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psychology > year 12 mock research methods > Flashcards

year 12 mock research methods Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a variable?

A

Anything that can vary or change within an investigation

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2
Q

What are the types of variables?

A

1) independent
2) dependent
3) controlled
4) extraneous

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3
Q

What is an independent variable?

A

The variale that the researcher changes

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4
Q

What is a dependent variable?

A

The variable that the researcher measures to see if the IV affected it

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5
Q

What is a hypothesis?

A

A clear and testable statement that states the relationship between varibales in your investigation

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6
Q

What are the types of hypothesis?

A

1) null
2) alternative

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7
Q

What is a null hypothesis?

A

There will not be a difference with the variables

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8
Q

What is a alternative hypothesis?

A

There will be differences with the variables

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9
Q

What are the types of alternative hypothesis?

A

1) directional
2) non-directional

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10
Q

What does it mean for an alternative hypothesis to be directional?

A

Clear difference in direction between the results produced by variables are stated
- increase / decrease

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11
Q

What does it mean for a alternative hypothesis to be non-directional?

A

doesnt state what the direction of the difference is

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12
Q

What are the sampling methods?

A

1) random
2) systematic
3) stratified
4) opportunity
5) volunteer

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13
Q

What is random sampling?

A

create list of members in target population -> assign a number -> sample is generated by lottery method

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14
Q

What are strengths of random sampling?

A

+ representative
-> everyone has an equal chance of selection

+ no researcher bias as researcher has no control over who to pick

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15
Q

What are weaknesses of random sampling?

A
  • difficult and time consuming to conduct
  • might not representative of the target population
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16
Q

What is systematic sampling?

A

create list of members in target population (sampling frame) -> researcher works through the sampling frame take every nth person

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17
Q

What are strengths of systematic sampling?

A

+ quick to conduct and avoids researcher bias
-> researcher has little input once a selection system has been set up

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18
Q

What are weaknesses of systematic sampling?

A

may not be representative

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19
Q

What is stratified sampling?

A

find out proportions that make up the target population -> participants are selected randomly so each strata is represented proportionally

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20
Q

What are advantages of stratified sampling?

A

+ representative
-> subgroups are represented

+ researcher bias is avoided
-> researcher has little control over who is selected to take part
-> able to easily generalise

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21
Q

What are weaknesses of stratified sampling?

A
  • difficult and time consuming to conduct
  • not representative as it is impossible to represent every difference between participants
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22
Q

What is opportunity sampling?

A

Researcher asks whoever is around at the time of the study to attend

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23
Q

What are strengths of opportunity sampling?

A

+ quick and convenient to conduct -> researcher saves a lot of time and effort

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24
Q

What are weaknesses of opportunity sampling?

