Research methods

Question 1

Dependent variable

Answer 1

measured by the researcher

Question 2

Independent variable

Answer 2

Deliberately manipulated by the researcher

Question 3

Qualitative data

Answer 3

words and non-numerical data.

Question 4

Advantage of qualitative

Answer 4

Rich in detail - participants views are represented in full. research topic explored in depth.

Question 5

Disadvantage of qualitative

Answer 5

Difficult to analyse. Cannot be put into graphs/charts, difficult to draw conclusions.

Question 6

Quantitative data

Answer 6

Numerical- can be categorised and ranked. How much/how long/how many.

Question 7

Advantage of quantitative

Answer 7

Easy to analyse. Put into graphs/charts. Easy to draw conclusions and comparisons.

Question 8

Disadvantage of quantitative

Answer 8

Lacks detail. Limited in response. Cannot be explored in depth.

Question 9

Extraneous variables

Answer 9

Any variable other than the IV that my affect the DV if not controlled.
These are categorised into PIED.

Question 10

Participant variables

Answer 10

Any characteristics of the participant that may affect the study.
E.g. mood, gender, personality, sexuality, age, experience, personal issues, mental health etc.

Question 11

Investigator effects

Answer 11

Any cues from the investigator that encourage certain behaviours. This may allow researchers expectations to influence the results.
E.g. tone of voice/body language, what they say (encourage to score high/low), facial expressions, instructions.

Question 12

Environmental variables

Answer 12

Any aspect of the environment/situation (other than the IV) that could unfairly influence the results.
E.g. temperature, lighting, noise level, time of day, amount of people, distractions etc.

Question 13

Demand Characteristics

Answer 13

Any cues that reveal the aim of the study and then allow participant to change their behaviour.
- try to please the researcher to give the desired results.
- ruin the experiment, ‘screw you’ effect.
- More self conscious if they know they are being tested.
E.g. how instructions are given, socially sensitive research (mother and child), social desirability.

Question 14

What are the advantages of a lab experiment?

Answer 14

High control over variables and easy to replicate

Question 15

Lab experiments advantages - high control over variables

Answer 15

This means that research is conducted in the controlled setting of a lab which allows EVs to be controlled.
For example, the lighting, temp and noise levels can all be standardised.
This is a strength as the research will measure what it is intended to measure. HIGH INTERNAL VALIDITY.

Question 16

Lab experiments advantages - easy to replicate.

Answer 16

This means that, as the research conditions are carefully controlled it can be done time and time again with the same variables.
This is positive as the findings can be tested for reliability (consistency)

Question 17

Lab experiments disadvantages - high demand characteristics.

Answer 17

Standardised setting, this means that the participants are aware they are taking part in research which may make them change their behaviour.
E.g. participants may work out the aim of the study.
This is a problem as it isn’t measuring true behaviour lowers the ecological validity.

Question 18

Lab experiments disadvantages - Low ecological validity

Answer 18

This means that the research takes place in an artificial setting so may not reflect participants natural behaviour. E.g may behave differently to how they would on the street/ home/ work.
Problem as findings cannot be generalised.

Question 19

Field experiments advantages - high ecological validity

Answer 19

Takes place in a real-life setting so it should reflect natural behaviour. E.g. they are studied where the behaviour being measured usually occurs so they shouldn’t act unnaturally. This is positive because the findings can be generalised to other real-life settings.

Question 20

Field experiments advantages - low demand characteristics

Answer 20

Because the research doesn’t take place in the lab, the participants are usually unaware that research is taking place. E.g. participants will not be able to work out the aim of the study and behave differently. Positive as the study is measuring their true behaviour which INCREASES INTERNAL VALIDITY.

Question 21

Field experiments disadvantages - Low degree of control over variables

Answer 21

research is conducted outside the controlled setting of a lab which makes EVs hard to control. E.g. lighting, temp and noise levels cannot be standardised and may vary between conditions. This is a weakness because the research will not be able to only measure what it intends to so it has low internal validity.

Question 22

Field experiments disadvantages - difficult to replicate

Answer 22

This means that the conditions used for one study will be very difficult to repeat in exactly the same way in future replications.E.g. the noise levels, lighting and temp may vary a lot every time each time it is repeated. this is a problem as it means the finding cannot be very easily tested for reliability (consistency)

Question 23

Standardisation

Answer 23

controls every aspect, environment is =, procedure is =, instructions =

Question 24

Randomisation

Answer 24

By chance, eliminates researcher bias. Random name generator

Question 25

Confounding variable

Answer 25

Any EV that is not controlled that could spoil the results

Question 26

Validity

Answer 26

Accuracy

Question 27

Internal validity

Answer 27

Whether or not the research measured what it intended to

Question 28

External validity

Answer 28

Can the results be generalised to the whole population

Question 29

Population validity

Answer 29

Enough people, age groups etc

Question 30

Ecological validity

Answer 30

Applied to real life scenarios

Question 31

Temporal validity

Answer 31

How long ago? does it apply to the modern world?

Question 32

Reliability

Answer 32

Consistency

Question 33

Natural experiment

Answer 33

Aims to establish a cause and effect relationship between the IV and the DV. However unlike other experiments, the IV varies naturally and is not deliberately manipulated by the researcher. They take advantage of natural events.

Question 34

Advantages of a natural/quasi experiment: high ecological validity

Answer 34

This means that the research usually takes place in a real life setting so it should reflect the participants natural behaviour. For example, the participants are studied in the setting where the behaviour naturally occurs so they shouldn’t act unnaturally like they may do in the lab. This is positive because the findings can be generalised to other real life settings.

Question 35

Advantages of a natural/quasi experiment: provides opportunities for research that may not otherwise take place.

Answer 35

This means that it allows researchers to study situations where it is not possible to manipulate variables. For example, situations where it would be unethical to manipulate the variables (e.g. the age at which a child is adopted) or impractical (e.g. the introduction of TV to a society) or age gender or or personality type. This is a positive because they allow researchers to gain increased knowledge and understanding of situations where it is otherwise not possible to do.

Question 36

What are the disadvantages of a lab experiment?

Answer 36

Low ecological validity and high demand characteristics

Question 37

What are the advantages of a field experiment?

Answer 37

High ecological validity and low demand characteristics

Question 38

what are the disadvantages of a field experiment?

Answer 38

Low degree of control over variables and difficult to replicate

Question 39

what are the advantages of a natural/quasi experiment?

Answer 39

High ecological validity and provides opportunities for research that may not otherwise take place.

Question 40

what are the disadvantages of a natural/quasi experiment?

Answer 40

random allocation to conditions is not possible and it is difficult to replicate

Question 41

Disadvantages of a natural/quasi experiment: random allocation to conditions is not possible

Answer 41

this means that, because the conditions of the IV vary naturally, the condition participants are in also occurs naturally which may be biased in some way. E.g. it could be that all the participants in one condition could all be more naturally intelligent or friendly than another. this is a problem because as the research will not be able to only measure what it intends so it has LOW INTERNAL VALIDITY.

Question 42

Disadvantages of a natural/quasi experiment: Difficult to replicate

Answer 42

this means that the conditions used for one study cannot be replicated in exactly the same way as it takes place in the real world. E.g. the noise levels, lighting and temperature, may vary a lot every time it is repeated. This is a problem because it means the results cannot be tested for reliability.