Research Methods

• what is a hypotheses? 


  a prediction of what the researcher expects to happen
• what is a directional hypotheses? 


  if the researcher is confident of the exact effect the Iv will have on the DV then a directional hypotheses made
• what is a non-directional hypotheses?


  predicts the difference or relationship that will be found but not but not not the direction that it will take
• what is a null hypothesis?


  a statement predicting there will be no statistically significant difference between 2 conditions
• what is an extraneous variable 


  a variable that is not being controlled but which may be affecting the dependent variable
• what is the difference between an extraneous variable and a cofounding variable 


  a confounding variable is an extraneous variable which is having an effect on the dependent variable causing researcher to draw incorrect conclusion
• what is a situational variable


  an extraneous variable that arises from the setting/environment where the study is taken place
• how can situational variable be eliminated?


  making sure they are the same for everyone
• what is a participant variable 


  the characteristics of a participant in a study that may affect the results obtained
• how do you conduct a random sampling


  1. list is made with everyone in the target population
  2. then names are drawn out a hat to select them
• what are the advantages of random sampling


  more likely to be unbiased
• what are the disadvantages of random sampling


  sample could not be representative, more time consuming and difficult compared to opportunity sampling
• what is stratified sampling


  a sub group of participants being represented in the target population by proportion to their numbers
• what is the advantage of stratified sampling


  ensures that important sub groups are represented in the target population
• what is the disadvantage of stratified sampling

  relies on random sampling, more time consuming, difficult compared to other techniques
• what is volunteer sampling


  volunteers selecting themselves to participate by putting themselves forward
• where was volunteer sampling used?


  Baddeley's 1966b study
• what are the advantasges of volunteer sampling


  participants are motivated as they have chosen to take part, easier than other methods of sampling
• what are the disadvantages of volunteer sampling


  majority of target population are unlikely to take part, potentially biased and not representative of target population
• what is opportunity sampling 


  involves selecting anyone who is available and willing to take part
• what is an advantage of opportunity sampling


  it is much quicker and easier way of selecting participants
• what is a disadvantage of opportunity sampling 


  easily biased, less likely to represent target population, sub groups may not be available to take part
• true or false: the experimenter can have an effect on the participants 


  true
• what are examples of experimenter effect factors


  tine of voice, body language, researcher manner, gender of the researcher
• when can demand characteristics occur 


  in a research scenario where a participant knows they are takng part in a study
• what are demand characteristics 


  tendency for participants to adjust their behaviour according to their interpretation of the aim of study/experiment
• what is standardisation


  making an experiment the same experience for all participants
• what is a standardised procedure 


  ensuring that all the participants are treated the same (other than the condition due independent variable
• how does the standardisation affect the validity of an experiment


  the variables are controlled so any changes in dependent variable will change the independent variable which improves the internal validity
• true or false standardisation can have a negative impact on ecological validity 


  true
• what is an independent groups design 


  where each participant takes part in only one condition of the IV which they are randomly allocated to
• what is a repeated measures design 


  same participants are used in all the conditions in the experiement
• what is a matched pairs design


  where each participant in one condition is matched with a specific variable to another participant in a different condition
• what are the usual participants for matched pairs design


  identical twins/twins are match for genes
• advantages of independent groups design

  1. aviods order and practice effects
  2. easier than matched pairs
  3. reduces likelihood of demand characteristics
• disadvantage of independent groups design

  1. differences between groups may be due to individual differences
• advantages of repeated measures design

  1. differences between groups due to individual differences
  2. requires less participants
• disadvantages of repeated measures design

  1. may introduce order effect (fatigue, boredom) or practice effect
• what is an order effect


  1. a confounding variable which is a consequence of the order in which the conditions are performed
  2. creates boredom and fatigue
• what is counterbalancing and what does it involve?


  1. it is a technique that is used to control order effects
  2. each participants that does the conditions in one order there is a participants that does it in the other order