A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY (AQA) -
RESEARCH METHODS WITH
CORRECTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS
Aims a- a✔✔A astatement aof awhat athe aresearcher aintends ato afind aout ain aa aresearch
astudy
Debriefing a- a✔✔A apost-research ainterview adesigned ato ainform aparticipants aof athe
atrue anature aof athe astudy aand ato arestore athem ato athe astate athey awere ain aat athe
astart aof athe astudy. aIt amay aalso again auseful afeedback aabout athe aprocedures aused
ain athe astudy. aIt ais aa ameans awith adealing awith aethical aissues
Ethical aissues a- a✔✔Concern aquestions aof aright aand awrong. aThey aarise ain
aresearch awhere athere aare aconflicting asets aof avalues abetween aresearchers aand
aparticipants aconcerning athe agoals, aprocedures aor aoutcomes aof aa aresearch astudy
Experiment a- a✔✔A aresearch amethod awhere acasual aconclusions acan abe adrawn
abecause aan aindependent avariable ahas abeen adeliberately amanipulated ato aobserve
athe acasual aeffect aon athe adependent avariable
Extraneous avariables a- a✔✔Do anot avary asystematically awith athe aIV aand atherefore
ado anot aact aas aan aalternative aIV abut amay ahave aan aeffect aon athe aDV. aThey amake
ait amore adifficult ato adetect aa asignificant aeffect
Hypothesis a- a✔✔A aprecise aand atestable astatement aabout athe aassumed
arelationship abetween avariables. aOperationalisation ais aa akey apart aof amaking athe
astatement atestable
Independent aVariable a(IV) a- a✔✔Some aevent athat ais adirectly amanipulated aby aan
aexperimenter ain aorder ato atest aits aeffect aon aanother avariable a(The aone ayou
achange)
Dependent aVariable a(DV) a- a✔✔The aone ayou akeep athe asame. aIs aeffected aby athe
achanging aIV
Informed aconsent a- a✔✔Participants amust abe agiven acomprehensive ainformation
aconcerning athe anature aand apurpose aof athe aresearch aand atheir arole ain ait, ain aorder
, afor athe aparticipant ato amake aan ainformed adecision aabout awhether ato aparticipate aor
anot
Operationalise a- a✔✔Ensuring athat avariables aare ain aa aform athat acan abe aeasily
atested. aBeing aspecific aabout awhat ais abeing ainvestigated
Standardised aprocedures a- a✔✔A aset aof aprocedures athat aare athe asame afor aall
aparticipants ain aorder ato abe aable ato arepeat athe astudy
Confounding avariable a- a✔✔A avariable aunder astudy athat ais anot athe aIV abut awhich
avaries asystematically awith athe aIV. aChanges ain athe aDV amay abe adue ato athe
aconfounding avariable arather athan athe aIV, aand atherefore athe aoutcome ais
ameaningless. aConfound ameans ato acause aconfusion
Control a- a✔✔Refers ato athe aextent ato awhich aany avariable ais aheld aconstant aor
aregulated aby aa aresearcher
External avalidity a- a✔✔The adegree ato awhich aa aresearch afinding acan abe ageneralised
Ecological avalidity a- a✔✔A atype aof aexternal avalidity awhich acan abe ageneralised ato
aother asettings
Population avalidity a- a✔✔A atype aof aexternal avalidity awhich acan abe ageneralised ato
aother agroups aof apeople
Historical avalidity a- a✔✔A atype aof aexternal avalidity awhich acan abe ageneralised aover
atime
Internal avalidity a- a✔✔The adegree ato awhich aan aobserved aeffect awas adue ato athe
aexperimental amanipulation arather athan aother afactors asuch aas aconfounding a/
aextraneous avariables
Mundane arealism a- a✔✔Refers ato ahow aa astudy amirrors athe areal aworld. aThe
aresearch aenvironment ais arealistic ato athe adegree ato awhich aexperiences
aencountered ain athe aresearch aenvironment awill aoccur ain athe areal aworld
Validity a- a✔✔Refers ato awhether aan aobserved aeffect ais aa agenuine aone
Confederate a- a✔✔An aindividual ain aa astudy awho ais anot aa areal aparticipant aand ahas
abeen ainstructed ahow ato abehave aby athe ainvestigator
Directional ahypothesis a- a✔✔States athe adirection aof athe apredicted adifference
abetween atwo aconditions aor atwo agroups aof aparticipants a(group aa ado aBETTER athan
