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Component 2 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is an independent variable?

A

The variable that you change

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2
Q

What is a dependent variable?

A

The variable that is measured

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3
Q

What is the definition of a hypothesis?

A

A testable prediction that is tested in the experiment

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4
Q

Explain what a standardised procedure is

A

Making an experiment replicable so it can be repeated exactly by another researcher

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5
Q

What does operationalising variables mean?

A

Adding more detail to the IV and DV, making it measurable

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6
Q

What is an extraneous variable?

A

Variables in a study that are not being measured or manipulated by the researcher but affect the results of all participants’ behaviour equally

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7
Q

What is a confounding variable?

A

Variables in a study that are not being measured or manipulated by the researcher, that affect some participants’ behaviours but not others

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8
Q

What is the aims of an experiment?

A

The aims of a study are an overview of what the researcher wants to achieve

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9
Q

What are the 3 components that must always be present when writing a hypothesis?

A
  • Relationship
  • Operationalised DV
  • 2 levels of IV
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10
Q

What are the 3 types of hypothesis?

A
  • Directional
  • Non-directional
  • Null
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11
Q

What is a directional hypothesis?

A

A hypothesis that states the type of relationship (increase/decrease) that there will be

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12
Q

What is a non-directional hypothesis?

A

A hypothesis that doesn’t state the type of relationship but states that there will be a difference

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13
Q

What is a null hypothesis?

A

A hypothesis that states that there will be no significant relationship. The IV will not affect the DV. Any difference found is due to chance

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14
Q

How do we know when to select a directional or non-directional hypothesis when writing our own hypothesis?

A

When there is past research to suggest a direction, then a directional hypothesis can be done. If there is mixed research or no past research, then a non-directional hypothesis can be chosen

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15
Q

What is a lab experiment?

A

When a study is conducted in an environment where all variables are controlled

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16
Q

What are 3 strengths of using a lab experiment?

A
  • Can establish cause and effect between variables as there are no extraneous variables
  • Data collected is often quantitative, so is highly objective so not susceptible to researcher bias
  • Have high reliability as lab experiments have standardised procedures so can be carried out again by other researchers
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17
Q

What are 3 weaknesses of using a lab experiment?

A
  • Low ecological validity as they take place under artificial conditions
  • Demand characteristics may occur, meaning the participants may change their behaviour to please the researcher or mess up the study
  • Experimenter effects may occur, which is when the experimenter inadvertently displays behaviour which influences the participant to act in a certain way
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18
Q

What is a field experiment?

A

When the experiment occurs in a natural environment

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19
Q

What are 3 strengths of using a field experiment?

A
  • High ecological validity (mundane realism)
  • Low chance of demand characteristics as the participant isn’t likely to realise they are in an experiment
  • Cause and effect relationships can still be discovered
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20
Q

What are 3 weaknesses of using a field experiment?

A
  • No control over extraneous or confounding variables, reducing the validity
  • Can raise ethical issues as the participant doesn’t know that they are in an experiment, so cannot give informed consent
  • Harder to replicate so has issues with reliability
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21
Q

EQ - Explain two advantages of conducting psychological research in the field compared to a laboratory environment (2 + 2)

A
  • Research conducted in the field may be more ecologically valid as the participants are in their natural environment and will behave more naturally than in the controlled setting of a laboratory
  • Lower chance of demand characteristics as the participant doesn’t know that they are in an experiment, so will show their true behaviour
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22
Q

What is a quasi experiment?

A

When the IV is not under the direct control of the researcher

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23
Q

What are the 2 types of quasi experiment?

A
  • Natural
  • Difference
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24
Q

What is a natural quasi experiment?

