Research Methods

• What is an independant variable?

  Variable manipulated by experimenter
• What is a dependant variable?

  Variable measured by experimenter
• What is an extraneous variable?

  Variables that effect the DV other than the IV
• What are 2 ways of minimising extraneous variables?

  Standardised procedures, randomly assigning participants
• What is a standardised procedure?

  Ensure conditions set up same way apart from changing the IV
• What is social desirability bias?


  When people want to look good so act differently in a study
• What are demand characteristics?


  Participants change natural behaviour because they know it's a study
• What is a confounding variable?

  Variables that vary as well as the IV
• What is the difference between directional and non-directional hypothesis?


  Directional - predicts direction of resultsNon-directional - predicts there will be a difference between conditions
• What is a null hypothesis?

  States there will be no significant effect in the study
• What are the types of experiments?

  Laboratory, field, natural and quasi
• What is a laboratory experiment?

  Environment controlled by experimenter and IV manipulated
• What is the evaluation for a laboratory experiment?

  STRENGTH: Have control, certain IV causes DV.High replicabilityWEAKNESS:Demand characteristics.Artificial environment
• What is a field experiment?

  In a natural setting, IV manipulated by researcher
• What is the evaluation for field experiment?

  STRENTHS:Less demand characteristics.High external validityWEAKNESS:Less control on extraneous variables.Ethical issues (deception).
• What is a natural experiment?

  In natural environment, IV not manipulated by researcher
• What is the evaluation for natural experiment?

  STRENGTH:Genuine behaviour.Can study unchangeable variables.WEAKNESS:No random assignment.More extraneous variables.
• What is a quasi experiment?

  In controlled environment, study based on existing IV e.g gender
• What is the evaluation for quasi experiment?

  STRENGTH:Compare conditions impossible to manipulate.WEAKNESS:Not possible to randomly allocate participants.
• What is experimental design?

  How the participants are allocated to conditions in an experiment
• What is repeated measures design?

  Same participants used in both conditions
• What is a strength and weakness of repeated measures design?

  No participant differences.Order effects.
• What is independent groups design?

  Participants only take part in one condition
• What is a strength and weakness of independent groups?

  No order effects.Participant differences.
• What is matched pairs design?

  Participants matched with pair like them and then they are randomly allocated
• What is a strength and weakness of matched pairs design?

  No order effects.Time consuming and more participants required
• What is a representative sample?

  Small group of people that characteristically represent the target population
• What are the different types of sampling techniques?

  Random, opportunity, volunteer, systematic, stratified
• What is Random sampling?

  Everyone has equal chance of being picked e.g. Pulling names out of hat.
• What is the evaluation of random sampling?

  More representative, equal chance.May not be truly representative.
• What is systematic sampling?


  There is a system for selecting pts. e.g. Put names in order and pick every 5th person.
• What is the evaluation of systematic sampling?

  Avoids researcher bias.Fairly representative (unlikely to get all one gender)
• What is stratified sampling?


  Target population divided by factors and pts selected to make sample representative.
• What is the evaluation of stratified sampling?

  More representative - reflects target population.Can't reflect all the ways people are different.
• What is opportunity sampling?

  Selecting people most ready e.g approach in a street.
• What is the evaluation for opportunity sampling?

  Convenient if no names available.Sample may be biased (in same area)
• What is volunteer sampling?


  Pts self-select themselves e.g replying to ad in newspaper.
• What is the evaluation of volunteer sampling?

  Only a particular type of person to volunteer.
• What is qualitative and quantitative date?

  Qualitative - wordsQuantitative - numbers
• What is the evaluation for qualitative data?


  Gives lots of detail.More difficult to analyse.