AQA Psychology - Research Methods Quiz

Self-report techniques

Any method in which a person is asked to state or explain their own feelings, opinions, behaviors and experiences related to a given topic.

Questionnaire

A set of written questions (sometimes called items) used to access a persons' thoughts/experiences

Open Questions

Questions with no fixed answer/response and respondents can answer in any way they wish.

Closed Question

Questions with a fixed answer/ the choice of response is determined by the question setter.

Interview

A live encounter (face to face or on the phone) where one person asks a set of questions to assess an interviewees thoughts/experiences. They can be structured, semi structured or unstructured.

Structured Interview

Made up of pre-determined questions and are asked in a fixed order. Basically like a questionnaire but conducted face to face.

Unstructured Interview

Works like a conversation. There are no set questions. There is a general aim that a certain topic will be discussed and interaction tends to be free flowing.

Semi-structured Interview

There is a list of questions that have been worked out in advance but interviewers are also free to ask follow up questions when they feel it is appropriate.

Aim

A general statement that the researcher intends to investigate.

Hypothesis

A detailed statement which is clear, precise and testable that states the relationship between variables being tested.

Directional Hypothesis

The researcher makes it clear what difference is anticipated between the 2 conditions or groups.

(One tailed).

Non-directional Hypothesis

Simply states that there is a difference but not what the difference will be.

Null Hypothesis

the hypothesis that there is no significant difference between specified populations, any observed difference being due to sampling or experimental error.

Meta-analysis

A particular form of research method that uses secondary data. Data from a large number of studies which have involved the same research question and method are combined.

Quantitative Data

Data that focuses on numbers and frequencies which can be counted. e.g. experiments, questionnaires and psychometric tests.

Qualitative Data

Data that describes meaning and experiences which is expresses in words e.g. case studies, interviews and observations.

Primary Data

Information that has been obtained first hand by the researcher. It is also known as field research.

Secondary Data

Information that has already been collected by previous researchers. It is also known as 'desk research' and can be found in journal articles, books or websites.I

Variable

Any "thing" that can vary or change with in an investigation. They are generally in experiments to determine if changes in one result in changes to another.

Independent Variable - IV

An aspect of the experimental situation that is manipulated by the researcher or changes naturally so the effect on the DV can be measured.

Dependent Variable - DV

The variable that is measured by the researcher. Any result/change on the DV should be caused by the change in the IV.

Operationalising Variables

The process of devising a way of measuring a variable. It is a clear statement of what the variable is.

Lab Experiment

An experiment that takes place in a controlled environment where the researcher manipulates the IV and records the effect on the DV while maintaining strict control of extraneous variables.

Field Experiment

An experiment that takes place in a natural setting where the researcher manipulates the IV and records the effect on the DV.

Natural Experiment

An experiment where the change in the IV is not caused by the researcher as it would have happened if the researcher wasn't there. The researcher records the effect on the DV.

extraneous variable

any aspect of the experimental setting that must be held constant to prevent unplanned environmental variation

confounding variable

a factor other than the independent variable that might produce a similar effect on the DV

Control Condition

A condition where the IV isn't changed and provides a baseline measure.

Experimental Condition

A condition where the IV has been manipulated.

Random Allocation

Allocating participants to experimental groups or conditions using random techniques

Ecological Validity

The extent to which a study is realistic or representative of real life.

Demand Characteristics

Any cue from the researcher or research situation that can be interpreted by participants as revealing the purpose of the investigation leading them to change their behaviour.

Experimenter Effects

when a researcher unintentionally affects the results

Experimental Methods

A research method that tests causal hypotheses by manipulating independent variables and measuring the effects on dependent variables.

Experimental Designs

How participants are arranged across the conditions of an experiment

Independent Groups Design

Different participants are used in each condition in an experiment

Repeated Measures Design

The same participants are used in all the conditions in an experiment.

Matched Pairs Design

A method of assigning subjects to groups in which pairs of subjects are first matched on some characteristic and then individually assigned randomly to groups.

Counterbalancing

All possible orders of presentation are included in the experiment

Order Effects

A problem in research design when the results of the study are attributed to the sequence of tasks in the experiment rather than to the independent variable.

Naturalistic Observation

watching behavior in real-world settings without trying to manipulate the situation

Controlled Observation

A form of investigation in which behaviour is observed but under controlled conditions.

Participant Observation

The researcher is involved in/with the observational setting. The researcher joins the group either overtly of covertly.

Non-Participant Observation

The researcher is not involved in what is going on. The researcher is external to what is going on/the people being observed.

Covert Observation

Where the researchers status is not made clear to the group and the researcher doesn't get consent.

Overt Observation

The researcher is open about their intentions and seeks consent. People know they are being observed.

Event Sampling

a procedure in observational research in which only certain types of behaviors occurring under precisely defined conditions are sampled

Inter-Observer Reliability

Two or more researchers observe the same behaviour at the same time then check results for consistency

Content Analysis

A kind of observational study where behaviour is observed indirectly in pictorial or verbal material.

Target Population

The entire group a researcher is interested in. The researchers wishes to draw conclusions from this group.

Generalisation

The extent to which findings and conclusions from a particular experiment can be broadly applied to the population. This is possible if the sample is representative of the population.

Peer Review

The assessment of work by others who are specialists in the same field to ensure that any research set for publication is high quality.

Case Study

A research method that involves a detailed study of a single individual, institution or event.

Sampling Techniques

The method used to select participants from the target population.

Opportunity Sampling

A sample of participants produced by selecting people who are most easily available at the time of the study.

Random Sampling

A sample of participants produced by using a random technique so that every member of the target population has an equal chance of being selected.

Volunteer Sampling

A sample of participants produced by a sampling technique that relies solely on inviting people to take part.

Systematic Sampling

A method of obtaining a sample by selecting systematically from a list e.g. every 5th or 7th person.

Stratified Sampling

A sampling technique where groups of participants are selected in proportion to their frequency in the population in order to obtain a representative sample.

Correlation

A mathematical technique, where a researcher investigates an association between two variables call co-variables.

Positive Correlation

As one variable increase the other variable increases.

Negative Correlation

As one variable increase the other variable decreases.

Zero Correlation

When there is no relationship between the co-variables.

Measures of Central Tendency

The general term for any measure of the average value in the set of data.

Measures of Dispersion

The general term for any measure of the spread or variation in a set of scores.

Descriptive Statistics

The use of graphs, tables and summary statistics to identify trends and analyse sets of data.

Pilot Study

A small scale trial carried out at the start of an experiment to check for any flaws e.g. do the questions in the questionnaire make sense.

Mean

The arithmetic average. Calculated by adding up all of the values in a set of data and dividing by the number of values.

Median

The central value in a set of data when it is ordered from lowest to highest value.

Mode

The value that appears most frequently in a set of data

Range

Calculation of the dispersion in a set of scores. Worked out by minusing the lowest value from the highest value and adding one as a mathematical correction.

Standard Deviation

How far each score in a data set deviates from the mean

Normal Distribution

There is a symmetrical spread of frequency data that forms a bell shaped pattern

Skewed Distributions

When the spread of data is not symmetrical meaning the data clusters to one end.

Time Sampling

The procedure of observing and recording behavior during intervals or at specific moments

Accepted level of probability

In psychology the accepted level is 0.05 / 5%

Sometime researchers need more confidence so have a more stringent significance level of 0.01 / 1% e.g. when humans lives are involved.

Calculated Value

The number the researcher is left with after the statistical test has been calculated. It is compared to the critical value to see whether the results are significant.