Research Methods

Question 1

Participants

Answer 1

The people who take part in the study

Question 2

Sample

Answer 2

The group of participants

Question 3

Sampling methods

Answer 3

How researchers find their participants

Question 4

Generalisable sample

Answer 4

The participants are reflective of the population and make a fair and ideal representation of everyone

Question 5

Opportunity sampling

Answer 5

Looking for people available at the time to participate in the study e.g. Asking random bystanders or people passing by

Question 6

Self-selecting sample

Answer 6

Asking for volunteers to participate in the study e.g. posters / advertisements

Question 7

Why are experiments carried out?

Answer 7

To discover the effect a factor has on another (how the independent variable affects the dependent variable)

Question 8

Measures of central tendency

Answer 8

Mean, median and mode

Question 9

Measure of dispersion

Answer 9

Range, variance and standard deviation

Question 10

Standardised

Answer 10

Kept the same for all participants and can therefore be easily repeated with others to test for consistency

Question 11

Independent variable

Answer 11

The systemically varied factor (what is changed)

Question 12

Dependent variable

Answer 12

The factor being affected by the IV (what is being measured)

Question 13

Experimental condition

Answer 13

The IV which has experienced the change or manipulation

Question 14

Control condition

Answer 14

The IV which has not experienced the change or manipulation (default/baseline)

Question 15

Laboratory experiment

Answer 15

The IV is manipulated by the researcher and is carried out in a laboratory/contrived setting with many controls

Question 16

Field experiment

Answer 16

The IV is manipulated by the researcher and is carried out in the participants’ normal surroundings

Question 17

Quasi experiment

Answer 17

The IV is naturally occurring and not manipulated by the researcher

Question 18

Advantages of laboratory experiments

Answer 18

Highly controlled to reduce the effect of extraneous variables; more reliable as procedure is standardised

Question 19

Disadvantages of laboratory experiments

Answer 19

Setting is artificial so behavioural may be unnatural and lacks ecological validity; participants more likely to change their behaviour as they know they are being studied (social desirability bias)

Question 20

Advantage of field experiments

Answer 20

High ecological validity, high mundane realism, unaware of being tested, less demand characteristics, realistic so results mirror authentic behaviours

Question 21

Disadvantage of field experiments

Answer 21

Less control over extraneous variables so it’s harder to replicate (low external reliability) and has a low internal validity

Question 22

Advantages of quasi experiments

Answer 22

Can be used if it is unethical or difficult to manipulate the IV; can test things that can’t be controlled by humans e.g. weather

Question 23

Disadvantage of quasi experiments

Answer 23

Lacks control

Question 24

Repeated measures design

Answer 24

Same person in each condition

Question 25

Independent measures design

Answer 25

Different people in each condition

Question 26

Matched participants design

Answer 26

Different people in each condition but the participants are made as similar as possible based on key characteristics to influence the findings e.g. testing individuals and grouping them on similar scores and testing one of each on a certain condition

Question 27

Advantages of repeated measures design

Answer 27

Less time consuming; can have a smaller sample; less likely individual differences confound (mess up) results as it's the same participant each time

Question 28

Disadvantages of repeated measures design

Answer 28

Affected by order effects so participants may get better each time as they are familiar with it or worse because of boredom or fatigue and is therefore unreliable; participants might work out the meaning of the experiment (demand characteristics)

Question 29

Advantages of independent measures

Answer 29

Less time consuming; less likely to be affected by demand characteristics and order effects

Question 30

Work out variance

Answer 30

Find the mean score. Subtract each individual's actual score from the mean (d). Then square it (d^2). Find the sum of d^2 (Ed^2). Divide by n-1 (n is the number of participants).

Question 31

Work out standard deviation

Answer 31

Square root Ed^2

Question 32

Classifications of extraneous variables

Answer 32

Participant variables and situational (order effects, demand characteristics, environmental factors)

Question 33

Participant variables def

Answer 33

Characteristics of the individual participant Thant may influence the results

Question 34

Situational variables

Answer 34

Features of the research situation which influences a participants behaviour and therefore the result

Question 35

Researcher effects def

Answer 35

Effects of a researchers expectations on a participants behaviour

Question 36

Single blind def

Answer 36

The participant does not know the true aim of the research is

Question 37

Double blind def

Answer 37

The participant doesn't know whether to score high or low and an independent researcher carries out the actual task to avoid giving clues on anticipated results

Question 38

Researcher bias

Answer 38

When a researcher allows their hopes and expectations for what the results will be to affect what they choose to hold onto or reject from the study or allows them to influence what participants to choose

Question 39

Alternative hypothesis

Answer 39

Predicts that the IV will affect the DV

Question 40

Hypothesis vs theory

Answer 40

H - "This is what I think will happen in this study" | T - "This is true and here is the evidence to prove it"