Research Methods

Question 1

What is unrelated design?

Answer 1

Independent groups

Question 2

What is related design?

Answer 2

Repeated measures

Question 3

What are investigator effects?

Answer 3

Any effect of the investigators behaviour on the research outcome

Question 4

What is a quasi experiment?

Answer 4

They have an IV that is based on an existing difference between people (e.g. age or gender)

Question 5

What are the four ethical issues to consider in psychological research?

Answer 5

Informed consent, deception, protection from harm and confidentiality

Question 6

What is a pilot study?

Answer 6

A small-scale trial run of the actual investigation to check the investigation runs smoothly

Question 7

What is a single blind procedure?

Answer 7

Participants do not know the aims of the study or which condition they are in, or whether there is another condition at all

Question 8

What is a double blind procedure?

Answer 8

Neither the participants or the researcher know the aims of the study or the condition they are in

Question 9

What is a covert observation?

Answer 9

The participants are unaware that they are the focus of the study and their behaviour is observed in secret
Such behaviour must be public anyway for the observation to be ethical

Question 10

What is an overt observation?

Answer 10

Participants give informed consent to being observed

Question 11

What is a participant observation?

Answer 11

The researcher becomes a member of the group whose behaviour they are watching and recording

Question 12

What is event sampling?

Answer 12

Counting the number of times a behaviour occurs in an individual or group

Question 13

What is time sampling.

Answer 13

The researcher records behaviour of the individual or group within a pre established time frame

Question 14

Outline a negatively skewed distribution

Answer 14

The mode is greater than the median, which is greater than the mean
Mode>median>mean

Question 15

Outline a positively skewed distribution

Answer 15

Mean>median> mode

Question 16

What is the first step of the Sign test?

Answer 16

Subtract the two covariables
If the result is negative, we record a negative sign and if the answer is positive we record a plus sign

Question 17

What is step two of the sign test?

Answer 17

Total the plus signs and minus signs

Question 18

What is step 3 of the sign test?

Answer 18

We take the less frequent sign and call this S

Question 19

What is step 4 of the sign test?

Answer 19

Compare the S value to the critical value.
The calculated value of S must be less than or equal to the critical value

Question 20

What is peer review?

Answer 20

The assessment of scientific work by others who are specialists in the same field to ensure that any research intended for publication is of high quality

Question 21

What are the 3 main aims of peer review?

Answer 21

1. To allocate research funding
2. To validate the quality and relevance of research
3. To suggest amendments or improvements

Question 22

Why is anonymity key in peer review?

Answer 22

This is likely to produce a more honest appraisal

Question 23

What is publication bias- peer review?

Answer 23

Editors of journals ant to publish significant findings to increase the credibility and circulation of their publication
So research that does not meet this criteria may be discarded

Question 24

What is test re test reliability?

Answer 24

Administering the same test or questionnaire to the same person on different occasions
The same/ similar results should be produced

Question 25

What is inter rater reliability?

Answer 25

The extent to which there is agreement between two or more observers involved in observations of a behaviour

Question 26

The correlation co efficient should exceed ____ for reliability

Answer 26

+0.8

Question 27

How can reliability be improved?

Answer 27

Using structured interviews, operationalised behavioural categories and a standardised procedure

Question 28

What is face validity?

Answer 28

Basic form of validity A measure is scrutinised to determine whether it appears to measure what it is supposed to measure

Question 29

What is concurrent validity?

Answer 29

The extent to which a psychological measure relates to an existing similar measure

Question 30

How can validity be improved?

Answer 30

Single blind or double blind procedure, including filler questions

Question 31

Outline the structure of a scientific report

Answer 31

Abstract Introduction Method Results Discussion Referencing

Question 32

What is an abstract?

Answer 32

A short summary that includes everything briefly. Psychologists read them to identify if the research is worthy of further examination 150-200 words

Question 33

What is the introduction of a scientific report?

Answer 33

It is a literature review of the general area of research Aims and hypotheses are presented

Question 34

Outline the methodology of a scientific report

Answer 34

Design and justification Sample- sampling method and target population Procedure- recipe style of everything that happened Ethics- how they were addressed in the study

Question 35

Outline the results section of a scientific report.

Answer 35

It should summarise the key findings Inferential statistics and the final outcome in terms of hypotheses

Question 36

Outline the discussion section of a scientific report

Answer 36

Summary of the results in a verbal rather than statistical form Limitations of the investigation Wider implications of the research