A
  • not representative as you cannot generalise findings with certainty
  • high in researcher bias as researcher is in control of who is selected and may pick people who may be more likely to support their hypothesis
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25
What is volunteer sampling?
researcher might place an advert on a noticeboard asking for participants / people might simply raise their hand to volunteer
26
What are strengths of volunteer sampling?
+ very easy to collate and requires minimum input from the researcher and so is less time consuming than
27
What are weaknesses of volunteer sampling?
- not representative -> may only attract a certain types of person (eg. extroverted or keen to help) -> affects generalisation
28
What are the types of experimental designs?
1) independent groups 2) repeated measures 3) matched pairs
29
What are independent measures?
Two separate groups of participants experiencing two different conditions / levels of experiment
30
What are some evaluations for independent groups?
+ order effects are not a problem (no demand characteristics) -> participants are less likely to guess the aims - participants who occupy different groups arent the same -> effect on DV by individual differences or IV?
31
What are repeated measures?
All participants experience both conditions within the experiment.
32
What are some evaluations of repeated measures?
+ participant variables are controlled + fewer participants are needed - order effects might arise (confounding variables) -> create boredom or fatigue -> deteriorate performance -more likely participants will work out aim of study -> demand characteristics as each participant has to at least do two tasks
33
What are matched pairs?
Pairs of participants which are first matched on a variable / variables relevant to the experiment (or affect the DV) -> then one member is assigned to condition A and the other to condition B
34
What are some evaluations for matched pairs?
+ order effect and demand characteristics are not a problem as participants only take part in one single condition - participants will never be matched exactly - time consuming and expensive (less economical)
35
What is central tendency?
The spread of the scores
36
How can we measure central tendency?
1) mode 2) mean 3) median
37
What is mean?
the average
38
How is the mean calculated?
sum of all numbers in the data set divided by how many numbers there are in the data set
39
What is the mode?
the most frequently occurring number in a data set
40
What is an example of the mode?
the mode of 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5 is 4
41
What is the median?
the middle score when the data are in numerical order
42
What is an example of the median?
the median of numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 would be 3
43
What is range?
difference between the lowest value in the set and the highest value in the set
44
What is dispersion?
The measure of spread of a set of quantities
45
What is standard deviation?
A sophisticated measure of dispersion in a set of scores
46
What does standard deviation tell us?
how much scores deviate from the mean and each score -> all the differences are added up and then divided by the number of scores = variance -> standard deviation: square root of the variance
47
What are the two uses of standard deviation?
1) identify anomalies 2) create conclusions
47
How can we identify anomalies with standard deviation?
1) add up the mean 2) add or minus the standard deviation to the mean 3) repeat step 2 to the numbers already produced 4) any number that is more than the (two) standard deviations will be seen as an outlier
48
How does standard deviation create conclusions?
it tells us how consistent the scores are
49
What does it mean if the standard deviation is small?
values are concentrated around the mean -> there is consistency in the data -> everyone scored relatively similar to one another
50
What does it mean if the standard deviation is large?
Values are spread out away from the mean -> little consistency in the data -> data has little similarity as participants have scored differently to each other -> not all participants are affected by the independent variable in the same way -> bc there is a big variation so there might be anomalous results
51
What are the types of experiments?
1) laboratory 2) field 3) natural 4) quasi
52
What is laboratory experiment?
-conducted in highly controlled experiment -doesn’t have to be in lab (can be in classrooom with weell controlled conditions) -example: Migrams original obedience study (40 male participants were assessed in a lab)
53
What are some strengths of laboratory experiments?
high control over extraneous variables -> any effect on DV is caused by IV -> more certain about cause and effect -> high internal validity replication is possible -> ensures that new extraneous variables arent introduced when repeating an experiment -> vital to check whether results are valid but not just a one-off
54
What are some weaknesses of laboratory experiments?
-lacks generalisability -> enviroment is artificial not like everyday life -> participants might behave in unusual ways -> low external validity -risk in unnatural behaviour (demand behaviour) -mundane realism -> not represented real life experience
55
What are field experiments?
IV is manipulated in a more natural and everyday setting to observe the effect on the DV in a natural environment example; Bickman’s obedience study confederates stood in the streets and asked passer-bys to perform tasks
56
What are some strengths of field experiments?
higher mundane realism -> experiment is more natural produce more valid and authentic behavior -> participants maybe unaware they are being studied -> high ecological/ external validity
57
What are some weaknesses of field experiments?
loss of control of extraneous variables -> cause and effect between IV and DV is more difficult to establish -> precise replication is impossible ethical issues -> no consent of participants -> might constitute an invasion of privacy
58
What are natural experiments?
researcher takes advantage of pre-existing independent variables (IV occurs naturally) -> variable would have changed even the experimente wasnt intrested example; Rutter’s study of Romanian orphans children have been transmitted by experiences / suffered beratement
59
What are some strengths of natural experiments?
provide oppertunites for research that may not otherwise be undertaken for practical or ethical reasons high external / ecological validity -> involve study of real life issues and problems no demand characteristics
60
What are some weaknesses of natural experiment?
events only happen very rarely -> reducing oppertunities for research -> limit the scope for generalsing findings to similar situations participants may not be randomly allocated to experimental conditions -> less sure whether IV or other variable affected the DV
61
What are quasi experiments?
An IV that is based on an pre-existing difference between groups which no one has manipulated (eg. age/gender) example; anxiety levels of phobic and non-phobic patients IV of “having phobia” would not have come about through any experimental manipulation
62
What is a strength of quasi experiments?
carried under lab conditions -> extraneous variables controlled -> effects on DV is caused by IV -> high ecological validity
63
What is a weakness of quasi experiments?
cannot randomly allocate participants to condition -> less sure whether DV is affected by IV -> extraneous variables might become confounding variables demand characteristics might appear
64
What are ethical issues?
Arises when a conflict exists between the rights of participants and the aims of research to gain authentic results
65
What is informed consent?
Participants must be aware of aims of research, procedures, their rights and what their data will be used for before they give their permission to take part
66
What is deception?
The researcher shouldn’t mislead or deliberately mislead information from participants at any stage of the investigation
67
What is protection from harm?
Participants should not be placed any more risk than everyday lives -> including psychological harm (stress, triggers of past experiences or fear) and physical harm (dangerous places or situations)
68
What is privacy and confidentiality?
Participants have rights to control the data about themselves + data must be protected (data protection act)
69
How does a researcher gain informed consent?
Participants sign a letter or form detailing key information -> under 16s: signed by parent or guardian
70
How does the researcher avoid deception?
debrief after study - participants are told full details
71
How does research protect participants from harm?
psychological support in place + right to withdraw
72
What are the three alternative ways of gaining consent?
1) presumptive 2) prior general 3) retrospective
73
What is presumptive consent?
A similar group or people are asked if the study is acceptable
74
What is prior general consent?
Participants give permission to take part in numerous studies
75
What is retrospective consent?
Participants are asked for consent (during debrief) having already taken part in the study

psychology (18 decks)

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