IB Psychology Unit 1: Research Methods Flashcards

types of research methods (general)

qualitative & quantitative

features of qualitative

small sample size, researcher bias, subjective, descriptive, individual experiences

features of quantitative

numerical, minimized bias, objective, replicable, explores cause & effect

features of both qualitative and quantitative

scientific method, uses contextual factors, makes observations, analyzes data, draws conclusions

types of quantitative research methods (2)

experiment & correlational study

types of qualitative research methods (5)

observation, interview, focus group, case study, survey

experiment

a researcher-controlled experience designed to test the relationship between two variables

correlational study

a study where the IV is not manipulated, but relies on pre-existing data sets

observation

researcher enters social setting to observe behavior

survey

questions in a form

interview

questions to participants

focus group

interview in a group setting

case study

in-depth and lengthy investigation

difference between correlational & observational studies

correlational studies are quantitative and focus on two variables while observational studies are qualitative and focus on the nature of one variable

independent measures design

different participants are used for different conditions of the IV

matched pairs design

participants are paired based on a characteristic and then are split up into different conditions of the IV

repeated measures design

the same participants are used for all conditions

types of research designs

independent measures, matched pairs, and repeated measures design

behavior

observable actions

cognition

conscious and unconscious internal mental processes

psychobabble

buzzwords in pop psychology which fake reliability

pop psychology

popular ideas that claim to be supported by psychological research, but can actually be explained by other non-scientific factors

quantitative sampling methods (4)

random, stratified, opportunity/convenience, volunteer/self-selected

qualitative sampling methods (3/4?)

quota, theoretical (?), snowball, purposive

random sampling

each member of the research population has an equal chance of being selected

pros & cons of random sampling

it has the least bias, but it’s the most time-consuming

stratified sampling

different attributes are represented proportional to the population

pros & cons of stratified sampling

most reflective of population, but time-consuming

opportunity/convenience sampling

participants take part in the study from an accessible location or organization

pros & cons of opportunity/convenience sampling

convenient & economical, but under-representative

volunteer/self-selected sampling

participants wish to take part of the study rather than being selected (usually through ads)

pros & cons of volunteer/self-selected sampling

convenient & ethical, but under-representative

quota sampling

a number of participants needed with certain characteristics is decided & researchers recruit in a variety of ways

snowball sampling

existing participants recruit or recommend others

purposive sampling

participants with desirable characteristics are recruited, number of participants with each characteristic don’t matter

ethical considerations (CARDUD)

consent, anonymity, right to withdraw, debriefing, undue stress/harm, deception

factors of credibility

standardization & reliability

standardization

directions given to the participants are exactly the same

reliability

the degree to which the study produces the same results using the same methods, designs, and measurements

types of validity (2)

internal validity & external validity/generalizability

internal validity

the differences between the test & control samples have been caused entirely by the IV without any extraneous variables

external validity/generalizability

the results of the study can be generalized to a different environment, population, or time periods

types of bias (3)

researcher, participant, sampling

researcher bias

researcher analyzes data unobjectively, including their own beliefs, values, & hopes for results; involves confirmation bias

confirmation bias

over-considering information that confirms pre-existing expectations

participant bias

participants behave or answer in a way that they think fulfills expectations (use deception to reduce this)

sampling bias

the sample does not accurately represent the target population (WEIRD)

WEIRD

westernized, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic