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AQA A-Level Psychology > Research Methods > Flashcards

Flashcards in Research Methods Deck (45)
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1
Q

What are the three designs of experiment?

A

Independent groups, matched pairs and repeated designs

2
Q

What are the methods of experiments?

A

Quasi, laboratory, field, observation, natural

3
Q

What are the two types of observation?

A

Overt (open) and covert (secret)

4
Q

What types of sampling methods are there?

A

Stratified, volunteer, opportunity, random, and systematic.

5
Q

What is meant by reliability?

A

How much a study and its findings are repeatable/replicable

6
Q

What is meant by validity?

A

How much a study’s findings are correct/accurate

7
Q

What is face validity?

A

If a study/experiment is testing what it says it’s testing.

8
Q

What is temporal validity?

A

If a study’s findings are relevant throughout the years.

9
Q

What is cultural validity?

A

If a study can be generalised across all cultures.

10
Q

What is concurrent validity?

A

If a study’s findings are supportive of another study’s findings.

11
Q

What is nominal data?

A

Categorised data

12
Q

What is ordinal data?

A

Ordered data (can’t show by how much)

13
Q

What is interval data?

A

Ordered data (shows by how much)

14
Q

What level of significance is most commonly used?

A

P<0.05 (greater or equal to)

15
Q

What are the measurements of spread?

A

Range and standard deviation

16
Q

What are the measurements of averages?

A

Mean, median, mode

17
Q

What is the null hypothesis?

A

Opposes the hypothesis.

18
Q

How would you write a non-directional hypothesis?

A

“There will be a difference between [condition A] and [condition B]”

19
Q

How would you write a directional hypothesis?

A

“[Condition A] will do better than [condition B]”

20
Q

When would you use a directional hypothesis?

A

When there’s already previous evidence that indicates a certain result.

21
Q

What is a pilot study?

A

A study preceding the original study to test whether the method, variables and instructions are all in order.

22
Q

What does a debriefing need to contain?

A

The study’s primary aims, the right to withdraw their information and any necessary help/contacts.

23
Q

What’s the difference between a blind condition and a double blind condition?

A

A blind condition is where the participant doesn’t know something (e.g. in a drug trial they won’t know if they’re taking the real drug or a placebo) and a double blind is where neither the participant nor the experimenter knows something (neither of them know if the participant takes the drug or the placebo).

24
Q

How do you control for order effects in a repeated measures design? What is this called?

A

Counter balancing

Have two groups - swap the order of the tasks for each group.

25
Q

What’s the difference between extraneous and confounding variables?

A

Extraneous variables are the variables that might possibly interfere with an experiment, but confounding variables are variables which will definitely interfere with an experiment.

26
Q

What is internal validity?

A

Whether or not an experiment is actually testing what it says it’s testing.

27
Q

What is ecological validity?

A

The extent to which results in one setting can be generalised to another setting

28
Q

What’s the difference between quantitative data and qualitative data?

A

Quantitative data is something that can be measured (time, numbers, etc.), whereas qualitative data can’t be measured (opinions, emotions, skill, etc.)

29
Q

Give a strength and a weakness for correlational analysis.

A

Strength: Allows us to make predictions of an outcome.
Weakness: Correlation doesn’t imply causation.

30
Q

What is thematic analysis?

A

A method used to identify patterns of meanings and themes within qualitative data.

31
Q

Give two self-report techniques.

A

Questionnaires and Interviews

32
Q

Name the non-parametric statistical tests.

A

Mann Whitney, Wilcoxon, Chi-squared, Sign and Spearman’s

33
Q

Name the parametric statistical tests.

A

Pearson’s, Unrelated t-test and Related t-test

34
Q

What needs to be included in a psychology write-up?

A

Abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion, references, and appendices.

35
Q

What is a paradigm?

A

A general theory or law that is accepted by the overwhelming majority of scientists in a particular field of study.

36
Q

How does a paradigm shift come about?

A

1) Pre-science: no theories that are generally accepted
2) Normal science: a paradigm emerges
3) Revolution: an existing paradigm is replaced by a new one (a paradigm shift).

37
Q

Difference, nominal data with independent groups. What test is used?

A

Chi-squared

38
Q

Difference, nominal data with repeated measures or matched pairs. What test is used?

A

Sign test

39
Q

Difference, ordinal data, with independent groups. What test is used?

A

Mann Whitney

40
Q

Difference, ordinal data with repeated measures or matched pairs. What test is used?

A

Wilcoxon

41
Q

Correlation and ordinal data . What test is used?

A

Spearman’s

42
Q

Correlation and internal data. What test is used?

A

Pearson’s

43
Q

Difference, interval data with independent groups. What test is used?

A

Unrelated t-test

44
Q

Difference, interval data with repeated measures or matched pairs. What test is used?

A

Related t-test

45
Q

What are investigator effects?

A

Where the investigators results are altered due to a bias/expectation/stereotype.