Research Methods

• Aims

  A statement of what the researcher intends to find out in a research study
• Debriefing


  A post-research interview designed to inform participants of the true nature of the study and to restore them to the state they were in at the start of the study. It may also gain useful feedback about the procedures used in the study. It is a means with dealing with ethical issues
• Ethical issues


  Concern questions of right and wrong. They arise in research where there are conflicting sets of values between researchers and participants concerning the goals, procedures or outcomes of a research study
• Experiment

  A research method where casual conclusions can be drawn because an independent variable has been deliberately manipulated to observe the casual effect on the dependent variable
• Extraneous variables

  Do not vary systematically with the IV and therefore do not act as an alternative IV but may have an effect on the DV. They make it more difficult to detect a significant effect
• Hypothesis


  A precise and testable statement about the assumed relationship between variables. Operationalisation is a key part of making the statement testable
• Independent Variable (IV)


  Some event that is directly manipulated by an experimenter in order to test its effect on another variable (The one you change)
• Dependent Variable (DV)


  The one you keep the same. Is effected by the changing IV
• Informed consent


  Participants must be given comprehensive information concerning the nature and purpose of the research and their role in it, in order for the participant to make an informed decision about whether to participate or not
• Operationalise


  Ensuring that variables are in a form that can be easily tested. Being specific about what is being investigated
• Standardised procedures


  A set of procedures that are the same for all participants in order to be able to repeat the study
• Confounding variable


  A variable under study that is not the IV but which varies systematically with the IV. Changes in the DV may be due to the confounding variable rather than the IV, and therefore the outcome is meaningless. Confound means to cause confusion
• Control


  Refers to the extent to which any variable is held constant or regulated by a researcher
• External validity


  The degree to which a research finding can be generalised
• Ecological validity

  A type of external validity which can be generalised to other settings
• Population validity

  A type of external validity which can be generalised to other groups of people
• temporal validity

  A type of external validity which can be generalised over time
• Internal validity

  The degree to which an observed effect was due to the experimental manipulation rather than other factors such as confounding / extraneous variables
• Mundane realism


  Refers to how a study mirrors the real world. The research environment is realistic to the degree to which experiences encountered in the research environment will occur in the real world
• Validity

  Refers to whether an observed effect is a genuine one
• Confederate


  An individual in a study who is not a real participant and has been instructed how to behave by the investigator
• Directional hypothesis

  States the direction of the predicted difference between two conditions or two groups of participants (group a do BETTER than group b)
• Non-directional hypothesis


  Predicts simply that there is a difference between two conditions or two groups of participants, without stating the direction of the difference (group a do DIFFERENTLY to group b)
• Pilot study


  A small-scale trial run of a study to test any aspects of the design, with a view to making improvements
• Counterbalancing


  An experimental technique used to overcome order effects when using a repeated measures design. It ensures that each condition is tested first or second in equal amounts
• Experimental design


  A set of procedures used to control the influence of factors such as participant variables in an experiment
• Independent groups design

  Participants are allocated to 2 (or more) groups representing different levels of the IV. Allocation is usually done using random techniques
• Matched pairs design

  Pairs of participants are matched in terms of key variables such as age and IQ. One member of each pair is allocated to one of the conditions under test and the second person is allocated to the other
• Order effect

  In a repeated measures design, an extraneous variable arising from the order in which conditions are presented
• Random allocation


  Allocating participants to experimental groups or conditions using random techniques
• Repeated measures design


  Each participants takes part in every condition under test (i.e. each level of the IV)
• Field experiment

  A controlled experiment conducted outside a laboratory. The IV is still manipulated by the experimenter so causal relationships can still be demonstrated

  - Lower internal validity (more difficult to control extraneous and confounding variables)

  - Higher external validity (greater mundane realism)

  - High ecological validity (participants are usually unaware that they are participating in an experiment so their behaviour may be more natural and they are less likely to respond to cues from the experimenter)
• Laboratory experiment


  An experiment carried out in a controlled setting

  - High internal validity (good control over all possible variables)

  - Low ecological validity (participants are aware they are being studied and also the tasks involved tend to be more artificial)
• Natural experiment


  A research method in which the experiment has not manipulated the IV. The researcher records the effect of the IV on the DV, which may be measured in a lab. Causal conclusions can only be tentatively drawn
• Quasi-experiment


  Studies that are 'almost' experiments. The IV is actually not something that varies as it is a condition that exists. The researcher records the effect of this 'quasi-IV' on a DV. Causal conclusions can only be tentatively drawn
• Demand characteristics

  A cue that makes participants unconsciously aware of the aims of a study or helps participants work out what the researcher expects to find
• Investigator effect


  Anything that an investigator does that has an effect on a participant's performance in a study other than what was intended. This includes direct effects (as a consequence of the investigator interacting with the participant) and indirect effects (as a consequence of the investigator designing the study). These may act as a confouding or extraneous variable
• Bias


  A systematic distortion
• Generalisation


  Applying the findings of a particular study to the population
• Opportunity sample


  A sample of participants produced by selecting people who are most easily available at the time of the study