psych kss

aim template response

to investigate the impact of the (IV) on the (DV)

hypothesis template response

BETWEEN SUBJECTS: it was hypothesised that POPULATION/PARTICIPANTS who IV would DIRECTION DV compared to those who IV

WITHIN SUBJECTS: it was hypothesised that POPULATION/PARTICIPANTS who IV would DIRECTION DV compared to when they IV

extraneous variable

a variable other than the iv that CAN cause an unwanted change in the results

makes it difficult to determine whether the iv caused a change in the dv

controlled variables

variables held constant to ensure that only the iv influences the dv

increase the internal validity and robustness of the results, reducing uncertainty. makes results more likely to be valid and consistent, allowing conclusions to be drawn

confounding variables

what occurs when an extraneous variable isnt controlled for, causes a systematic effect on the results (DV)

produces measurable change in the DV consistent with what was predicted in the hypothesis

no conclusions can be drawn when they are present

non random sampling

selecting participants easily accessible at the time of study

STRENGTH - quick and easy, doesnt require forward planning

LIMITATION - unlikely to generate a representative sample of the population as not every member has an equal chance of participating

random sampling

ensures every member of a population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample

STRENGTH - unbiased as more likely to be representative of a population

LIMITATION - requires forward planning, may be difficult or time consuming to gather lists of population required for the sample

stratified sampling

dividing the population into groups based on specific characteristics deemed important to the study and selecting the groups based on the proportions as they occur in the population

STRENGTH - more representative of population as they are represented in the same proportions (increased external validity)

LIMITATION - time consuming

controlled experiment

involves the researcher actively manipulating an IV and measuring a DV while controlling all other variables

STRENGTH - high control of variables reduces potential extraneous and confounding variables which may increase internal validity

LIMITATION - usually conducted in a lab or highly controlled setting which reduces external validity

correlational study

planned observation and recording of events and behaviours that havent been actively manipulated or controlled to measure the relationship between variables

STRENGTH - allows direction and strength of a relationship to be determined

LIMITATION - relationship between variables is bidirectional, so cant determine which variable has more influence (correlation doesnt implay causation

fieldwork

observing and interacting with a selected environment in a naturalistic or real world setting to determine the relationship between variables

STRENGTH - observations in natural settings will result in more realistic behaviours compared to a controlled experiment (high external validity)

LIMITATION - observed behaviours may be subjective and more prone to bias

case study

an in-depth investigation about an individual or small group of people on a particular phenomenon

STRENGTH - useful in situations where it would be unethical or impossible to conduct a controlled experiment

LIMITATION - small sample size, the findings usually can't be generalised to the population

product, process or system development

design or evaluation of an artefact to meet a human need, which may involve technological applications

STRENGTH - Creates new products or systems that can improve efficiency in collecting data

LIMITATION - Research and development can be time-consuming and expensive

classification and identification

Classification involves organising human behaviour and mental processes into common groupings with similar features

Identification involves assigning labels to the human behaviour and mental processes

STRENGTH - Can allow predictions and inferences to be made about certain behaviours

LIMITATION - Classifications may be based on subjective criteria

literature review

The collation and analysis of secondary data related to other people’s scientific finding and/viewpoints in order to answer a question or provide background information

STRENGTH - May uncover patterns of knowledge or gaps in knowledge and enable the formation of a hypothesis

LIMITATION - Can be time consuming to find suitable secondary sources, Previous studies may have low validity if not peer-reviewed

modelling

construction and/or manipulation of a physical or conceptual model of a system

STRENGTH - Assists with understandings abstract and unobservable concepts about behaviour and mental processes

LIMITATION - May oversimplify or inaccurately represent complex concepts Complex models can be costly to research and develop

simulation

the process of using a model to study the behaviour of a real or theoretical system by creating artificial situations that mimic reality

STRENGTH - Can collect data without risking the health and safety of participants

LIMITATION - Usually involves artificial environments which may change participants behaviours and reduce the ability to generalise results can be time consuming to develop

non maleficience

avoid causing physical or psychological harm

justice

no unfair burden on a particular group, and fair distribution and access to the benefits

integrity

commitment to searching for knowledge and understanding and the honest reporting of all sources of information and results, whether favourable or unfavourable

respect

Recognising the different beliefs of participants and empowering participants to make their own decisions

confidentiality (ethical guideline)

All personal details/information gathered from participants should be kept private

voluntary participation (ethical guideline)

Participants must not be forced to be involved in the study, and shouldnt experience any negative consequences if they choose to not participate. must also have informed consent

informed consent

Participants must be told about nature of the study, rights of the participants and the potential risks involved.

withdrawal rights

Participants are allowed to stop participating in the experiment at any time. They can also ask to have their results removed after the conclusion of the study.

debriefing

Participants must always be provided with information about the true nature, results and conclusions at the end of the study and offered psychological support

true value

the value that would be found if the quantity could be measured perfectly, without any errors

accuracy

relates to how close a measurement is to the true value of the quantity being measured

precision

refers to how close/consistent a set of measurement values are to each other that were measured under the same conditions

repeatability

is the extent to which studies produce the same results when carried out under identical conditions

reproducibility

is the extent to which studies produce the same results when repeated under different conditions

internal validity

The extent to which the results of a controlled experiment are caused by the manipulation of the independent variable, rather than by extraneous or confounding variables

external validity

The extent to which the results of a study can be applied to similar individuals in different settings

personal errors

include mistakes, miscalculations and observer errors made when conducting research

measurement error

is the difference between the measured value and the true value of what is being measured

• systematic and random errors

systematic errors

errors in data that differ from the true value by a consistent amount, or the same proportion, each time a measurement is made, hence reducing the accuracy (and validity)

random errors

errors in data that are unsystematic and occur due to chance, creating unpredictable/inconsistent variations, hence reducing precision

conclusion template

The results demonstrated that______________ (outline any trends). Hence, the hypothesis was accepted/rejected and it can/cannot be concluded that _____________ (the IV caused a change in the DV).

OR

Although the results indicated _____________ (outline any trends) and supported the hypothesis, it can’t be said that the IV (___________) caused the change in the DV (___________). This is due to the presence of CVs/EVs (identify and explain them). Therefore, no conclusion can be made