and limitation of a field experiment
S- has mundane realism
| L- low control over extraneous variables
88
What is a quasi experiment
It focuses of the existing IV such as Gender, age, IQ. This would never be able to change
89
What is a strength and limitation of a quasi experiment
S- high control over extraneous variables
| L- confounding variables
90
What is a strength and limitation of random sampling
S- unbiased
| L- time
91
What is a strength and limitation of a systematic sample
S- unbiased
| L- not random
92
What is a strength and limitation of an opportunity sample
S- less time
| L- bias
93
What is a strength and limitation of volunteer bias
S- takes little time
| L- volunteer bias
94
What is a strength and limitation of of stratified sample
S- unbiased
| L- not always complete
