a-level psychology OCR research methods (paper 1) actual exam questions and 100% verified correct answers graded a+.

what are the three types of interviews? - correct answer structured, semi-structured, unstructured Strengths of structured interviews - correct answer Structured interviews are easy to replicate as a fixed set of closed questions are used, which are easy to quantify this means it is easy to test for reliability. Structured interviews are fairly quick to conduct which means that many interviews can take place within a short amount of time. Weaknesses of structured interviews - correct answer Structure interviews are not flexible. This means new questions cannot be asked impromptu. The answers from structured interviews lack detail as only closed questions are asked which generates quantitative data. Strengths of unstructured interviews - correct answer unstructured interviews are more flexible as questions can be adapted and changed depending on the respondents' answers. unstructured interviews generate qualitative data through the use of open questions. They also have increased validity because it gives the interviewer the opportunity to probe for a deeper understanding. Weaknesses of unstructured interviews - correct answer It can be time-consuming to conduct an unstructured interview and analyze the qualitative data, Employing and training interviewers is expensive, and not as cheap as collecting data via questionnaires. Strengths of closed questions - correct answer These questions produce quantitative data that is easy to summarise and analyse. they can be economical. This means they can provide large amounts of research data for relatively low costs. Therefore, a large sample size can be obtained which should be representative of the population, which a researcher can then generalize from. Weaknesses of closed questions - correct answer They lack detail. Because the responses are fixed there is less scope for respondents to supply answers which reflect their true feelings on a topic. strengths of open questions - correct answer Rich qualitative data is obtained as open questions allow the respondent to elaborate on their answer. This means the research can find out why a person holds a certain attitude. Weaknesses of open questions - correct answer Time-consuming to collect the data. It takes longer for the respondent to complete open questions. This is a problem as a smaller sample size may be obtained. Time-consuming to analyse the data. It takes longer for the researcher to analyse qualitative data as they have to read the answers and try to put them into categories What is a likert scale? - correct answer the Likert scale is a five (or seven) point scale which is used to allow the individual to express how much they agree or disagree with a particular statement. strengths of likert scale - correct answer they do not expect a simple yes / no answer from the respondent, but rather allow for degrees of opinion, and even no opinion at all. Therefore quantitative data is obtained, which means that the data can be analysed with relative ease. weakness of likert scale - correct answer the validity of the Likert scale attitude measurement can be compromised due to social desirability. This means that individuals may lie to put themselves in a positive light. What is a leading question? - correct answer a question that suggests what answer is desired or leads to the desired answer what is experimenter effect? - correct answer tendency of the experimenter's expectations for a study to unintentionally influence the results of the study What is a one-tailed hypothesis? - correct answer hypothesis which states direction of effect What is a two-tailed hypothesis? - correct answer a hypothesis that dose not state direction of change but states that there would be change What is a null hypothesis? - correct answer null means zero. so a null hypothesis states that two variables are not related. What is an alternative hypothesis? - correct answer it states that two variables are indeed related. how do you operationalise a hypothesis - correct answer The term operationalisation can be applied to independent variables (IV), dependent variables (DV) or co variables (in a correlational design). by stating how to measure the iv and dv What is the independent variable? - correct answer The independent variable is the variable that is changed What is a dependent variable? - correct answer variable that is measured What is cause and effect? - correct answer A relationship in which change in one variable causes change in another what is extraneous variable - correct answer In an experiment, a variable other than the IV that might cause unwanted changes in the DV. What is a confounding variable? - correct answer a factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment what is participant variable? - correct answer Characteristics in the individual (e.g. age, intelligence etc.) that might influence the outcome of the study what is research aim - correct answer A statement of a study's purpose What is counterbalancing? - correct answer An attempt to control for the effects of order in a repeated measures design: half the participants experience the conditions in one order, and the other half in the opposite order. what is situational variable - correct answer These are aspects of the environment that might affect the participant's behaviour, e.g. noise, temperature, lighting conditions, etc. what is a lab experiment - correct answer an experiment conducted under highly controlled conditions (not necessarily a laboratory), where accurate measurements are possible. Strengths of lab experiments - correct answer - control extraneous variables- this creates high internal validity - you can replicate Weakness of a lab experiment - correct answer -Low ecological validity -High demand characteristics -Ethics, deception is often used to hide aims (A type of experiment) what is a feild experiment? - correct answer Carried out outside a lab conducted in a more natural environment Participants usually unaware that they're participating in an experiment Strengths of field experiments - correct answer - high external validity - high mundane realism Weakness of field experiment - correct answer lack of control over the environment makes the experiment more susceptible to confounding variables What is a quasi-experiment? - correct answer The IV is not determined by the researcher, it is naturally occurring Strengths of quasi experiments - correct answer Allows study of an independent