RESEARCH
METHODS
https://www.tutor2u.net/psychology/reference/research-methods-topic-test
, EXPERIMENTAL METHOD
VARIABLE – any object, characteristic or event that changes or varies in s
What will you measure? DV + operationalise Needs to be operationalised (making sure variable can be quanti ed
What are your 2 conditions? IV measured) e.g. happiness scores rather than just happiness.
What will you expect to find? Hypothesis
What will the ppts do? Standardised procedures
What do you need to control? Extraneous variables
• Extraneous variables don’t vary systemically with IV and therefore don’t act as alterna ve IV BUT ma
(nuisance variables that make signi cant e ect di cult to detect) EXAMPLE = age, background noise
All experiments start with AIM – what researchers • IV = characteris c that is manipulated or changed
intend to nd out in their study • DV = variable that is being measured in an experiment
(e.g. To investigate whether people work just as • Opera onalise refer to how you will de ne and measure a speci c variable as it is used in your study
well with the TV on as in a quiet room)
• Experiment research method where casual conclusions can be drawn
because an independent variable has been deliberately manipulated to
observe casual e ect on DV
Ethical issues = concern questions of right + wrong • Hypothesis tenta ve statement about the rela onship between two or
more variables. It is a speci c, testable predic on about what you expect
to happen in a study
Debriefing = post research interview designed to inform ppts of true nature
• Standardised procedures keeping everything the same for all par cipants
of study + to restore them to their original state (means of dealing with any so that the inves ga on is fair
ethical issues
Informed consent = ensures that a patient, client, and research
participants are aware of all the potential risks and costs Points to note when conducting an experiment:
involved in a treatment or procedure -No u16s without consent or no vulnerable participants (ppts)
-Always obtain informed consent - tell them what you plan to do +
-Debrie ng must take place at end of experiment specially to expla
-Need to complete standardised procedures in order to allow for re
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, CONTROL OF VARIABLES HYPOTHESIS + OTHER TH
HYPOTHESIS = Statement of what researcher predic
Control composed of ppts who don't receive experimental outcome of the study
treatment. Randomly selected to be in this group.
CONTROL: NULL HYPOTHESIS = statement of no di erence or
Confounding variables
factors other than the IV that • Confounding variables
may cause a result. CONFEDERATE = actor who participates in a psyc
• Extraneous variables
experiment pretending to be a subject but in actu
Extraneous variables = variables not intentionally
studying in experiment. In experiment = looking to the researcher (stooge).
see if 1 variable (IV) has effect on
another variable (DV) = these DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESIS = prediction made by rese
undesirable variables are called extraneous variables.
a pos or neg change, relationship, or di erence betwe
a population (states more, less, higher, lower, etc). Bas
Validity refers to test's ability to measure
what it is supposed to measure. conducting a signi cance test & based on research q
ABOUT EXPERIMENTS: study in area.
External validity extent to • Validity
which conclusions from research • External validity NON-DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESIS = type of alternative
study can be generalised to
• Internal validity in statistical signi cance testing).
people outside of your study.
Internal validity scientific concept that PILOT STUDY = small, trial versions of proposed studi
addresses the relationship between 2 variables. e ectiveness & make improvements. Helpful in identif
Refers to extent a study can rule out or make REALISM: issues early, which can then be recti ed before comm
unlikely alternate explanations of results.
• Mundane realism & expense of full investigation.
Mundane realism degree to which materials & • Generalisation = be able to generalise
procedures involved are similar to events that results beyond particular unique research
occur in the real world - type of external validity.
setting (in everyday life)
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METHODS
https://www.tutor2u.net/psychology/reference/research-methods-topic-test
, EXPERIMENTAL METHOD
VARIABLE – any object, characteristic or event that changes or varies in s
What will you measure? DV + operationalise Needs to be operationalised (making sure variable can be quanti ed
What are your 2 conditions? IV measured) e.g. happiness scores rather than just happiness.
What will you expect to find? Hypothesis
What will the ppts do? Standardised procedures
What do you need to control? Extraneous variables
• Extraneous variables don’t vary systemically with IV and therefore don’t act as alterna ve IV BUT ma
(nuisance variables that make signi cant e ect di cult to detect) EXAMPLE = age, background noise
All experiments start with AIM – what researchers • IV = characteris c that is manipulated or changed
intend to nd out in their study • DV = variable that is being measured in an experiment
(e.g. To investigate whether people work just as • Opera onalise refer to how you will de ne and measure a speci c variable as it is used in your study
well with the TV on as in a quiet room)
• Experiment research method where casual conclusions can be drawn
because an independent variable has been deliberately manipulated to
observe casual e ect on DV
Ethical issues = concern questions of right + wrong • Hypothesis tenta ve statement about the rela onship between two or
more variables. It is a speci c, testable predic on about what you expect
to happen in a study
Debriefing = post research interview designed to inform ppts of true nature
• Standardised procedures keeping everything the same for all par cipants
of study + to restore them to their original state (means of dealing with any so that the inves ga on is fair
ethical issues
Informed consent = ensures that a patient, client, and research
participants are aware of all the potential risks and costs Points to note when conducting an experiment:
involved in a treatment or procedure -No u16s without consent or no vulnerable participants (ppts)
-Always obtain informed consent - tell them what you plan to do +
-Debrie ng must take place at end of experiment specially to expla
-Need to complete standardised procedures in order to allow for re
ti fi fi titiffti ti fi fi fi ff titi ffi fiti fi ti ff
, CONTROL OF VARIABLES HYPOTHESIS + OTHER TH
HYPOTHESIS = Statement of what researcher predic
Control composed of ppts who don't receive experimental outcome of the study
treatment. Randomly selected to be in this group.
CONTROL: NULL HYPOTHESIS = statement of no di erence or
Confounding variables
factors other than the IV that • Confounding variables
may cause a result. CONFEDERATE = actor who participates in a psyc
• Extraneous variables
experiment pretending to be a subject but in actu
Extraneous variables = variables not intentionally
studying in experiment. In experiment = looking to the researcher (stooge).
see if 1 variable (IV) has effect on
another variable (DV) = these DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESIS = prediction made by rese
undesirable variables are called extraneous variables.
a pos or neg change, relationship, or di erence betwe
a population (states more, less, higher, lower, etc). Bas
Validity refers to test's ability to measure
what it is supposed to measure. conducting a signi cance test & based on research q
ABOUT EXPERIMENTS: study in area.
External validity extent to • Validity
which conclusions from research • External validity NON-DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESIS = type of alternative
study can be generalised to
• Internal validity in statistical signi cance testing).
people outside of your study.
Internal validity scientific concept that PILOT STUDY = small, trial versions of proposed studi
addresses the relationship between 2 variables. e ectiveness & make improvements. Helpful in identif
Refers to extent a study can rule out or make REALISM: issues early, which can then be recti ed before comm
unlikely alternate explanations of results.
• Mundane realism & expense of full investigation.
Mundane realism degree to which materials & • Generalisation = be able to generalise
procedures involved are similar to events that results beyond particular unique research
occur in the real world - type of external validity.
setting (in everyday life)
ff fifi fi ff ff
