Psychology revision notes on 'Psychological Research and the Scientific Method'.
The notes are tailored to suit the Psychology AQA A-level Specification A syllabus.
The essay plans are colour coded to make revision slightly more interesting.
RESEARCH METHODS + CONCEPTS
EXPERIMENTS
All experiments involve an IV + DV.
The IV is varied to see how it affects the DV – demonstrating a
causal relationship.
All other variables are controlled as far as possible so any changes
in the DV are due to the IV rather than extraneous variables.
LABORATORY EXPERIMENT –
Lab experiment = an experiment conducted in a controlled
environment.
Tends to have high internal validity because many extraneous
variables can be controlled.
HOWEVER – some EV’s (e.g. experimenter effects + demand
characteristics) may reduce internal validity.
Control also increases replicability, which is desirable.
BUT – control reduces external validity because a highly controlled
situation may be less like the real world.
FIELD EXPERIMENT –
Field experiment = an experiment conducted in a more natural
environment.
It is more difficult to control extraneous variable than in a lab
experiment.
Experimenter effects are reduced because participants are usually
not aware of being in a study.
HOWEVER – demand characteristics may still be problematic, for
example the way an IV is operationalised may convey the
experimental hypothesis to participants.
NATURAL EXPERIMENT –
Natural experiment = an experiment which makes use of existing
IV’s.
An experiment involves the deliberate manipulation of an IV by the
experimenter, so causal conclusions cannot be drawn from a natural
experiment.
Participants are not randomly allocated to conditions, so may reduce
validity.
Sometimes it is the only way to study certain behaviours or
experiences (e.g. privation).
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