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Research Methods - Psychology - Coggle Diagram
Research Methods - Psychology
Experimental Method
Aims - purpose of study
Hypothesis
Directional or non-directional
Variables
IVs and DVs
Levels of the IV
Operationalise
Control of Variables
Extraneous variables
Confounding variables - vary with the IV
Demand characteristics
Investigator effects
Randomisation
Standardisation
Order effects
Experimental design
Independent groups
Ps in each condition are different
No Order Effects
Less economical
Ps variables not controlled
Repeated measures
Ps do all conditions
Order effects
Demand characteristics
No Ps variable problems
More economical
Matched pairs
Similar Ps in each condition
No order effects
Can't match exactly
Time-consuming
Type of Experiment
Lab
IV manipulated in a controlled environment
High external validity (control)
Low external validity (realism)
Cause and Effect
Replication
Demand characteristics
Field
IV manipulated in a natural setting
Lower internal validity
Higher external validity (realism)
Ethical issues
Natural
IV manipulated naturally, effect on DV is recorded
Low internal validity (no random allocation)
High external validity
Unique research
Opportunities may be rare
Quasi
IV based on existing difference between people, effect on DV is recorded
Low internal validity (no random allocation)
High external validity
Sampling
Random Sampling - all Ps have equal chance
No researcher bias
Time-consuming
May end up with biased sample
Systematic Sampling - selecting every nth person
No researcher bias
Usually fairly representative
May end up with biased sample
Stratified Sampling - sample reflects proportion of people within different population strata
No researcher bias
Representative
Can't account for all subgroups
Opportunity Sampling - choosing whoever's available
Convenient
Researcher bias
Unrepresentative
Volunteer Sampling - Ps self-select
Less time-consuming
Attracts a certain type of person
Ethical Issues
Informed consent - advising Ps of chat is involved may reveal research aims
Get permission
Presumptive, prior general, retrospective
Deception - telling the truth
Debriefing
Protection from harm - minimising psychological and physical risk
Privacy and confidentiality
maintaining anonymity
use numbers not names
Observational Techniques
Naturalistic - behaviour observed where it would normally occur, no control over variables
Low internal validity
High external validity
Controlled observations - some control over environment, including manipulation of variables
Low internal validity - though some extraneous variables can be controlled
High external validity
Covert and Overt observations
C: Ethically questionable but no DCs
O: behaviour may be affected
Participant and Non-Participant - join group or not
Pilot Studies
Pilot Studies - Checking procedures and materials, making modifications
Single Blind - Ps aren't aware of research aims until end
Double-Blind - neither Ps or researcher know condition
Control Group - used as a comparison
Observational Design
Unstructured vs Structured - Researcher records everything (Un) or controls what is recorded (S)
Behavioural Categories - target behaviours broken down into observable components
Must be observable
avoid dustbin category
no overlap
Sampling Methods
Continuous
Time-Sampling
might not show whole behaviour
Event-Sampling
useful for infrequent behaviour