AQA AS/A Level Psychology - Research Methods (YEAR 1) Summary

PSYCHOLOGY: RESEARCH METHODS
HYPOTHESES AND VARIABLES: EXPERIMENTAL METHODS
HYPO T H E S I S => P R E D I C TIONS ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN I N T H E E X P E R I M E N T
AIM => A C L E A R PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
DIRE C T I O N AL HYPOTHESIS => P R E D I C TS HOW CONDITION WILL AFFECT D E P E N D E N T V A R I A B L E ( W H I C H D I R E C T I O N )
CAN O N L Y BE USED WHEN THERE'S PREVIOUS R E S E A R C H
FOR C O R R E LATION: PREDICTS THERE WILL BE A S I G N I F I C A N T ( P O S I T I V E / N E G A T I V E ) R E L A T I O N S H I P B E T W E E N I V A N D D V
NON - D I R ECTIONAL HYPOTHESIS => P R E D I CTS IV WILL AFFECT DV BUT DOES N O T P R E D I C T H O W ( N O T W H A T D I R E C T I O N )
FOR C O R R E LATION: PREDICTS THERE WILL BE A S I G N I F I C A N T R E L A T I O N S H I P B E T W E E N I V A N D D V
NULL H Y P O THESIS => T H E P R O BABILITY T HAT THE RESULTS ARE D U E T O C H A N C E
FOR C O R R E LATION: PREDICTS THERE WILL BE N O S I G N I F I C A N T R E L A T I O N S H I P B E T W E E N I V A N D D V

INDE P E N D E NT VARIABLE => T H E V A RIABLE MANIPULATED BY THE RESE A R C H E R
DEPE N D E N T VARIABLE => V A R I A B LE AFFECTED BY IV AND MEASURED B Y R E S E A R C H E R
OPER A T I O N ALISING VARIABLES: MAK I N G S URE VARIABLES ARE AS MEASURABL E A S P O S S I B L E
EXAM P L E : NON-OPERATIONALISED HYPOTHESIS = T O I N V E S T I G A T E W H E T H E R E N E R G Y D R I N K S M A K E P E O P L E T A L K M O R E
OPER A T I O N ALISED HYPOTHESIS = AFTER DRIN K I N G 3 0 0 M L O F L U C O Z A D E , P E O P L E S P E A K M O R E W O R D S T H A N A F T E R D R I N K I N G
300M L O F WATER
EXTR A N E O U S VARIABLE => F A C T O RS WHICH INFLUENCE DV OTHER TH A N I V ( U N W A N T E D )
EXAM P L E S : SITUATIONAL (TIME, TEMPERATURE, N O I S E ) , O R D E R E F F E C T ( F A T I G U E , B O R E D O M) , P A R T I C I P A N T E F F E C T S ( D E M A N D C H A R )

PILOT STUDIES AND PROCEDURE
PILO T S T U DY => S M A L L -SCALE TRIAL RUN OF ACTUAL STUDY
SMAL L N U M BER OF PARTICIPANTS - TO TEST PR O C E D U R E
CAN A L S O BE PLANNING QUESTIONS FOR QUES T I O N N A I R E S O R I N T E R V I E W S I N A D V A N C E T O R E M O V E / R E W O R D
IN O B S E R V ATIONS: WAY OF CHECKING CODING S Y S T E M S + T R A I N I N G O B S E R V E R S
ALLO W S R E SEARCHER TO IDENTIFY ANY POTEN T I A L I S S U E S + T O M O D I F Y I F N E E D E D
SING L E - B L IND PROCEDURE => P A R T I C I PANTS ARE NOT TOLD THE AIM OR O T H E R D E T A I L S ( E . G . C O N D I T I O N S ) A T T H E S T A R T
CONT R O L S DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS
DOUB L E - B L IND PROCEDURE => N E I T H ER PARTICIPANT OR RESEARCHER (TH I R D P A R T Y ) C O N D U C T I N G S T U D Y K N O W S A I MS
IMPO R T A N T FOR DRUG TRIALS WITH PLACEBOS : R E D U C E I N F L U E N C E O N P A R T I C I P A N T B E H A V I O U R
CONT R O L G ROUP AND CONDITIONS:
GROU P W I T H REAL DRUG = EXPERIMENTAL
GROU P W I T H PLACEBO = CONTROL
TO C O M P A R E HOW MUCH IV AFFECTS DV

