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Psychology AQA A level - Paper 1
Research methods
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Melody Naito
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Cards (115)
Experimental method: Aims
Purpose of the
investigation
Experimental method:
Hypotheses
Testable
,
operationalised
statement
Experimental method:
Directional
or
non-directional
Identifying a
difference
/
correlation
or not. Choice depends on previous researches
Variables: IV's and DV's
IV
manipulated,
DV
measured
Variables:
operationalised
defining variables so they can be
measured
Research issues:
extraneous
variables
nuisance
variables but
randomly
distributed
Research issues:
confounding
variables
Vary
systematically
with
IV
Research issues: demand
characteristics
participants second guess the
aims
, alter their
behaviour
Research issues:
investigator
effects
influence of researcher on
DV
/
design
decisions
Research issues:
randomisation
chance methods to
reduce bias
Research issues:
standardisation
ensuring all participants have the same
experience
experimental designs:
independant
groups
participants in each condition of experiment are
different
Independent
groups evaluation
Participant variables not controlled (use
random allocation
) less
economical
, no order effects
experimental designs:
repeated
measures
all participants take part in all
conditions
repeated
measures
evaluation
order effects (use counterbalancing)
demand
characteristics.
participant
variables controlled. more
economical
experimental design:
matched
pairs
similar participants paried on
participant variables
, allocated to A or B
matched pairs evaluation: no
order
effects. cannot match exactly,
time-consuming
types of experiment:
lab
experiments
IV is manipulated in a controlled setting. Participants go to researcher
lab experiments evaluation
high
internal validity
,
replication
more possible.
However
low
internal
validity
and low external validity
types
of experiment: field experiments
IV is manipulated in a natural setting. researcher goes to participant
field experiments evaluation
higher
external validity
(realism), lower internal validity (less control),
ethical
issues (consent not possible)
types
of experiment: natural experiment
IV changed naturally. DV/setting may be
natural
or in a
lab
natural experiment evaluation
only option for ethical reasons, high
external validity.
limited opportunities, low realism in
labs
,
types of experiment:
quasi-experiment
IV based on existing difference between people, effect on
DV
is recorded
quasi-experiment evaluation
if in a lab issues as for lab experiment,
no random
allocation,
no manipulation
of IV
population and sample:
random sample
equal chance of selection, lottery
random
sample evaluation
potentially
unbiased
,
time-consumign
may not work
population and sample:
systematic
sample
selecting every
nth
person from list
systematic sample evaluation
objective method but
time-consuming.
those selected may
refuse
population and sample:
stratified
sample
sample reflects the
proportion
of people in different population
strata
stratified
sample evaluation
representitive.
cannot account for all
subgroups
population
and sample: opportunity sample
choosing whoever is
available
opportunity sample evaluation
convenient.
but
unrepresentitive
ethical
issues:
informed consent
advise
participants what is involved. reveals research
aims
volunteer sample evaluation
Easy
and
participants engaged.
Volunteer bias
, responsive to
cues
population
and sample: volunteer sample
participants '
self-select
how to deal w ethical issues:
informed consent
signed consent
form
ethical issues:
deception
misleading
participants,
witholding
information. OK if not distressing
how to deal w ethical issues:
deception
debriefing
, right to
withdrawl
data,
ethical
issues: protection from harm
psychological
or
physical
risk
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