AQA Psychology - Paper 2 Flashcards

Self-report techniques Any method involving asking PPs about their feelings, attitudes, beliefs etc. Questionnaire Questionnaires are a written self-report technique where participants are given a pre-set number of questions to respond to. Can consist of either: • Closed questions - a pre-determined set of answers to choose from • Open questions - where there is no restriction on how participants make their response Strengths of questionnaires + Cost effective + Can gather large amounts of data quickly + Easy to analyse and generalise Weaknesses of questionnaires - Can produce response bias - PPs may misunderstand the question or read it incorrectly - Demand Characteristics / Social Desirability may occur Advantages & Disadvantages of an Open Question + Allows PPs to elaborate, greater insight + Produces qualitative data - depth and detail - People can miss them out as they can't be bothered to answer them - Harder to analyse Advantages & Disadvantages of a Closed Question + Quick and easy to answer + Quantitative data is easier to analyse - Not detailed or in depth answers - Don't find out the meaning behind the answer Interview A live encounter (face to face or on the phone) where one person asks a set of questions to assess an interviewees thoughts/experiences. They can be structured, semi structured or unstructured. Structured Interview Made up of pre-determined questions and are asked in a fixed order. Unstructured Interview Works like a conversation. There are no set questions. There is a general aim that a certain topic will be discussed and interaction tends to be free flowing. Semi-structured Interview There is a list of questions that have been worked out in advance but interviewers are also free to ask follow up questions or deviate when they feel it is appropriate. Double-barreled Questions They contain two options within a single question. Aim Identifies the purpose of the investigation Hypothesis A precise, testable statement of what the researcher predicts will be the the outcome of the study Directional Hypothesis The researcher makes it clear what difference is anticipated between the 2 conditions or groups. (One tailed). Non-directional Hypothesis Simply states that there is a difference but not what the difference will be. Null Hypothesis There will be no relationship between the 2 variables. 'There will be no significant difference' Alternative/Experimental Hypothesis States that there is a relationship between the 2 variables. 'There will be a significant difference' Meta-analysis A particular form of research method that uses secondary data. Data from a large number of studies which have involved the same research question and method are combined. Quantitative Data Data that focuses on numbers and frequencies which can be counted. e.g. experiments, questionnaires and psychometric tests. Qualitative Data Data that describes meaning and experiences which is expresses in words e.g. case studies, interviews and observations. Primary Data Information that has been obtained first hand by the researcher. It is also known as field research. Secondary Data Information that has already been collected by previous researchers. It is also known as 'desk research' and can be found in journal articles, books or websites. BPS British Psychological Society. Exists to oversee ethical issues that may arise in research. Informed Consent Participants should be told what research involves beforehand. Should know the aim, your rights and procedure of the research. Deception Should not deliberately mislead or have information withheld from PPs. Information should be adequate and truthful. Right to Withdraw PPs should be free to leave research at any time Protection from harm PPs shouldn't be placed in any more risk than in their daily lives. Should be protected from any psychological and physical harm. Competence Psychologists must not attempt to carry out research unless they are qualified to do so. Debrief Must be told how your data will he used and PP may want to ask questions about investigation. If deception was used, then the aims of research must be revealed so PP can give retrospective consent. Variable Any "thing" that can vary or change with in an investigation, i.e. change or be changed, such as memory, attention, time taken to perform a task Independent Variable - IV The variable that is manipulated by the researcher - assumed to have a direct effect on the DV Dependent Variable - DV The variable that is measured by the researcher. Operationalising Variables The process of devising a way of measuring a variable. Lab Experiment An experiment that takes place in a controlled environment where the researcher manipulates the IV and records the effect on the DV while maintaining strict control of extraneous variables. The Criteria for a Lab Experiment 1) The IV is manipulated by the researcher to produce a change in the DV 2) All other variables that might influence the results i.e. extraneous variables are held constant or eliminated 3) Participants are randomly allocated to a condition.