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
INDE P E N D E NT GROUPS => W H E R E 2 SEPARATE GROUPS EXPERIENCE 2 D I F F E R E N T C O N D I T I O N S I N T H E E X P E R I M E N T S
REPE A T E D MEASURES => W H E R E ALL PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCE B O T H C O N D I T I O N S A N D R E S U L T S A R E C O M P A R E D
MATC H E D P AIRS => W H E R E PARTICIPANTS ARE MATCHED BY C E R T A I N V A R I A B L E S R E L E V A N T T O T H E E X P E R I M E N T ( E . G I Q , S K I L L S ) A N D A R E
SPLI T I N T O THE DIFFE RENT CONDITIONS

INDEPENDENT GROUPS REPEATED MEASURES MATCHED PAIRS
S - OR D E R E FFECTS NOT AN ISSUE
- PA R T I C I P A NT VARIAB LES ARE CONTROLLED - OR D E R E FFECTS NOT AN ISSUE
T ORDE R E F F ECTS => CONFOUNING V (TIRED, ETC )
- PA R T I C I P A NTS LESS L IKELY TO GUESS AIMS - LE S S P A R T ICIPANTS N EEDED - DE M A N D CHARACTERISTICS NOT AN ISSUE
R
- PA R T I C I P A NTS AREN'T THE SAME (PV COULD - EA C H P A RTICIPANT MUST DO BOTH: ORDER EF F E C T S - PA R T I C I P A NTS CAN N EVER BE COMPLETELY M A T C H E D
L AFFE C T D V MORE THAN IV OR CHANGE RESULT S ) SOLV E : C O UNTERBALANCING (EACH GROUP DOE S DIFF E R E N C ES MAY STILL AFFECT DV
I TO S O L V E : U SE RANDOM ALLOCATION DIFF E R E N T ONE FIRST SO CAN STILL COMPAR E - MA T C H I N G CAN BE TIME CONSUMING + EXPE N S I V E
- LE S S E C ONOMICAL THAN REPEATING: DOUBL E - MO R E L I KELY PARTICIPANTS WILL WORK OU T A I M : LESS E C O N OMICAL
M PART I C I P A NTS NEEDED TO GET SAME AMOUNT DEMA N D C H ARACTERISTICS
OF R E S U L T S


TYPES OF EXPERIMENT
LABR A T O R Y EXPERIMENT => E X P E R IMENTS CONDUCTED IN HIGHLY CON T R O L L E D E N V I R O N M E N T S
FIEL D E X P ERIMENT => E X P E R IEMENT IN MORE NATURAL SETTING - R E S E A R C H E R I N P A R T I C I P A N T ' S U S U A L E N V I R O N M E N T
NATU R A L E XPERIMENT => R E S E A RCHER MEASURES DV BUT HAS NO C O N T R O L O V E R I V
EXAM P L E : BEFORE AND AFTER NATURAL DISAS T E R , W H E T H E R C H I L D I S I N H O S P T I A L A T A G E 5 O R 1 0
QUAS I - E X P ERIMENT => E X P E R IMENT BASED ON EXISTING DIFFER E N C E B E T W E E N P E O P L E - C A N N O T B E C H A N G E D / M A N I P U L A T E D
EXAM P L E : GENDER, AGE, IQ
LABRATORY FIELD NATURAL QUASI

S VARI A B L E S MORE CONTROLLED HIGH E X T E RNAL VALIDITY OPPO R T U N I TY FOR RESEARCH NOT USUA L L Y C ONTROLLED CONDITS
HIGH E R I N TERNAL VALIDITY MORE N A T U RAL + REALISTIC NORM A L L Y DONE (ETHIC/PRAT) HIGH I N T E RNAL VALIDITY
T MORE A P P L ICABLE TO LIFE HIGH E X T E RNAL VALIDITY REPL I C A T I ON EASIER
REPL I C A T I ON EASIER
R ENOU G H C O NTROL NATU R A L , A U THENTIC STUD Y O F R E AL LIFE I SSUES
LOW E X T E R NAL VALIDITY LESS V A R I ABLE CONTROL MAY O C C U R RARELY NO R A N D O M ALLOCATION
L LESS G E N E RALISABLE AFFE C T V A LIDITY + RESULT NO R A N D O M ALLOCATION CONF O U N D I NG VARIABLES
I UNNA T U R A L BEHAVIOUR ETHI C A L I SSUE CONF O U N D I NG VARIABLES IV N O T C H ANGED BY RESEARCR
M DEMA N D C H ARACTERISTICS PRIV A C Y - C ONSENT SOME C O N D UCTED IN LAB LESS C L A I M TO IV EFFECT
NOT N O R M A L TASK - APPLICAT REDU C E D A PPLICABILITY (ALS O I N N A TURAL)