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Psychology week 4 - Coggle Diagram
Psychology week 4
Defining and measuring variables
Developing measures from constructs
New measures are developed by modifying commonly used measures
When a researcher is planning a study, one of the first decisions is to define the constructs to be used in the project as precisely as possible
A variable
Any construct that can have more than one value, or that can vary across organisms, situations, or environments (e.g., age, intelligence, stress level, extroversion, performance)
An empirical study involves observing, manipulating, and measuring variables in various conditions, and under varying degrees of control.
These variables need to be precisely defined
The nature of the variables of interest play an important role in research design.
Different types of variables
the types of variables that you will come across in your research will vary depending upon
Your research topic and hypothesis
Your research strategy and design
In general, we manipulate (either directly or indirectly) the values or levels of one or more variables and measure the effects on one or more other variables
manipulation
Independent variable
these are variables that the researcher directly manipulates
Quasi-indpendent variables that the researcher indirectly manipulates. The is, for practical or ethical reasons these variables cannot be directly manipulated, but since there are pre-existing levels, the researcher can utilise them
outcome
Dependent variable
researcher observes to examine changes in - that is, the researcher observes how manipulates affect these variables
Variables which cause these unwanted or nuisance effects are called nuisance or extraneous variables
Types
Individual differences
Situational or environmental variables
Classifying extraneous variables
Random variables
variables specific to participants to differing degrees and whose effects cannot be calculated
Confounding variables
Variables that systematically vary with the levels of the independent variable and result in systematic changes in the dependent variable across the different IV levels
Consequences of extraneous variables
The can provide an alternative explanation for your results aside from the effects of the effects of the independent variable
Variance which makes it harder to detect differences in groups
NOIR
Ordinal
Consists of orderings/rankings where the distance between rankings is not the same throughout
All Likert-type scales
Interval
An ordered, constant measurement scale, where the differences between intervals are exactly the same, but there is no natural zero point
Temperature
Nominal
Categories which are differentiates my qualitative names
Sex/marital status
Ratio
An ordered constant measurement scale, where the differences between intervals are exactly the same, but there is a natural zero point
Length/weight
Measurement
Is the assignment of a number to an operationalised variable
Measurement Modalities
Physical measures
Behavioural measures
Self report measures
Summarise the origins of the NHMRC ethical principles that guide psychological research, and strategies for researchers to conduct research in an ethical manner on humans including scientific misconduct
Research ethics
What?
Code of ethics that governs the moral conduct of research conducted with people or animals
Includes research about people that uses their data or specimens (e.g. human tissue or blood)
Ethical concerns for psychology researchers
For each research study, ethics determine
Care fr welfare of animals
Integrity in collection and treatment of data
How we treat human subjects with respect that maintains rights and dignity
Conducting research with humans - History
The Nuremberg code
Asserted participants rights to voluntary participation and informed consent
The declaration of Helsinki
Human research should follow successful work in labs or animals
Value/benefit must outweigh the risks or potential harms
Researchers need to be competent
Review by an external, unbiased committee
Ethical considerations with other cultures
Scientific racism
Early 20th century - Nazi human experimentation, Tuskegee Syphilis study and the stolen generation
Guidelines for the ethical conduct in research using Indigenous Australians
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies "Guidelines for ethical research in Australian Indigenous Studies
National Statement on ethical code of conduct in human research
Main principles
Beneficence
no exposure to undue risk or harm
Justice
Fair and equitable treatment
Autonomy
Participant should be voluntary
Respect
Safeguard welfare of research participants
Integrity
researchers conduct themselves at the highest level of integrity
HREC
What is the degree of risk in the project proposal?
Is there a need for more than one review board?
Weighing benefits and costs: the role of the HREC in assessing risk. Why is this necessary?
Ensure psychology researchers abide by the
Assessing risk by Monash Human Ethics Research Committee (MUHREC)
Three ethics committee
Gene technology
Human
Animal
Risk assessed
Psychological
Social
Physical
Legal risks
Role
IS to protect welfare and the rights of particpants in research and each member decides indepedently (without influence) in their opinion if the conduct of the research proposed protects particpants from har
What type of research does MUHREC review?
Undergoing psychological, physiological or medical testing or treatment
Being observed by researchers
Participants taking part in surveys, interviews or focus groups
Researchers having access to participant personal documents or other materials
Informed consent and deception
Deception
Permitted only when necessary to maintain the integrity of a study and when no other alternative exists
When deception is used, participants must be formally debriefed about the deception in order to clear up any misunderstanding
Ethical issues and scientific integrity
Issues
Falsifying data
Plagiarism
Fraud in Science
The explicit effort of a researcher to falsify or misrepresent data (rather than an error)
Why do researchers commit fraud?
To remain competitive in their academic environment
Concern that if their research is not published, they may fail to earn tenure
Safeguards to fraud
Research articles that are peer reviewed by experts in the field
Data must be shard with others upon request
Experimental research studies that are designed to be replicated