Research Methods and Experimental Design

Flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on research methods, hypotheses, sampling methods, experimental design, validity, reliability, and ethical guidelines.

What is a hypothesis?

A testable statement based on the aims of an investigation.

What is an alternative hypothesis?

A statement predicting a difference in the dependent variable between levels of the independent variable in an experiment.

What is a directional hypothesis?

A statement predicting the direction of a relationship between variables.

What is a non-directional hypothesis?

A statement predicting that a difference will exist without specifying the direction.

What is a null hypothesis?

A statement saying any difference or correlation is due to chance.

What is opportunity sampling?

Participants are chosen because they are available.

What are the strengths of opportunity sampling?

It is quicker and easier than other methods and allows for a larger sample.

What are the weaknesses of opportunity sampling?

It is likely to be non-representative and could be biased.

What is volunteer sampling?

Participants are invited to participate, and those who respond become the sample.

What are the strengths of volunteer sampling?

It is relatively easy as participants come to the researcher and are often committed.

What are the weaknesses of volunteer sampling?

It is likely to be non-representative as respondents may be similar.

What is random sampling?

All members of the population are allocated numbers and selected in an unbiased way.

What are the strengths of random sampling?

It is representative as all types of people are equally likely to be chosen.

What are the weaknesses of random sampling?

Certain types of participants may still be chosen unequally.

What is an independent variable (IV)?

The factor manipulated in an experiment that is expected to cause a change in the dependent variable.

What is a dependent variable (DV)?

The factor measured in an experiment that is expected to change under the influence of the independent variable.

What does it mean to operationalize a variable?

To provide a clear description of a variable so that it can be accurately manipulated or measured.

What are controls in an experiment?

Ways to keep potential confounding variables constant.

What does standardization mean in research?

Keeping the procedure the same for each participant to ensure consistency.

What are confounding variables?

Variables that affect the DV systematically, obscuring the effect of the IV.

What is the purpose of a control group?

To serve as a comparison where the independent variable is absent.

What is an independent measures design in experimentation?

An experimental design where a different group of participants is used for each level of the IV.

What are demand characteristics?

Features of the experimental situation that give away the aims and may alter participants' behavior.

What is counterbalancing in a repeated measures design?

A method to overcome order effects by having different groups of participants complete different orders of conditions.

What is ecological validity?

The extent to which research findings can be generalized to real-world situations.

What is reliability in research?

The consistency of a procedure, task, or measure to produce similar results under the same conditions.

What is inter-rater reliability?

The extent to which different researchers produce the same results when interpreting qualitative data.

What is informed consent in research ethics?

Participants should know enough about a study to decide whether to participate.

What does it mean to debrief participants?

Giving participants a full explanation of the study's aims and potential consequences after the study concludes.