research methods - psych

• define aim

  A general statement of what the researvher intends to investigate; the purpose of the study
• define operationalise

  to be precise and clear about what is being manipulated or measured. make it testable and repeatable
• define a hypothesis

  a hypothesis states what you believe is true. it is a precise and testable statement between the relationship of two variables. it is not a question or a prediction
• what are the two types of hypothesis

  directional (one tailed)

  non directional (two tailed)
• describe directional hypothesis

  states the direction of the predicted difference between two conditions in a precise and operationalised way
• describe non directional hypothesis

  states that there is a predicted difference between two conditions or groups of people in a precise and operationalised way without stating what the difference will be
• define a laboratory experiment


  highly controlled experiments carried out in an artifical environment such as a university lab
• define a field experiment


  experiments carried out in the field (natural environments)
• define a natural experiment


  when the researcher takes advantage of a pre existing IV. the IV has been manipulated naturally however could still take place in a lab
• define a quasi experiment


  when the reseaercher takes advantage of a pre existing difference between people. for example gender and age
• what are the strengths of a lab experiment


  have high control over confounding and extraneous variables which ensures that it only effects the dv

  high internal validity so replication is possible
• what are the weaknesses of lab experiments


  lack generalisability - the environment may be artificial

  low external validity

  participants may be aware that they are being tested so show demand characteristics

  doesn't represent everyday tasks
• what are the strengths of field experiments


  high mundane realism as environment is natural

  valid behaviour

  participants unaware - high external validity
• what are the weaknesses of a field experiment


  ethical issues of consent and privacy
• what are the strengths of a natural experiment


  provide opportunities for research that may not be undertaken (ethical)

  high external validity as it is real life issues and problems as they happen
• what are weaknesses of natural experiments


  happens rarely

  participants are not randomly allocated experimental conditions
• what are the strengths of a quasi experiment


  carried out under control conditions so shares strengths of a lab experiment
• what are the weaknesses of a quasi experiment


  cannot randomly allocate participants to conditions so there may be confounding variables
• what is a pilot study


  a small scale trial run of the actual investigation. checks that investigation runs smoothly
• what are the 3 types of experimental designs


  matched - pairs design

  independent groups design

  repeated measures design
• what are the 4 types of experiments


  lab

  quasi

  natural

  field
• what is a matched-pairs design experiment


  participants in each group are matched on a variable that could have an effect on the DV
• what is an independent groups design experiment


  participants are randomly allocated to different groups
• what is a repeated measures design experiment


  all participants takr part in all conditions of the experiment
• what are the strengths of an independent groups design


  no problems with order effects

  participants are less likely to guess aim

  easier to do
• what are the weaknesses of an independent groups design


  participants variables

  sample size representative

  less economical - large sample
• what are the strengths of a matched pairs design


  decrease participant variables

  no order effects - no demand characteistics
• what are the weaknesses of a matched pairs design


  less economical - larger sample

  time consuming - testing beforehand
• what are the strengths of a repeated measures design


  smaller samples

  no bias
• what are the weaknesses of a repeated measures design

  order effects can be remodified by counterbalancing

  possibility of demand characteristics
• what is counterbalancing


  an attempt to control for the effects of order in a repeated measures design

  half participants experience conditions in one order and the others in an opposite order
• what are extraneous variables


  a variable which needs to be controlled
• what are confounding variables


  uncontrolled variables as they have unwanted effects
• what is meant by participant variable


  to do with differences between participants
• what is meant by situational variables


  features of the experimental situation
• what is meant by experimenter variables


  to do with how an experimenter may affect a result
• what are demand characteristics


  any cue from the researcher or research situation that may be interpreted by participants as revealing the purpose of the study. it will lead to participants changing their behaviour
• what is meant by investigator effects


  any conscious or unconscious effects of the investigators behaviour
• examples of participant variables


  age

  personality

  intelligence

  demand characteristics
• examples of experimenter variables


  investigator effects

  tone of voice

  leading questions