sceince skills unit 3/4 psychology

Accuracy

how close a measure relates to the ‘true’ value of the quantity being measured

Aim

a statement outlining the purpose of the investigation

beneficence

in relation to research ethics, the commitment to maximising benefits and minimising the risks and harms involved

between subjects

an experimental design in which each participant is assigned to only one group or condition and provides only one score for data analysis; also called independent groups and between groups

case study

an intensive, in-depth investigation of some behaviour, event or problem of interest in a single individual, group, organisation or situation

confidentiality

ethical guideline for research involving the privacy, protection and security of a participant’s personal information, including results

confounding variable

a variable other than the independent variable that has affected the results (the dependent variable) and whose effect(s) cannot be separated from that of the independent variable, thereby providing an alternative explanation(s) for the results; compare with extraneous variable

control group

the group in an experiment not exposed to the independent variable

controlled experiment

an experimental investigation of the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable, whilst controlling all other variables

controlled variable

a variable that is considered to have an effect on the dependent variable so it is held constant to remove its potential effect

correlation

the degree of a relationship between two variables

correlational study

A correlational study is a research methodology that measures the relationship between two variables to determine its strength and direction, without manipulating either variable.

correlation coefficient

a statistic used to describe the relationship between two variables

debriefing

ethical guideline requiring that at the end of the experiment, the participant leaves understanding the experimental aim, results and conclusions including wellbeing checks where appropriate

deception (in research)

when a researcher deliberately conceals the true purpose of the experiment from participants by misleading or misinforming them

dependent variable (DV)

the variable the researcher measures, after selecting the independent variable that is assumed to have an effect on the independent variable

experimental group

the group in an experiment exposed to the independent variable

external validity

the extent to which the results obtained for a study can be applied beyond the sample that generated them, specifically to individuals in a different setting and over time; compare with internal validity

extraneous variable

any variable other than the independent variable that can cause a change in the dependent variable and affect the validity of the results

field experiment

a psychological experiment that is conducted outside the laboratory in a ‘real-world’ setting

independent variable (IV)

variable that is manipulated (controlled, selected or changed) in order to test its effects on the dependent variable

informed consent

ethical guideline requiring that participants understand the nature and purpose of the experiment, including potential risks, before agreeing to participate

integrity

the commitment to searching for knowledge and understanding, the honest reporting of all sources of information and results, whether favourable or unfavourable, in ways that contribute to public knowledge and understanding

internal validity

the extent to which an investigation actually investigated what it set out to investigate and/or claims to have investigated; compare with external validity

justice

in relation to research ethics, moral obligation to ensure that there is fair consideration of competing claims; that there is no unfair burden on a particular group

mixed design

an experimental design that combines the features of the within subject and between subjects designs

model

a body of interrelated concepts (‘ideas’) that attempt to explain interrelated observations and make predictions about future events; also called theory; in observational learning who or what is being observed.

negative correlation

when two variables change in opposite directions — as one variable increases, the other variable tends to decrease (and vice versa)

non-maleficence

in relation to research ethics, avoiding the causations of harm

objective data

information that is observable, measurable, verifiable and free from the personal bias

observational study

collection of data by carefully watching and recording behaviour as it occurs without any intervention or manipulation of the behaviour being observed

personal error

a fault or mistake by the researcher;

population

the entire group of research interest from which a sample is drawn

positive correlation

when two variables change in the same direction

precision

how closely a set of measurement values agree with each other

primary data

information collected directly by the researcher (or through others) for their own purpose

qualitative data

non-numerical information involving the ‘qualities’ or characteristics of a participant’s experience of what is being studied

quantitative data

numerical information on the ‘quantity’ or amount of what is being studied

questionnaire

data collection tool with a written set of questions to collect self-report data

random error

an error due to some chance factor or chance variation in a measurement

random sampling

sample selection technique that ensures every member of the population of research interest has a genuinely equal chance of being selected to be part of the sample.

reliability

the extent to which a measure produces results that are consistent, dependable and stable

repeatability

the degree to which a specific research investigation obtains similar results when it is conducted again under the same conditions on all occasions

reproducibility

how close the results are to each other when an investigation is replicated under changed conditions

research hypothesis

a testable prediction of the relationship between two or more variables

research method

a particular way of conducting a research study or investigation to collect accurate and reliable data on a question or problem of interest

respect

in relation to research ethics, consideration of,the extent to which living things have an intrinsic value and instrumental value

secondary data

information that was not collected directly by the current researcher but was collected at an earlier time by someone else; compare with primary data

simulation study

reproducing situations of research interest in a realistic way to investigate the behaviour and/or mental processes of individuals in that environment

stratified sampling

a sampling technique involving sampling from different subgroups in the same proportions as they occur in the population of interest

subjective data

information that is based on personal opinion, interpretation, point of view or judgment; compare with objective data

systematic error

a measurement error produced by some factor that consistently favours one condition rather than another

voluntary participation

ethical guideline requiring that no coercion or pressure is put on the participant to partake in an experiment, and they freely choose to be involved

withdrawal rights

ethical guideline requiring a participant being able to discontinue their involvement in an experiment at any time during or after the conclusion of an experiment

validity

the extent to which a measure accurately measures what it is supposed to be measuring; see also internal validity and external validity

within subjects experiment

an experimental design in which each participant is in both the experimental and control groups or all the treatment conditions (if there is no control group)

zero correlation

no relationship between two variables