Research Methods Glossary

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Alternative Hypothesis
A testable statement about the relationship between two variables.
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Biased
A systematic distortion
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Chance
The extent to which something occurs randomly i.e. in the absence of a discoverable cause.
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Chi-square test
An inferential test of association or difference for unrelated nominal data.
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Closed question
Questions that have a range of answers from which respondents select one.
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Concurrent validity
A means of establishing validity by comparing an existing test/questionnaire with one you are interested in.
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Construct validity
A means of assessing the validity or trueness of a psychological test by showing the extent to which performance on the test measures an identified underlying construct.
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Controlled observation
A form of investigation in which behaviour is observed but under controlled conditions.
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Correlational analysis
Determining the extent of a relationship between two variables.
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Counterbalancing
An experimental techniques used to overcome order effects. Counterbalancing ensures that each .condition is tested first or second in equal amounts
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Critical value
The value that a test statistic must reach in order for the null hypothesis to be rejected.
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Debriefing
A post-research interview to inform the P's of the true nature of the study, to restore them to the state they were in at the start of the study.
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Deductive Reasoning
A form of reasoning from the general to the particular e.g. developing a hypothesis from a theory.
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Descriptive statistics
Methods of summarising a date set such as measures of central tendency and dispersion and the use of graphs.
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Double blind
Neither the P nor the experimenter is aware of the research aims and other important details of a study.
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Ethical committee
A group of people within a research institution that must approve a study before it begins.
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Ethical guidelines
Concrete quasi-legal documents that help to guide conduct within psychology by establishing principles for standard practice and competence.
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Event sampling
An observational technique in which a count is kept of the number of times a certain behaviour (event) occurs.
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Experimental condition/group
The condition or group which contains the independent variable.
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Experimental design
A set of procedures used to control the influence of factors such as participant variables in an experiment.
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Experimental realism
The extent to which Ps become involved in an experiment and are less influenced by cues about how to behave
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Experimenter bias
The effect that the experimenter's expectations have on the Ps and thus on the results of the experiment.
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Experimenter effects
Anything the experimenter does which has an effect on a Ps performance in a study, other than what was expected.
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External reliability
A calculation of the extent to which a measure varies from another measure of the same thing over time. This can be assessed by the test-retest method.
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External validity
The degree to which a research finding can be generalised to other setting, other groups of people and over time.
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Face validity
A way of establishing validity - it concerns the extent to which a test/questionnaire looks as if it is measuring what it intents to measure.
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Hawthorne effect
The tendency for Ps to alter their behaviour merely as a result of knowing they are being observed.
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Hypothetico-deductive method
Scientific inquiry in which a hypothesis is put forward in a for that can be falsified by a test. Such a test either falsifies the hypothesis, and so the theory - or supports the theory.
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Inductive reasoning
A form of reasoning from the particular to the general e.g. developing a theory on the basis of a series of research studies.
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Inferential statistics
Procedures for making inferences about the populations from which samples are drawn.
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Inter-interviewer reliability
The extent to which two interviewers produce the same outcome from an interview.
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Internal reliabilty
A measure of the extent to which something is consistent within itself. For a psychological test to have high internal reliability all test items should be measuring the same thing.
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Internal validity
Whether a study has tested what it set out to test, the degree to which the observed effect was due to the experimental manipulation rather than other factors such as extraneous variables.
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Inter-observer reliability
The extent to which there is agreement between two or more observers involved in observations of a behaviour.
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Interval data
A level of measurement where units of equal intervals are used, such as when counting correct answers or using any 'public' unit of measuremen.
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Interviewer bias
The effect of an interviewer's expectations, communicated unconsciously, on a respondent's behaviour.
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Laboratory experiment
Experiments carried out in a controlled setting. They tend to show high internal validity.
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Mann Whitney U test
An inferential test of difference for independent groups design
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Measure of central tendency
A descriptive statistic that provides information about a 'typical number' for a data set. (mean, median and mode)
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Measure of dispersion
A descriptive statistic that provides information about how spread out a set of scores are (range, standard deviation)
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Mundane realism
The extent to which the experimental events in a controlled setting are similar to events in the 'real' world.
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Negative correlation
Describes a correlation where, as one co-variable increases, the other decreases.
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Nominal data
A level of measurement where data is in separate categories.
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Null hypothesis
An assumption that there is no relationship in the population from which a sample is taken with respect to the variables being studied.
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Observed value
The value of test statistic calculated for a particular data set.
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One-tailed test
A form of test used with a directional hypothesis.
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Order effect
In a repeated measures design, this is an extraneous variable arising from the order in which conditions are presented e.g. a practice effect or fatigue effect.
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Ordinal data
A level of measurement where data are ordered in some way.
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Paradigm
A shared set of assumptions about the subject matter of a discipline and the methods appropriate to its study.
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Participant effects
This is a general term referring to the fact that Ps react to cues in an experiment and this may affect the validity of the results.
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Participant variables
The characteristics of Ps such as their age, gender or intelligence, which might influence the outcome of a study.
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Peer review
The practice used by academic journals and research institutions of using experts to assess other experts
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Population
In research this refers to all the people about whom we want to make a statement.
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Predictive validity
A means of assessing the validity or truth of a psychological test by correlating the results of the test with some later behaviour.
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Presumptive consent
A method of dealing with lack of informed consent or deception, by asking people who are similar to the Ps if they would agree to take part in a study - if they agree it is persumed that the real Ps would also agree.
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Probability
A numerical measure of the likelihood or chance that certain events will occur.
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Protection from harm
Steps taken to ensure that, during a research study, Ps do not experience negative physical or psychological effects as a result of research.
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Publication bias
The tendency for academic journals to publish only positive findings, or findings that agree with existing theory.
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Quasi-experiments
Studies which lack one or more features of a true experiment such as full experimenter control over the IV or random allocation of Ps to conditions. They are 'almost' experiments but cannot show casual relationships.
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Quota sample
Groups of Ps are selected according to their frequency in the population - in each group the Ps are selected using opportunity sampling.
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Random allocation
Allocating Ps to experimental groups or conditions using random techniques.
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Random techniques
Any technique in which there is no systematic attempt to influence the selection or distribution of the items.
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Ratio data
A measurement where there is a true zero point as in most measures of physical quantities.
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Replication
If a finding from a research study is true (valid) then it should be possible to obtain the same finding if the study is repeated. This confirms the validity of the findings.
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Representative sample
A sample selected so that it accurately stand for, or represents, the population being studied.
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Semi-structured interview
An interview that combines both structured and unstructured interviews. The interviewer has some pre-established questions but also develops questions in response to the answers given.
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Significance level
The level of probability at which it has been agreed to reject the null hypothesis.
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Significant
A statistical term indicating that a set of research findings is sufficiently strong for us to accept the research hypothesis being tested.
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Single bline
A type of research design in which the P is not aware of either the research aims or which condition of the experiment they are receiving.
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Card 2

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A systematic distortion

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Biased

Card 3

Front

The extent to which something occurs randomly i.e. in the absence of a discoverable cause.

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

An inferential test of association or difference for unrelated nominal data.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Questions that have a range of answers from which respondents select one.

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