A level aqa psychology topic 7 research methods

Cards (294)

  • What is the aim of a study?
    To find out what the study investigates
  • What is a research question?
    A question that guides the study's aim
  • What is a general aim of a study?
    To see if physiological states affect cognition
  • What is a specific aim of a study?
    To see if hunger affects memory
  • What is a hypothesis?
    A prediction about study variables
  • What is the alternative hypothesis?
    A prediction stating a causal link
  • What must a hypothesis include?
    Independent variable and dependent variable
  • What does the manipulation of the IV imply?
    It causes changes in the DV
  • What is an example of a hypothesis?
    Hunger leads to better memory of food words
  • What does IV stand for?
    Independent variable
  • What does DV stand for?
    Dependent variable
  • What is a one-tailed test?
    A directional hypothesis with a clear direction
  • What is an example of a one-tailed hypothesis?
    Hunger leads to better memory recall
  • What is a two-tailed test?
    A non-directional hypothesis without a clear direction
  • What does a two-tailed hypothesis imply?
    Hunger affects memory but direction is unknown
  • When is a one-tailed test used?
    When there are clear previous research findings
  • When is a two-tailed test used?
    When there are no clear research findings
  • What are experimental conditions?
    Conditions testing the effect of the IV
  • What is a control condition?
    A comparison condition to test the IV's effect
  • In a hunger/memory study, what might the experimental condition involve?
    Starving participants for a few hours
  • What does operationalization mean?
    How variables will be specifically measured
  • How might memory be operationalized?
    Percentage of food-related words recalled
  • What does the null hypothesis suggest?
    Any difference occurs by chance
  • How is the null hypothesis written?
    Similar to the alternative hypothesis
  • What are the operationalized variables in the examples provided?
    1. IV = when they do it; DV = how much work they do
    2. IV = stress levels; DV = health
    3. IV = children's age; DV = rough and tumble
    4. IV = weather; DV = mood
    5. IV = age; DV = memory
  • What are extraneous variables?
    Factors that may interfere with the experiment
  • Why should extraneous variables be controlled?
    To ensure the IV affects the DV
  • What are examples of extraneous variables?
    Participant age, lighting, background noise
  • What are participant variables?
    Differences between participants affecting results
  • What are situational variables?
    Features of the experimental environment
  • What are confounding variables?
    Variables that interfere with the IV's effect
  • What are demand characteristics?
    Participants change behavior based on experiment's purpose
  • What is the "please you" effect?
    Participants comply with the experimenter
  • What is the "screw you" effect?
    Participants do not comply with the experimenter
  • What are investigator effects?
    Unwanted influences of the investigator on outcomes
  • How can randomization reduce investigator effects?
    By making conditions as random as possible
  • What is standardization in experiments?
    Giving all participants the same experience
  • What is counterbalancing?
    Half participants take A then B, others B then A
  • What is the purpose of counterbalancing?
    To control for order effects in experiments
  • What is a repeated measures design?
    Participants repeat tasks in both conditions