Research Methods

• Aims-Developed from theories and are general statements that describe the purpose of an investigation
• Hypothesis-A testable statement which predicts the outcome at the start of a study.
• Directional hypothesis-Identifies the direction of difference between two conditions.
• Non-directional hypothesis-States a difference between conditions but the nature of the difference is not made clear.
• Null hypothesis -The opposite of the alternative hypothesis, it states there will be no significant differences between groups or variables being studied.
• IV-An independent variable is the variable that is changed or manipulated by the experimenter.
• DV-A dependent variable is the variable that is measured by the experimenter.
• Operationalisation-Variables being investigated should be clearly defined and measurable.
• Extraneous variables-'Nuisance' variables that do not vary systematically with the IV and can often be controlled before the experiment begins.
• Confounding variables-Variables that do vary systematically with the IV so we cannot be sure what caused the change in the DV.
• Demand characteristics-Participants interpret cues from the experimenter and research situation. They may change their behaviour as a result.
• Investigator effects-Unwanted influence of the investigator on the research outcome.
• Standardisation-Making sure that all participants are subject to the same instructions and experience.
• Independent groups-separate groups are involved, each group does one of the conditions of the experiment.
• Repeated measures-All participants take part in all conditions of the experiment.
• Matched pairs-Participants are matched on some variable that is important to the experiment and then one of each pair is allocated to a different condition.
• Random allocation-An attempt to evenly distribute participant differences across experimental conditions in an independent group design.
• Counterbalancing-An attempt to control for order effects in a repeated measures design: half the participants do the conditions in one order and the other half in the opposite order.
• Experiments-All experiments involve a change in the IV and the effect on the DV is recorded/measured.
• Lab experiment-Maximum control, artificial setting.
• Field experiment-More natural setting, less control of EV
• Natural experiment-The IV changes without the experimenter's intervention, researcher just records the effects on the DV
• Quasi-experiment-IV is based on an existing difference between participants. No random allocation.
• Random sample-Every member of the target population has an equal chance of being selected.
• Systematic sample-Every nth person is chosen from a list
• Stratified sample-The proportions of people in population subgroups (strata) are reflected in the sample.
• Opportunity sample-Whoever is available at the time of sampling will be included
• Volunteer sample-Participants 'self-select'
• Ethical issues-When a conflict exists between the rights and dignity of the participants and the aims of the research. Researchers must follow the BPS code of conduct.
• Informed consent-Participants should be made aware of the aims, procedure and their right to withdraw before they agree to take part.
• Deception-Participants should not be deliberately misled. Some deception is acceptable but participants must be fully debriefed at the end.
• Protection from harm-Participants should not be exposed to any more risk than they would be in everyday life. If harm has been caused, participants should be offered counselling as part of the debrief.
• Confidentiality-Participants' anonymity and privacy must be respected and names should not be recorded.
• ecological validity refers to whether a study’s findings can be generalized to other situations or settings. A high ecological validity means that there is a high degree of similarity between the experimental setting and another setting/task
• internal validity is a measure of if the results are solely due to the change in IV
• Observations-Way of seeing what people do.
• Controlled vs naturalistic-Some aspects of environment controlled or all variables free to vary (naturalistic).
• Covert vs overt-Behaviour observed without awareness/consent of participant or by telling them they are being watched
• Participant vs non-participant-Researcher may opt to be part of the group they are observing ('go native') or watch 'from the sidelines' instead
• Causation-It is not possible to establish cause and effect in an observation.