A

When the IV is a naturally occuring event, such as a natural disaster

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25
What is a difference quasi experiment?
When the IV is something that pre-existing between the participants e.g. men and women
26
What is a strength of using a quasi experiment?
Allows you to study things you wouldn't usually be able to
27
What is a weakness of using a quasi experiment?
Cannot draw a cause and effect relationship as participant variables can be present between conditions
28
Where else can research be conducted, other than in a lab or in the field? (1)
Online
29
What are strengths of conducting research online? (2)
- Can use participants from different regions, cultures and demographics, meaning the results are more generalisable - Lower operational costs
30
What are weaknesses of conducting research online? (3)
- No control over the environment, so the data collected can be of poor quality - Social desirability bias may be present as participants may want to present themselves in a better light to be more socially acceptable - Some participants may misrepresent themselves to qualify for the study
31
What are the 2 types of extraneous variable?
- Participant - Situational
32
What are participant extraneous variables?
Each participant varies from each other, which could affect the results e.g. mood, intelligence, nerves
33
What are situational extraneous variables?
The environment may affect the participant's behaviour, e.g. noise, temperature, lighting
34
How can extraneous variables be controlled?
- Using a standardised procedure - All participants are given exactly the same instructions - Using randomisation to reduce investigator effects
35
How can demand characteristics be reduced?
Using a single blind procedure so the participants do not know what condition they are in, so they do not know how they are supposed to act
36
How can investigator effects be reduced?
Using a double blind procedure so neither the participants or the investigator know which condition the participants are in so they cannot give clues on how they are supposed to act
37
What is the target population?
The group of people that the researcher wishes to study
38
What is a sample?
A small group of people that represent the target population that the researcher will experiment on
39
What is a sampling frame?
A group/population that is identified when it is unrealistic to study the whole target population e.g. people in London
40
What does representative mea?
When the sample is similar to the target population
41
What does it mean to generalise?
To take the results of the experiment and apply it to the target population
42
What does population validity mean?
The extent to which the sample can be generalised to a wider population
43
What is opportunity sampling?
Recruiting people who are most convenient to the researcher
44
What is a strength of using opportunity sampling?
Takes less time to locate the sample than using another technique
45
What is a limitation of using opportunity sampling?
Biased as the researcher chooses the participants they want, and doesn't consider the whole population
46
What is self-selected sampling?
Sample of participants who volunteered to take part in the study
47
What is a strength of using self-selected sampling?
Gives access to a variety of participants which could make the sample more representative and less biased
48
What is a limitation of using self-selected sampling?
Biased because participants are likely to be more motivated to be helpful. Volunteer bias
49
What is random sampling?
A sample of participants produced by using a random technique so that anyone in the target population has a chance of being selected
50
What is a strength of random sampling?
Unbiased as all members of the target population have an equal chance of being selected
51
What is a limitation of random sampling?
Need to have a list of all members of target population then contact all of those who were selected, which may be **time consuming**
52
What is systematic sampling?
A sample obtained by selecting every nth person from a list of the target population
53
What is a strength of using systematic sampling?
Unbiased as all members of the target population have an equal chance of selection
54
What is a limitation of using systematic sampling?
Not truly random unless you select a number using a random method and start with that person, then select every nth person
55
What is stratified sampling?
A sample of participants produced by identifying subgroups according to their frequency in the target population
56
What is a strength of using stratified sampling?
Likely to be more representative because there is proportional representation of subgroups
57
What is a limitation of using stratified sampling?
Very time consuming to identify subgroups and then select select participants and contact them
58
What is snowball sampling?
Relies on referrals from initial participants to generate more participants
59
What is a strength of using snowball sampling?
Enables a researcher to locate groups of people who are difficult to access, like drug addicts
60
What is a limitation of using snowball sampling?
The sample is not likely to be a good cross section of the population as it is friends of friends
61
What is the definition of internal reliability? Give an example
