Research methods Key Terms

Question 1

Abstract

Answer 1

The first section in a psychological report or journal. It includes a summary of the aims, hypothesis, method, results and conclusions, providing an overview of the entire report.

Question 2

Aim

Answer 2

A general statement used to explain the purpose of the research.

Question 3

Bar chart

Answer 3

A type of graph used to show frequency data for discrete (separate) variables, e.g. to plot mean scores for conditions A&B separately.

Question 4

Behavioural categories

Answer 4

Target behaviour (e.g. aggression) that has been operationalised and broken into components that can be observed and measured (e.g. hitting), based on what the psychologist has chosen to examine.

Question 5

Chi-squared

Answer 5

• Nominal data
• Unrelated design (test of difference) AND Related design (test of correlation)

Question 6

Mann-Whitney

Answer 6

• Ordinal data
• Unrelated design (test of difference)

Question 7

Measures of dispersion

Answer 7

Describes the spread of data around a central value (i.e. mean, median and mode), telling us how much variability there is in the data. There are two measures of dispersion: range and standard deviation.

Question 8

Order effects

Answer 8

Refers to how the positioning of tasks influences the outcome of an experiment, e.g. practise effect or boredom effect on a second task.