Control Issues
Control Issues
Randomization: This is utilized to prevent bias. It involves the random allocation of participants to different conditions or groups.
Standardization: This involves ensuring that all participants are treated in exactly the same way to avoid any unwanted variables impacting the result.
Order Effects: These occur if participants are required to do more than one condition. To deal with this, counterbalancing can be applied.
Demand Characteristics: These are cues that make the participants guess the purpose of the experiment. To reduce this, single-blind method can be used.
Researcher Bias: This happens when the researcher influences the results, either intentionally or unintentionally. To deal with this, double-blind method can be applied.
Selection and Allocation
Random Selection: This is a method where every individual in the study population has an equal chance of being chosen.
Stratified Sampling: A method that involves dividing the population into subgroups, based on certain characteristics, then randomly selecting individuals from each group.
Systematic Sampling: A method where every nth individual is chosen from a list or sequence.
Data Collection
Use of Questionnaires: This can allow for large amounts of data to be gathered quickly and relatively inexpensively.
Interviews: This involves direct communication with participants and can help clarify responses.
Observations: This helps in recording behavior in a natural setting.
Reliability and Validity
Test-retest Reliability: Tests whether a measure is consistent over time.
Internal Reliability: Assesses whether a measurement tool is consistent within itself.
Validity: This is a measure of whether a tool is measuring what it is intended to measure.
Data Analysis
Descriptive Statistics: These provide a summary of the data gathered.
Inferential Statistics: These are used to make inferences about the population based on a sample.
Graphical Representations: These include bar graphs, pie charts, histograms etc, and can provide visual aids for data analysis.
Ethics
Informed Consent: Participants should be fully aware of the aims, methods, and implications of the research.
Right to Withdraw: Participants should be able to leave the study at any point.
Protection from Harm: The promotion of the wellbeing of the participants is paramount.
Confidentiality: Data should be anonymised to protect the identity of the participants.
Remember, these bullet points should be used as a guide and to aid your revision. Always refer to your course materials and any guidance provided by your teachers when studying.