research methods

• Aim

  1. -statement outlining the purpose of the investigation
• theory


  is a body of work/ideas attempting to explain observations and make predictions about the future.
• model


  is a representation of how some behaviours/mental processes could/should/do occur.
• research hypothesis formula


  It is hypothesized that (population), (IV) will have (insert prediction the IV will have) DV than people who (insert IV again)
• a variable is..


  something that can change or vary in amount or type and is measurable
• independent variable


  cause
• dependent variable


  the effect
• operationalized IV 


  How much and how often? (IV)
• operationalized DV


  how will it be measured?
• controlled variable


  a variable is one that is considered to have an effect on the DV in the experiment, and therefore needs to be controlled.
• Sample

  • the group of participants in a research study, collectively
  • subsection of a population
• population 


  the entire group of research interest from which a sample is drawn and to which the researcher will seek to apply the results of their investigation
• Random sampling 


  ensures every member of the population has an equal change of being selected to be part of the sample
• Convenience sampling


  involves selecting participants who are readily available without any attempt to make the sample representative of a population
• experimental group


  the group of participants exposed to the IV
• control group


  group of participants not exposed to the IV
• control group provides...

  a baseline for what you are measuring to compare what effect and how much effect the IV has on the DV
• one method to ensure groups are unbiased is..

  random allocation
• Between subjects 


  each participant is randomly allocated to one of two entirely separate conditions.
• Within subjects


  each participant is in both the experimental and control conditions
• mixed design


  combines features of both between subjects and within subjects designs
• correlational studies


  measures the degree of relationship or correlation between two existing traits, behaviours or events.
• cross-sectional studies


  used to observe and compare groups of participants on one or more variables of interest at a single point in time
• longitudinal study


  tracking changes of the same people over a certain time
• case studies


  an intensive, in-depth investigation of some behaviour or event of interest in an individual, group, organisation or situation.
• observational studies


  involves collecting data by carefully watching and recording behaviour as it occurs. Psychologists use observational studies to collect data in research when behaviour is clearly visible.
• self-reports 


  participants write or speak responses to questions, statements or instructions.
• simulation studies


  producing situations of research interest in a realistic way to investigate the behaviour/mental processes of individuals in an environment.
• random errors


  are due to chance variation in measurement. They affect the precision of a measurement, and are present for all measurements
• systematic errors


  are produced by a factor constantly favouring one condition/group over another.
• extraneous variables


  any variable other than the IV that can cause a change in the DV and therefore affect the results in an unwanted way.
• Confounding variables


  any variable other than the IV that may have an unwanted effect on the DV which can be confused with that of the DV
• individual participant differences 


  the unique combination of personal characteristics, abilities and backgrounds each participant brings to the experiment
• examples of individual participant differences


  gender, age, height, culture etc
• non-standardised instructions and procedures 


  an experiment that is not strictly controlling all the possible confounding and extraneous variables
• order effects


  occurs when performance is influenced by the specific order in which the experimental tasks are presented rather than the IV.
• experimenter effects


  unwanted influence on participant performance from experimenter
• placebo effects


  occurs when their is a change in participant's behaviour due to their belief that they are receiving some kind of experimental treatment and respond in accordance with the belief rather than due to the effect of the IV
• minimising confounding and extraneous variables


  participant selection, participant allocation, counterbalancing etc
• participant allocation


  putting participants in experimental or control groups