Psychology

• What is the purpose of research?


  To test psychological theories, for support
• Lab experiments


  highly controlled and sometimes in a artificial environment
• Field experiments


  An experiment in a natural environment. The IV is manipulated.
• Natural experiments


  In natural environment or lab. The IV is not directly manipulated
• Quasi experiments


  In a lab or natural environment. Not true experiments because they lack control over the experimental groups used. All other aspects of the research and data gathering can be controlled.
• Ecological Validity


  Does the studies environment apply to the real world not
• Mundane Realsim


  Does the task reflect those you would do in the real world?
• Exchange Variable


  Variable effecting the IV and DV
• Field experiment


  Participants are unaware of the study and the IV is manipulated
• Natural Experiment


  IV is naturally occurring
• Quasi experiment


  IV is already existing e.g. gender
• PET


  P - Practical, E - Ethical, T - Theoretical
• Practical


  time, cost, etc
• Ethical


  informed consent, confidentiality, right to withdraw
• Theoretical

  Validity, Reliability
• Reliability

  consistency
• Validity

  truthfulness
• Internal validity 


  The degree of confidence that the casual relationship you are testing is not influenced by other factors or variables.
• external validity


  the extent to which your results can be applied or generalised to other contexts
• Lab experiments strengths 


  they increase the level of control that a researcher can have which means that it is highly reliable as they can check for consistent results. High internal validity so high control so we study what we set out to. More ethical - know being studied.
• Lab experiments weakness

  Low level of ecological validity - artificial or control is not likely to reflect realise setting therefore results are not able to apply to real life. Less mundane realism (reflect to real world) - dependant on the study.
• Field experiment strengths

  High levels of ecological validity because of natural environment therefore is able to apply to real life. More ethically questionable because participants not likely to know they're being studied.
• Field experiment weakness

  Lower reliability - natural environment so therefore low control of EV/CV, may impact results. Internal validity has low level of control.
• Natural experiment strengths

  Psychologist can study real problems. Increased mundane realism and ecological validity.
• Natural experiment weakness

  Cannot demonstrate casual relationships. IV is not directly manipulated. Random allocation is not possible. May have limited internal validity.
• Quasi experiment strengths

  Allows for comparison between groups/typed of peoples.
• Quasi experiment weakness

  Participants may be aware they're being studied, reducing internal validity. Dependant variable may have an artificial task, reducing ecological validity and mundane realism.
• Mundane realism


  Whether a study and the tasks within mimic a real world task.
• Demand characteristics 


  Cues that might make participants aware of the nature of the study
• Investigator characteristics


  Anything that the investigator may influence
• Dependant Variable


  What you measure
• Independant Variable


  What is changed