experimental methods

• what is quantitative research

  measuring behaviour in a numerical way
• what leads to quantitative data

  • exeriments
  • correlation studies
  • structured observations
  • structured interviews
  • closed questionnaries
• what does qualitative data focus on

  focuses on a ps thoughts and feeling about an aspect of their life or a particular experience
• what should qualitative data include

  making detailed notes about behaviour during an observation
• what lead to qualitative data

  • unstructured interviews
  • open questionaires
  • some observational studies
• what is qualitative data

  descriptive data in the form of words/ non-numerical
• what are the strengths of quantitative data

  • much easier/ quicker to analysis
  • very objective - not open to researcher bias
• what are the limitations of quantitative data

  lacks detail description and therefore understanding
• what are the strengths of qualitative data

  results are rich is detail, indeath, descriptive data leading to a better understanding
• what is qualitative data

  • difficult to analysis compared to quantitative data
  • subject to interpretation and therefore researcher bias
• what is primary data

  data collected 'first hand' by a researcher to test their own hypothesis, the researchers will know exactly how the data was collected and for what purpose
• what are the strength of primary data

  authentic and obtained for the purpose of a particular investigation
• what are the limitations of primary data

  requires time and effect from the researcher
• what is secondary data

  data that is not personally collected by the researcher but used by them in their research
• what sources are used in secondary data

  • wide newpaper articles
  • books
  • officail documents
  • the research of other psycholohist
• what are the strengths of secondary data

  • inexpencieve
  • time efficent
• what are the limitations of secondary data

  • unreliable
  • may be substance variation in the quality and accuracy of secondary data
• why is meta analysis formed

  to help create a better understanding of human behaviour by combining the results of lots of individual studies
• what are the strengths of meta analysis

  • takes less time and money for the researcher as they gather a lot of data in relatively short space of time compared to primary sourcing
• what is meta analysis

  a variety of studies done on a particular topics (usually data sources) area are summarized together and their findings collated through statistical techniques
• what is the weaknesses of meta analysis

  • has a high chance of being prone to researcher bias
  • can be done purposefully to manipulate results or by accident through unconsciously knowing it is being done
• what are variables

  something that changes in some way
• what is the independent variable

  is manipulated or altered by the experimenter
• what is the dependent variable

  is the main measured outcome of the experiment and is hopefully due to the manipulation of the independent variables
• what is the extraneous variable

  any variable other then the independent variable that may have an effect on the dependent variable if not controlled
• what is an example of extraneous variables

  lighting in the lab, noise, temperature
• what is the confounding variable

  any varibable other then the IV that may affect the DV so we cannot be sure of the true source of changes to the DV
• what are some examples of confounding variables

  personality of ps, experience of task, handedness, age, IQ
• What does operationalization of variables mean?

  the variables you are studying is clearly defined and in a form that can be easily measured
• Why is operationalisation important in psychology?

  It ensures variables are clearly defined and measurable
• How would you operationalise "aggression" in a study?

  Define and measure aggressive behaviors
• What is a key strength of the experimental method?

  the IV is manipulated, EV are controlled so the cause/ effect can be measured on the DV
• What can distort results in an experiment?

  Unwanted factors affecting the relationship between the IV and DV
• What are demand characteristics?

  any cue from the researcher or from the research situation that may be interpreted by s as revealing the purpose of the investigation
• what might demand charateristics lead to

  • the ps behaviour will change or be unnatural to fit the hypothesis
  • ruin the hypothesis
• what is the investigator effect

  any effect of the investigators behaviour on the outcome of the experiment
• what can the investigator effect include

  anything from the design of the study to the selection of and interaction with ps during the research process
• what are examples of the investigator effect

  • asking leading questions
  • stressing a point or question
  • smiling
• what is randomisation


  the use of chance in order to control for the effect of bias when designing materials and deciding the order of the conditions
• what is randomization used for

  controlling investigator effects that may occour