psychology (research methods)

Directional hypothesis

States the way the researcher predicts the results win go

Non -directional hypothesis

States there will be a difference or a relationship but not what that will be.

Null hypothesis

This states there will be no relationship or difference between the variables and if there is it is due to chance .

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What does operationalise mean?

Make an experiment measurable.

When do you use a directional hypothesis?

When previous research has been done.

When do you use non directional hypothesis ?

When no previous research has been done.

What are the 6 approaches in psychology?

Behavioral, psychodynamic, cognitive, humanistic ‘ biological, social learning theory

Put the psychological approaches in chronological order.

Behaviorism, psycho dynamic, biological cognitive, social learning theory, humanistic

Define classical conditioning.

Learning through association

Who demonstrated classical conditioning and when?

Pavlov in 1897

How did Pavlov demonstrate classical conditioning?

He used dogs, he found that dogs salivate when eating so he introduced a sound -he found that after some time, the dogs began to associate the sound with food and soon enough the sound alone was enough to make them salivate.

What are the key terms associated with classical conditioning?

Neutral stimulus, unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, conditioned response, conditioned stimulus

What is operant conditioning?

Learning through consequences

What does BF skinner suggest about learning?

Learning is an active process for animals and humans

What are the types of operant conditioning ?

Positive reinforcement, positive punishment, negative reinforcement, negative punishment

When did BF skinner carry out his research?

1984

How did skinner carry out his research?

On pigeons and rats (it was inhumane)

What is one strength of behaviorism?

It has been successfully used in the reduction of abnormalities in behaviour, such as anxiety and phobias, through systematic desensitisation and flooding.

What is one limitation of behaviorism?

It is not always easy to establish a link between an unconditioned stimulus and unconditioned response in all species, so it may not be a generic rule for animals.

Why is research on animals hard to generalise on humans?

There are clear genetic and intellectual differences between humans and animals.

What does behaviourism ignore?

Cognitive processing which is needed for decision making and is vital for most human behavior

What do the researchers change in an experiment?

Independent variables

What variable do researchers measure?

The dependent variable

What is believed to happen if the independent variable is successfully manipulated?

It will effect the dependent variable

What could an effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable suggest?

A possible cause + effect relationship between the two variables

What is an extraneous variable

Any variable other than the independent variable that may affect the outcome of an experiment.

What are some examples of extraneous variables?

Temperature, time of day, participants mood.

What can extraneous variables be due to?

Some factors are due to environment some are personal.

What is a demand characteristic ?

If a participant believes they know the purpose of an experiment this may lead them to change their behavior within the investigation.

What is standardisation?

Specific instructions given to experimenters so they perform specific acts at specific times, ensuring au behavior is replicable.

What is randomisation?

Making most of the research design and procedure random to reduce investigator effects.

What is the double blind experiment ?

When experimenters don't know the aims of the experiment so can't influence the result in any way