Research Methods

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Laboratory experiment: carried out in a lab setting
Highest level of control - Loss of validity (esp.- Repeatable, therefore ecological validity) reliable if similar results - Demand characteristics. are produced- Can use sophisticated measuring equipment in a lab- More control over variables (could l
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Field Experiment: carried out in their natural environment•
Improved ecological • Less control over IV and validity measuring DV. With• Reduction of demand addition of EV’s characteristics (though (extraneous variables) there may still be some) • Results cannot be generalised to other situations • Often more
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Natural experiment: IV is naturally occurring•
Reduction of demand • Loss of control – The characteristics investigator doesn’t• The investigator doesn’t control the IV. intervene (however, the • A cause/effect presence of an relationship is difficult investigator could affect to establish ppts b
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Correlation:- a term that refers to the extent to which values co-vary
Measures the strength • No cause/effect can be of relationships measured + 1 = perfect positive correlation -1 = perfect negative correlation
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Observation: - No deliberate manipulation of the variablesNaturalistic
Observed in a natural environment, e.g. school or workplace.Lab-based observation: Labs can be ‘dressed up’ to look more natural, like a playroom, where children can be observed using a one-way mirror.
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Observation – evaluation:
Good research can be • Control – cause/effect collected relationship cannot be• Ecological validity can established be good • Replication may be difficult due to variables • Observer effects/demand characteristics • Ecological validity may be lower •
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Self report: Questionnaires
Closed questions – • Simple Tickboxes • Cheap & quite quick• Open ended questions • Researcher doesn’t – ‘What are your views intrude on…?’ • Ambiguous questions• Leading questions – You could be misconstrued love this PowerPoint, • Leading Q’s don’t
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Self report: Interviews:
Structured interviews – • Flexible (In set set of Q’s semi&unstructured)• Unstructured interviews – • Able to tackle personal Q’s aren’t decided in topics advance • Data can be• Semi-structured misinterpreted interviews – Some Q’s are • Time consumin
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Case studies
In depth studies • Not generalisable -• Rich/interesting data they’re unique to the individual (or small group) • Findings may be subjective • Lots of data to chose from 11. Quantitative & Qualitative:Quantitative data:Tends to be numerical. Comes f
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Hypothesis
Directional hypothesis:Predicts the direction in which results will occur. E.g. ‘More words are recalled from a list when using rehearsal as a mnemonic technique than when no technique is being used.’• Non-directional hypothesis:Does not predict the
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Experimental design
Independent groups:Using different participants foreach condition of the experiment.Matched pairs:Matching each ppt with someonewho is similar to them, and placingthem in different conditions.Repeated measures:Exposing each ppt to eachcondition, so t
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DV and IV
Dependent variable:The variable that is assumed to be effected bythe IV. Changes in the DV are presumed to havebeen caused by the IV.• Independent variable:The variable which is manipulated by theexperimenter that is presumed to effect the DV.
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Operationalising the variable
General statement: ‘Mnemonics improve memory’It means ‘narrowing down the research focus’So, figuring out the most simple IV and DV from a question.
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Pilot study
Small scale trial run of the actual experiment• Allows the investigator to identify flaws of the experiment• Tests for problems with - design of the experiment - Clarity of instructions for the ppts - Measuring instruments• Also allows a time scale o
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Reliability & Validity:
Reliability:Test whether something is reliable or not by doing repeats & seeing if similar results are gathered.Validity:Ecological validity – the extent to which the findings can be generalised to outside the research settingPopulation validity – th
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Subjective & objective
Subjective:‘Based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.’Objective:Data which is based on scientific information. Eg. Using blood samples would be considered objective.
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Ethical issues
Informed consent (though, sometimes presumptive consent is used on the basis that the investigator would think that they’d get consent)• Confidentiality• Right to withdraw• Deception• Protection from harm• Debriefing
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Cost-benefit analysis
Is the cost of the experiment worth the amount of data we would get?
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Types of sampling:
Random sampling - Everyone in the population has an equal chance of participating. E.g. using a random number generator to find numbers2. Opportunity sampling - Unlikely to generate a representative sample, so investigation could be offered to everyo
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Demand characteristics
Predicting what the experiment is going to measure and acting accordingly – which could hinder results• Acting out-of-character due to surrounding environment• Displaying social desirability biasInvestigator effects – When the investigator can get to
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Measures of central tendency and dispersion:
Central tendency:- Mean (add up all no. Divide by amount of data)- Median (middle number when arranged numerically)- Mode (most frequently occurring no.)• Dispersion – ‘shows the spread of data’:- Range (highest score – lowest score)- Standard deviat
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Card 2

Front

Improved ecological • Less control over IV and validity measuring DV. With• Reduction of demand addition of EV’s characteristics (though (extraneous variables) there may still be some) • Results cannot be generalised to other situations • Often more

Back

Field Experiment: carried out in their natural environment•

Card 3

Front

Reduction of demand • Loss of control – The characteristics investigator doesn’t• The investigator doesn’t control the IV. intervene (however, the • A cause/effect presence of an relationship is difficult investigator could affect to establish ppts b

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

Measures the strength • No cause/effect can be of relationships measured + 1 = perfect positive correlation -1 = perfect negative correlation

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Observed in a natural environment, e.g. school or workplace.Lab-based observation: Labs can be ‘dressed up’ to look more natural, like a playroom, where children can be observed using a one-way mirror.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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