Un.4 Research Methods

• An alternate hypothesis is a statement that predicts there is a difference, a correlation, a pattern or a trend. eg: More males will have disobeyed traffic laws than females.
• A null hypothesis is a statement that predicts that there is no difference between two variables. eg: The genre of music does not affect how students remeber information.
• Independent variable is the thing that the researchers change themselves. They manipulate it to see if it has any effect on the dependent variable.
• Dependent variable is the thing that is measured to see if it has changed or been affected. It depends on the independent variable.
• Extraneous variables are things that are not being tested, but could affect the DV and results of the study.
• Sample is a group of participants
• Target population is the group of people that the researcher is interested in studying, they may share similar characteristics.
• Random sampling is when every member of the target population has an equal chance of being selected as part of the sample.
• Opportunity sampling is when the researchers choose the participants by their availability and if they are willing to take part in the study.
• Systematic sampling is when the researcher selects every nth person in the target population to take part in the study.
• Stratified sampling is when the researchers create different subgroups of the target population and radomly select participants from those subgroups.
• Random sampling=ADVS: not bias/ DISADV: time consuming
• Opportunity sampling= ADV: quick & easy/DISADV: biased & doesn't represent the target population
• Systematic sampling= ADV: reduces bias & easier to do/DISADV: doesn't represent the target population
• Stratified sampling= ADV: less biased/DISADV: time consuming
• Independent groups design is when each participant only takes part in one condition.
• Repeated measures design is when each participants takes part in both conditions.
• Matched pairs design is when two people who have very similar qualities take part in one condition
• Independent groups design= ADVS: can compare between two groups & no order effects/ DISADV: individual differences
• Repeated measures design= ADVS: no individual differences/DISADV: order effects->get better with practice & get bored and not try & workout the aim and change your behaviour
• Matched pairs design= ADVS: reduces individual differences & no order effects /DISADV: matching peple is difficult and time consuming & some individual differences are still present.
• Order effects are when the participants performance in the second condition of an experiment is affected because they have already done the first condition.
• Counterbalancing is a techique used to deal with order effects by dividing the participants in two groups, with one half completing the two conditions in one order and the other half completing the conditions in the reverse order.
• Laboratory experiment is when the researchers controls variables & measure the effects this has, in a controlled enviroment
• Field experiment is when the researchers controls variables & measure the effects this has, in a natural enviroment
• Interview-Structured is when the researcher asks a set/fixed questions to the participants in the same order.
• Interview-Unstructured is when the reasercher and the participant have a free flowing conversation about a topic area, without fixed or set questions.
• Questionnaire-Open questions allow respondents to answer freely according to their own thoughts and feelings.
• Questionnaire-Closed Questions are fixed & limited response that can be selected from a predetermined range of answers, either on paper or online.
• Overt observation: to watch people with them knowing
• Covert observation: to watch people without them knowing
• Participation observation: watching people whilst joining in with what they are doing
• Non-participation observation: watching people and not joining in with what they are doing
• Laboratory experiment= ADVS: extraneous variables are easier to control, so its possible to workout the effects of the variables being tested/ DISADV: setting can cause participants to change answers & they might react differently & lacks ecological validity
• Field experiment= ADVS: more likely to have ecological validity, so participants will act more naturally/ DISADV: extraneous variables are difficult to control
• Interview-Structured= ADVS: all participants have the same questions, so results are easier to compare/ DISADV: researchers cannot ask additional or follow up questions in relation to interesting answers
• Interview-Unstructured= ADVS: participants can speak more freely and may go into more details/ DISADV: more difficult for the reasercher to analyse the results
• Questionnaires-Closed questions= ADVS: easy & quick to compare & display/ DISADV: cannot expand/explain & may not agree with the answers
• Questionnaires-Open questions= ADVS: can explain their answers fully and in detail/ DISADV: difficult to compare answers
• Covert observation= ADVS: people will behave naturally/ DISADV: not ethical