agroup ab)
RESEARCH METHODS WITH
CORRECTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS
Aims a- a✔✔A astatement aof awhat athe aresearcher aintends ato afind aout ain aa aresearch
astudy
Debriefing a- a✔✔A apost-research ainterview adesigned ato ainform aparticipants aof athe
atrue anature aof athe astudy aand ato arestore athem ato athe astate athey awere ain aat athe
astart aof athe astudy. aIt amay aalso again auseful afeedback aabout athe aprocedures aused
ain athe astudy. aIt ais aa ameans awith adealing awith aethical aissues
Ethical aissues a- a✔✔Concern aquestions aof aright aand awrong. aThey aarise ain
aresearch awhere athere aare aconflicting asets aof avalues abetween aresearchers aand
aparticipants aconcerning athe agoals, aprocedures aor aoutcomes aof aa aresearch astudy
Experiment a- a✔✔A aresearch amethod awhere acasual aconclusions acan abe adrawn
abecause aan aindependent avariable ahas abeen adeliberately amanipulated ato aobserve
athe acasual aeffect aon athe adependent avariable
Extraneous avariables a- a✔✔Do anot avary asystematically awith athe aIV aand atherefore
ado anot aact aas aan aalternative aIV abut amay ahave aan aeffect aon athe aDV. aThey amake
ait amore adifficult ato adetect aa asignificant aeffect
Hypothesis a- a✔✔A aprecise aand atestable astatement aabout athe aassumed
arelationship abetween avariables. aOperationalisation ais aa akey apart aof amaking athe
astatement atestable
Independent aVariable a(IV) a- a✔✔Some aevent athat ais adirectly amanipulated aby aan
aexperimenter ain aorder ato atest aits aeffect aon aanother avariable a(The aone ayou
achange)
Dependent aVariable a(DV) a- a✔✔The aone ayou akeep athe asame. aIs aeffected aby athe
achanging aIV
Informed aconsent a- a✔✔Participants amust abe agiven acomprehensive ainformation
aconcerning athe anature aand apurpose aof athe aresearch aand atheir arole ain ait, ain aorder
, afor athe aparticipant ato amake aan ainformed adecision aabout awhether ato aparticipate aor
anot
Operationalise a- a✔✔Ensuring athat avariables aare ain aa aform athat acan abe aeasily
atested. aBeing aspecific aabout awhat ais abeing ainvestigated
Standardised aprocedures a- a✔✔A aset aof aprocedures athat aare athe asame afor aall
aparticipants ain aorder ato abe aable ato arepeat athe astudy
Confounding avariable a- a✔✔A avariable aunder astudy athat ais anot athe aIV abut awhich
avaries asystematically awith athe aIV. aChanges ain athe aDV amay abe adue ato athe
aconfounding avariable arather athan athe aIV, aand atherefore athe aoutcome ais
ameaningless. aConfound ameans ato acause aconfusion
Control a- a✔✔Refers ato athe aextent ato awhich aany avariable ais aheld aconstant aor
aregulated aby aa aresearcher
External avalidity a- a✔✔The adegree ato awhich aa aresearch afinding acan abe ageneralised
Ecological avalidity a- a✔✔A atype aof aexternal avalidity awhich acan abe ageneralised ato
aother asettings
Population avalidity a- a✔✔A atype aof aexternal avalidity awhich acan abe ageneralised ato
aother agroups aof apeople
Historical avalidity a- a✔✔A atype aof aexternal avalidity awhich acan abe ageneralised aover
atime
Internal avalidity a- a✔✔The adegree ato awhich aan aobserved aeffect awas adue ato athe
aexperimental amanipulation arather athan aother afactors asuch aas aconfounding a/
aextraneous avariables
Mundane arealism a- a✔✔Refers ato ahow aa astudy amirrors athe areal aworld. aThe
aresearch aenvironment ais arealistic ato athe adegree ato awhich aexperiences
aencountered ain athe aresearch aenvironment awill aoccur ain athe areal aworld
Validity a- a✔✔Refers ato awhether aan aobserved aeffect ais aa agenuine aone
Confederate a- a✔✔An aindividual ain aa astudy awho ais anot aa areal aparticipant aand ahas
abeen ainstructed ahow ato abehave aby athe ainvestigator
Directional ahypothesis a- a✔✔States athe adirection aof athe apredicted adifference
abetween atwo aconditions aor atwo agroups aof aparticipants a(group aa ado aBETTER athan
agroup ab)
