methods

Type of experiment where the independent variable is an event that the researcher does not manipulate

Natural experiment

Type of experiment taking place under controlled conditions

Laboratory experiment

Type of experiment where the independent variable is a group difference that the researcher cannot manipulate

Quasi- experiment

Type of experiment taking place where the behaviour usually occurs under reasonably controlled conditions

Field experiment

Type of observation taking place where the behaviour usually occurs and without researcher intervention

Naturalistic

Type of observation in which participants know they are being observed

Overt

Type of observation in which researcher joins the group being studied

Participant

Type of observation taking place under lab- like conditions

Controlled

Type of observation in which participants do not know they are being observed

Covert

Questionnaires and interviews are both types of?

Self- reports

Type of questionnaire / interview in which all questions are the same for everyone

Structured

Type of question giving participant a set of options to choose from for their response

Closed

Type of interview in which questions are different for everyone

Unstructured

Type of question giving participant opportunity to answer in their own words for their response

Open

Type of study involving analysis of the relationship between two covariables

Correlational study

Difference between experiments and correlations

Experiment involves manipulation / change in an independent variable (and measurement of a dependent variable) whereas Correlations involve no manipulation, just measurement

Difference between aims and hypotheses

Aims: purpose of the study, theory being tested whereas Hypothesis: prediction of results

Difference between population and sample

Population: who the research is about whereas Sample; those actually researched

Difference between directional and non- directional hypotheses

Directional predicts direction of results i.e., specifies which condition will score higher / whether correlation will be positive or negative whereas Non- directional just predicts a difference / correlation, with no specification of which condition will score higher / whether correlation will be positive or negative

Meaning of the term generalisation in the context of sampling

Ability to say that what is true of the sample is also true of the population

Meaning of the term bias in the context of sampling

Sample systematically under / over represents certain types of people, reducing generalisability

Sampling method involving recruiting participants via advertisements that they choose to reply to

Volunteer

Sampling method involving choosing every nth person from a list

Systematic

Sampling method involving everyone in the sampling population having an equal chance of being picked for the sample

Random

Sampling method involving deliberately choosing participants to make the sample representative of specific groups

Stratified

Sampling method involving using whoever is available to the researcher

Opportunity

Type of study performed before main study to identify and deal with flaws in the procedure

Pilot study

Experimental design in which participants take part in both conditions

Repeated measures

Experimental design in which for each participant, there is someone else in the other condition who is similar to them

Matched pairs

Most commonly used experimental design in which participants take part in only one condition

Independent groups

Variable that is manipulated in an experiment

Independent variable

Variable that is measured in an experiment

Dependent variable

Variables that should be controlled in an experiment

Extraneous variables

Type of extraneous variable that does have an effect on the dependent variable

Confounding variable

Control for individual differences in an independent groups experiment

Random allocation

Most common control for order effects in a repeated measures experiment

Counterbalancing

Control for order effects in which order of presentation of items is unpredictable and different for each participant

Randomisation

Process of making everything the same in a study

Standardisation

Which experimental design can involve the use of randomisation?

Repeated measures

Defining a variable in such a way that it can be measured

Operationalisation

Features of the study that a participant thinks gives away the aim of the study

Demand characteristics

Impact of the researcher on the participant / results

Investigator effects

Organisation responsible for code of ethics governing research in this country

British Psychological Society

Ethical issue / guideline concerning deliberate misleading of participants

Deception

Ethical issue / guideline concerning lack of full knowledge of procedure / aim of study

Informed consent

Ethical issue / guideline concerning more stress than would occur in everyday life

Protection

Ethical issue / guideline concerning a right all participants have before, during and after the study

Withdrawal

Two types of consent that deal with the issue of informed consent while avoiding demand characteristics

Prior general Presumptive

Feature of the scientific process involving scrutiny of research by other psychologists working for academic journals

Peer review

Type of data in numerical form

Quantitative

Type of data in non- numerical form, e.g., words

Qualitative

Type of data collected directly by the researcher for their own purposes

Primary

Type of data collected by the researcher from data collected by others

Secondary

Type of study involving bringing together the results from a large number of studies and merging the results

Meta- analysis

Measure of central tendency involving adding up all scores and dividing by the number of scores

Mean

Measure of central tendency involving identifying the middle score of all scores in order

Median

Measure of central tendency involving identifying the most common score or category

Mode

Measure of dispersion calculated by taking away the lowest score from the highest score

Range

Measure of dispersion that indicates the average difference of scores from the mean

Standard deviation

Type of correlation when those who score high on one variable also score higher on the other variable

Positive

Type of correlation when those who score high on one variable score lower on the other variable

Negative

Type of correlation when the relationship between scores on the two variables is random

No correlation

Type of distribution when the scores are symmetrical around the mean

Normal

Type of distribution when there is a tail of high scores that pull the mean upwards

Positively skewed

Type of distribution when there is a tail of low scores that pull the mean downwards

Negatively skewed

3 things you need to know to identify the critical value in a table

Sample size Level of significance used Whether test is 1 or 2 tailed

How you identify the calculated value when using the Sign test

For the two conditions, count (i) how many pps scored higher and (ii) how many pps scored lower (usually in the 2nd condition) Calculated value is the smaller of these numbers