AP Psychology

What is a field experiment? 

When we do studies outside of the laboratory, in the “real world” 

Can field experiments be easily replicated?

No

What is the downside of field experiments?

They can be influenced by external variables, making control difficult.

Name all 6 biases in experiments

Demand characteristics, expectancy effect, screw you effect, social desirability effect, researcher bias and participant variability.

When do demand characteristics occur?

Occurs when participants act differently simply because they know that they are in a study. They may try to guess the aims of the study and act accordingly.

What is expectancy effect? 

When the participant attempts to discern the experimenter's hypotheses with the goal of "helping" the researcher. This may result in acting in a certain way or giving the "right answer."

What is the screw you effect?

When the participant attempts to discern the experimenter's hypotheses, but only in order to destroy the credibility of the study.

What is the social desirability effect?

When the participant answers in a way that makes him/her look good to the researcher. This is done to avoid embarrassment or judgment.

What is researcher bias? 

This is when the experimenter sees what he or she is looking for. In other words, the expectations of the researcher consciously or unconsciously affect the findings of the study.

What is participant variability?

It is a limitation of a study when the characteristics of the sample affect the dependent variable. This can be controlled for by selecting a random sample and randomly allocating the participants to the treatment and control groups.

What is a correlational study? 

When an experiment cannot be carried out, but data are collected which show a relationship between two variables; The principle in correlational studies is that when one variable changes, another variable changes as well.

What is a positive correlation?

A positive correlation is when both variables are affected in the same way. As x increases, y increases.

Give an example of a positive correlation?

The more hours you spend studying, the better you do on exams; or the fewer hours you spend studying, the less well you do on exams.

What is a negative correlation?

A negative correlation means that as one variable increases, the other decreases.

Give an example of a negative correlation.

As the number of hours watching television increases, exam scores decrease.

Give an example of bidirectional ambiguity.

Whether the television viewing caused the aggression, or if it was the aggression that led the child to watch more television.

Name all 4 types of interviews.

Structured, unstructured, semi-structured, and focus group interviews.

Describe a structured interview.

The interview schedule states exactly what questions should be asked, as well as the order of the questions. The interview procedure is thus highly controlled.

Describe a unstructured interview.

The interview schedule only specifies the topic and the available

time.

What is a advantage of an unstructured interview?

That it is open to the interests and motivation of the interviewee, so they can reveal more about themselves than in a structured interview.

Describe a semi-structured interview.

Could look like an informal conversation, but the interview does follow a schedule. The semi-structured interview schedule involves a set of open-ended questions that permit the respondent to answer more freely while maintaining the focus of the interview.

What is a focus group?

A group interview.

What is an advantage to focus groups?

A group conversation feels much more natural than a

one-on-one structured interview.

What is a disadvantage to a focus group?

Conformity effects - that is, people in the focus group

simply agree with the ideas of a member of the group.