Research Methods Flashcards

Flashcards based on lecture notes about research methods, ethics, variables, and report writing.

Ethics

Moral guidelines or rules of conduct that help us distinguish right from wrong.

Confidentiality

The obligation of the researcher not to use or disclose private information for any purpose other than that for which it was given to them.

Voluntary participation

Ensuring participants voluntarily consent to be involved in a study.

Withdrawal rights

Explaining to participants before the study commences that they have the right to withdraw and ensuring they suffer no negative consequences as a result.

Informed consent procedures

Giving details of the study, including ethical considerations, in order for volunteers to agree to participate.

Use of deception

Deliberately misleading or not fully informing participants about the aim or some other aspect of the research.

Debriefing

Clarifying each participant’s understanding of the nature of the research as soon as possible after it has been conducted.

Variables

A factor in research that may be manipulated or controlled by the experimenter (the independent variable) or a factor that changes as a result (the dependent variable).

Independent Variable (IV)

The cause of any change that may result in the dependent variable.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The effect caused by manipulation of the IV.

Extraneous variable

Any variable other than the IV that may have an effect on the DV; identified before an experiment and the researcher tries to reduce/control them.

Confounding variable

Any variable other than the IV that has had an effect on the DV; identified after an experiment and the researcher must take these into account when drawing conclusions.

Title of a Research Report

A clear and concise statement that summarises what you are investigating.

Introduction of a Research Report

The first section of a research report, including reasons for the study, background concepts, research findings, aim, IV and DV, and hypothesis.

Participants Section

The section focusing on the people in the experiment, including age, number, gender distribution, and demographics.

Materials Section

A section that includes all materials used in the experiment, listed in point form.

Procedure Section

Section with step by step instructions, written in the past tense and third person, and including the experimental design and ethical considerations.

Results Section

A visual representation of results (graph or table) and a written summary describing what can be seen on the graph.

Discussion Section

The biggest section of the report, explaining and interpreting the results, identifying confounding variables, limitations, and implications.

Conclusion Section

A section that summarizes the experiments, restates the hypothesis and variables, and answers the investigation question.

Hypothesis

An estimated guess or statement predicting the results of a study, or a relationship between two variables.

Between Subjects Design

Each participant is randomly allocated to one of two (or more) entirely separate groups/conditions.

Within Subjects Design

Each participant is involved in both the experimental and control conditions of an experiment.