Psychological Research

Nota:

• all variables can be controlled low ecological validity

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• natural environment but variables can still be manipulated slightly impacted ecological validity

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• researchers have no control over variables naturally occurring events

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• purpose of the study

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• intended audience of study

1. sample

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   • nature of a group of participants
   1. representative sample

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      • reflects the population
   2. opportunity sampling

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      • sample of whoever happens to be there and agrees to partcipate
   3. self-selected sample

      Nota:

      • made up of volunteers --- sample will be highly motivated, rarely reflects population
   4. snowball sampling

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      • participants recruit other participants from among friends/family/acquaintances --- helps reach a specific group of people (e.g. drug users)
   5. random sampling

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      • every member of target population has equal chance of being selected --- obtain representative sample, gets rid of selection bias
   6. stratified sample

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      • attempts to overcome representative sample problem by drawing random samples from each subpopulation within the target population --- more accurately reflects actual distribution of population

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• step-by-step process used to carry out the study

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• state how researcher interpreted the data that were collected

1. application

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   • how a theory or empirical study is used

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• independent variable - what is being deliberately manipulated dependent variable - what is affected by the change in independent variable constant - what is kept the same to limit outside factors, (control confounding variables)

1. experimental hypothesis

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   • predicts relationship between IV and DV
2. null hypothesis

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   • predicts that there will be not results (or results from chance) due to change in IV

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• people with fixed mindset = intelligence is static  ---- entity theory of intelligencepeople with growth mindset = intelligence is not fixed (can be developed)----- incremental theory of intelligence*shows importance of mindset when explaining success*

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• self-efficacy - one's own belief as to whether one will success in something (based on previous experiences) *helps explain success based on individual experiences*

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• shows how expectations of teachers affects the learning of students

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• findings can't be generalized to the entire population

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• extent to which participants share common set of traits that can bias the outcome of the study --- characteristics of sample affect the dependent variable

1. ecological validity

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   • does the study represent what happens in real life --- artificiality
2. cross-cultural validity

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   • is it relevant to multiple cultures or is it ethnocentric

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• can the study be replicated?

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• participants act differently to fit the study --- use single-blind control: participants don't know what the study is about

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• researcher sees what they are looking for  --- use double blind control : neither participants nor conductor of study knows the aim of the study