Whether the test is consistent itself, e.g. whether all the questions in a questionnaire are all measuring the same thing
62
What is the definition of external reliability? Give an example
Whether the test is consistent over time, e.g. if we repeated a test, we would expect the same results on a different day
63
How can we test the reliability of of a study? (3)
- Test-retest - Split half - Inter-rater
64
EQ: Explain the following way of assessing reliability in psychological research: Test-retest reliability. (2)
Testing and retesting the same participants over time, with the same test, and comparing their scores. If the scores are the same the test has external reliability.
65
EQ: Explain the following way of assessing reliability in psychological research: Split-half reliability. (2)
Splitting a participant’s test answers in half and seeing whether the participant got the same or similar scores on the two halves. If so, internal reliability is high.
66
What is inter-rater reliability testing? (2)
- If the measure depends on interpretation of behaviour, we can compare the results from two or more raters - If there is high agreement between the raters, the measure is reliable
67
What is internal validity?
Whether the study measured what it was intended to measure
68
What can affect the internal validity of a study? (2)
- A lack of mundane realism, as the participants may act in an unnatural way - Extraneous/confounding variables
69
What is external validity?
The extent to which the findings of a study can be generalised beyond the research setting
70
What are the 3 types of external validity?
- Temporal validity - Population validity - Ecological validity
71
What is temporal validity?
The extent to which the findings can be generalised to other historical times and eras
72
What is population validity?
The extent to which the findings can be generalised to other populations of people
73
What is ecological validity?
The extent to which the findings can be generalised beyond the present situation to other settings and situations, such as everyday life
74
What does operationalisation mean?
When psychological concepts such as self-esteem or intelligence, need to be turned into numbers that can be measured and compared
75
What are the 5 methods of assessing validity?
- Face validity - Content validity - Concurrent validity - Construct validity - Predictive validity
76
What is the face validity method of assessing validity? Give an example
Does the test seem to be a good measure of what you are intending to measure, e.g. Does the IQ test seem to be asking questions that will assess IQ?
77
What is the content validity method of assessing validity? Give an example
Does the method used actually seem to measure what you intended, e.g. Does an IQ test actually seem to measure levels of intelligence, or just ability to solve puzzles?
78
What is the concurrent validity method of assessing validity? Give an example
How well does the measure agree with existing measures, e.g. Does the IQ test we used agree with pre-existing IQ tests?
79
What is the construct validity method of assessing validity? Give an example
Is the method actually measuring all parts of what we are aiming to test, e.g. If we use a maths test to test intelligence, we are missing out on other factors involved such as linguistic ability or spacial awareness
80
What is the predictive validity method of assessing validity? Give an example
Does the method produce accurate predictions, e.g. People who scored highly on the IQ test should perform well in tests
81
What does BPS stand for?
British Psychological Society
82
Why does the BPS issue a code of ethics for psychologists to follow?
- To maintain professional standards - To protect participants
83
What is meant by an ethical issue?
A problem in research when there is a conflict between the rights of the participants and the aims of the researcher
84
What are the 6 main ethical considerations?
Privacy Confidentiality Deception Right to withdraw Informed consent Protection from harm
85
What are 3 other ethical considerations other than PCDRIP?
- Risk to participant's values, beliefs, relationships, status, or privacy - Working with vulnerable individuals e.g. children - Working with animals
86
What happens if a psychologist does not follow the BPS guidelines?
The BPS may ban them from practicing psychology, and their research won't be published
87
When should a brief be used?
At the start of every study
88
What 5 things should a brief do?
- Inform participants of the purpose of the research - Ensure the participant is clear on what they have to do - Ensure the participant's confidentiality - Give the participant the right to withdraw their data and see the finished report if they wish - Provide an opportunity for questions
89
When should a debrief be used?
At the end of every study
90
What are the 6 things a debrief should do?
- Inform participants of the purpose of the research, with true aims and hypothesis - Ensure no undue stress to the participant - Ensure the participant leaves in a frame of mind that is at least as sound as when they entered - Give the participant the right to withdraw their data and see a finished report if they wish - Provide an opportunity for questions - Thank the participant for their contribution
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