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Research Methods

Isabel Knight Psychology AS level English

Mind map: Research methods

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Research Methods

SAMPLING
- Opportunity
  - Easiest method (less time to locate sample)
  - Biased (small population sample)
  - Recruit people who are most convenient/available
- Stratified
  - Subgroups identified- selection from strata random
  - Very time consuming
  - More representative (proportional and random)
- Systematic
  - Prededermined system of selection (e.g. every 6th person from the phonebook)
  - Not truly unbiased/random
  - Unbiased (objective system)
- Volunteer
  - Advert in newspaper/ noticeboard on internet
  - Less biased + more representative
  - Biased (some more likely to be highly motivated -VOLUNTEER BIAS)
- Random
  - Unbiased
  - Time taken to list all members of population
  - Techniques
    - Random Number Generators
    - Lottery Method
    - Random Number Tables
EXPERIMENTS
- Laboratory
  - Lower ecological Validity & lacks mundane realism
  - High Internal Validity, well controlled and can be easily replicated (external Validity)
- Field
  - Less control of extraneous and confounding variables (reduces internal validity) & more time-consuming and expensive
  - Higher Mundane Realism
- Natural
  - Allows research where the IV can't be manipulated (ethical reasons)
  - IV cannot be directly manipulated & random allocation not possible (confounding variables threat to internal validity)
- Quasi
  - Allows comparisons between types of people
ETHICAL ISSUES
- Deception
- Right to Withdraw
- Protection from physical and psychological harm
- Confidentiality
- Privacy
- Informed Consent
- BPS
  - Respect
  - Competence
  - Responsibility
  - Integrity
  - BPS Code of ethics and conduct
- Strategies
  - Cost-benefit analysis
  - Ethical Guidelines
  - Ethics Committees
  - Punishment
HYPOTHESES
- Null
  - IV Will NOT have an effective the DV
- Directional
  - As the IV increases the DV will decrease
- Non-directional
  - IV WILL have an effect the DV
VALIDITY
- External
  - Ecological
  - Population
  - Historical/temporal
- Internal
VARIABLES
- Independent
- Dependent
- Confounding
- Extraneous
OTHER THINGS
- Pilot Study
- Confederates
- Systematic Review
- Meta-analysis
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
- Repeated Measures
  - -ORDER EFFECT & DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS
    - -COUNTERBALANCING
      - Counterbalancing:
- Independent groups
  - More participants needed & Cannot control effects of participant variables
    - Randomly allocate participants
- Matched Pairs
  - Time-consuming, difficult to match variables & Not possible to control all participant variables
    - Restrict the number of variables to match & conduct pilot study
PROBLEMS WITH EXPERIMENTS
- Demand Characteristics
- Investigator Effects
- DEALING WITH THESE PROBLEMS
  - Single Blind Design
  - Double Blind Design
  - Experimental Realism
- EV's
  - Participant Variables
  - Situational Variables
OBSERVATION
- Design
  - Unstructured
  - Structured
  - Behavioural Categories
  - Sampling Procedure
    - Event
    - Time
- Techniques
  - Naturalistic
  - Overt
  - Participant
  - Controlled
  - Non-Participant
  - Covert
SELF-REPORT TECHNIQUES
- Questionnaires
  - Writing Good Questions
    - Analysis
      - Open questions
      - Closed Questions
    - Clarity
    - Bias
  - Writing Good Questionnaires
    - Filler questions
    - Sequence for the Questions
    - Sampling Technique
    - Pilot Study
- Interview
  - Structured
  - Unstructured
  - DESIGN
    - Effect of the Interviewer
    - Recording the interview
    - Questioning Skills in an unstructured interview
CORRELATION
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS
- Percentages
- Ratios
- Fractions
- Estimations
- Standard Form
- Significant Figures
- Symbols
- Order of Magnitude
CENTRAL TENDANCY
- Mode
- Median
- Mean
- Levels of Measurement
  - Nominal
  - Ordinal
  - Interval
  - Ratio
DISPERSION
- Range
- Standard Deviation
DATA
- Display
  - Tables
  - Bar Chart
  - Histogram
  - Line Graph
  - Scattergraph
- Type
  - Qualitative
    - Empirical research where the data is not in the form of numbers (=subjective, interactive, adjustable)
      - Obtained using: open-ended questionnaires, participant observation, (unstructured) interviews
        -Don't generally draw samples from large-scale data sets
        -Subjective- lacks validity/reliability -e.g.difficult to replicate /generalise to wider context
        Expert knowledge needed for analysis of this data is difficult
        Gains insider's view of the field
        Allows for ambiguities in the data (reflection of social reality)
        Examines forms of knowledge that might otherwise be unavailable
  - Quantitative
    - Numerical form -can be placed into categories/ in rank order/ measured/ & construct graphs/tables
      - Obtained using: experiments, questionnaires (e.g. with rating scale/closed questions), controlled observations
        CONTEXT: Unnatural experiments /lack of explanation from participants
        RESEARCHER: Poor knowledge of application of statistical analysis may negatively affect analysis (Black, 1999)
        Large samples needed for more accurate analysis
        Confirmation bias
        Scientifically objective and rational (Carr, 19994; Denscombe, 2010)
        Can be easily replicated
  - Primary
    - Gathering own data ('first hand')
      - Obtained through: Social surveys, participant observation, experiments
  - Secondary
    - Gathering information that someone else has collected
      - Obtained through: Official statistics, documents
- Distributions
  - Skewed
    - Positive
    - Negative
  - Normal
SIGN TEST
- 1. State the Hypothesis
- 2. Record the data and work out the sign
- 3. Find Calculated Value
- 4. Find Critical Value of S
- 5. Is the result in the right direction?
PSYCHOLOGY AND THE ECONOMY
- Applications
- Economics
PEER REVIEW

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Description: AS level Psychology Mind Map on Research Methods, created by Isabel Knight on 09/02/2018.
Created by: Isabel Knight
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