Research Methods - AQA psychology A2 level Exam Questions & Answers

Empirical methods - ANSWER -A method of gaining knowledge which relies on direct observation or testing. Independent variable - ANSWER -A variable that is directly manipulated by the experimenter. Dependent variable - ANSWER -A measurable outcome of the action of the independent variable in an experiment. Replicability - ANSWER -If findings from a study are true it is possible to obtain the same findings if the study is repeated. Falsification - ANSWER -The attempt to prove something wrong. Peer review - ANSWER -the practice used by academic journals and research assessments of using experts to assess other experts. Laboratory experiment - ANSWER -Experiments carried out in a controlled setting. Field experiment - ANSWER -A controlled experiment that is conducted outside a laboratory. Natural experiment - ANSWER -A research method in which the experimenter cannot manipulate the independent variable directly, but where it varies naturally. Content analysis - ANSWER -A kind of observational study in which behaviour is observed indirectly in written or verbal material. Reliability - ANSWER -A measure of consistency within a set of scores or items and also over time to obtain the same results on subsequent occasions. Internal reliability - ANSWER -A measure of the extent to which something is consistent with itself. External reliability - ANSWER -A calculation of the extent to which a measure varies from another measure of the same thing over time. Validity - ANSWER -Refers to legitimacy of a study, the extent to which the findings can be applied beyond the research setting. Internal validity - ANSWER -Whether a study has tested what it set out to test. External validity - ANSWER -The degree to which a research finding can be generalised to other settings. Opportunity sample - ANSWER -A sample of participants produced by selecting people who are most easily available at the time of the study. Volunteer sample - ANSWER -A sampling technique that relies solely on volunteers to make up the sample.