Research methods

Question 1

Define extraneous variables and what are the 4 types

Answer 1

• demand characteristics
• experimenter effects
• ppt effects
• situational variables
• it does not act as alternative IV but may have affect on DV

Question 2

What is operationalising

Answer 2

• making sure variables in form easily testable

- eg - not just ‘educational attainment’ but ‘grade in maths’

Question 3

What are standardised procedures

Answer 3

• procedures same for everybody to make study replicable

Question 4

External validity

Answer 4

degree to which research findings can be generalised to other settings/ people - 3 diff types

• ecological
• temporal
• population

Question 5

Confounding variable

Answer 5

• variable that systematically varies with IV

- confound means cause confusion

Question 6

Internal validity

Answer 6

• extent whether observed effect due to manipulation not extraneous variables

Question 7

Concurrent validity

Answer 7

• comparing 2 tests to see if they have similar results

Question 8

Face validity

Answer 8

• if test appears to measure what it set out to

Question 9

Mundane realism

Answer 9

• how much a study mirrors real world

Question 10

How to improve reliability

Answer 10

• make sure all procedures standardised

Question 11

How to improve reliability of self report techniques

Answer 11

• test - retest

- repeat test after length of time and correlate scores

Question 12

Repeated measures design - pros and cons

Answer 12

• order effects/ boredom - need counterbalancing

- reduced risk of individual diffs

Question 13

IG design

Answer 13

• no control over ppt variables - age,gender etc.

- avoids order effects

Question 14

Matched pairs

Answer 14

• impossible to match people on 100% everything

- reduces ppt variables

Question 15

Field experiment

Answer 15

• natural enviroment
• Iv manipulated
• ppts unaware - no conforming to demand characteristics
• hard to control extraneous variable - and ethical issues

Question 16

Lab experiment

Answer 16

• variables controlled
• high internal validity
• artificial - low ecological

Question 17

Natural experiment

Answer 17

• Iv varies naturally

- Cant demonstrate causal relationships

Question 18

Quasi experiment

Answer 18

• Iv naturally occuring
• low mundane realism
• allows comparisons to be made

Question 19

Opportunity sampling

Answer 19

• less time consuming

- not representative sample - bias

Question 20

Random sampling

Answer 20

• unbiased

- time consuming

Question 21

Stratified sampling

Answer 21

• very representative - high ecological

- time consuming

Question 22

Systematic sampling

Answer 22

• unbiased

- hard to achieve

Question 23

Volunteer sampling

Answer 23

• variety of people

- certain type of ppts

Question 24

Naturalistic obs

Answer 24

• high ecological

- little control

Question 25

Controlled obs

Answer 25

- unatural | - able to focus on certain behaviours

Question 26

Overt obs

Answer 26

- may have demand characteristics

Question 27

Covert obs

Answer 27

- behaviour more natural | - no consent

Question 28

PPT obs

Answer 28

- special insights gained | - ppts awareness risk

Question 29

Non ppt obs

Answer 29

- high objectivity | - no consent

Question 30

Questionnaires - self report

Answer 30

- get data from large sample | - social bias

Question 31

Interviews

Answer 31

- structured one - repeatable but interviewer bias risk | - unstructured - skilled people needed but more info obtained

Question 32

Standard deviation

Answer 32

- shows amount of variation in data - spread - precise - may hide characteristics

Question 33

Qualitive data

Answer 33

- detailed info obtained | - hard to draw conclusions

Question 34

Quantative data

Answer 34

- easy to analyse | - may oversimplify reality

Question 35

Scientific process and peer review

Answer 35

- process - researchers follow to determine relationship between variables - review - assesment of work by experts in same field - review stops false info entering public domain

Question 36

Features of science

Answer 36

- empirical meths - objectivity - replicability - theory construction - hypotheses testing - falsafiability - paradigms

Question 37

Type 1 and 2 errors

Answer 37

- 1 - false positive - 10% level - null rejected - 2 - false negative - 1% level - Null accepted (saying no diff)