General feedback from essaysDo nots

1. Use unnecessary wording “A relevant debate is..”2. Jump from ideas too quickly3. Chuck stuff in for the sake of it- e.g reliability/mundane realism4. Rush it at the end5. Not conclude your argument6. Add something new into the conclusion7. Repeat the same points8. Include evaluation points but not develop them9. “This only supports the nature side of the nature/nurture debate”

General feedback- essayDos

• Consider structure- plan and re-plan (at this stage)• Include as much detail as possible in your AO1- Show off• Make your discussion relevant to the question throughout• Create fluency• Limit the IDA points- quality not quantity• Be relevant• Focus on the question• Synthesise where appropriate- If both theories are reductionist talk about this

together• Be Formal throughout • Fully develop all ideas before moving on• Conclude your argument

Essay DIRT

• Look at your feedback

• I have put an asterix (*) next to your main improvement point(s)

• 15 mins- Re-write that paragraph or section or list an improved plan for the essay

Homework- Essay plan

Discuss one or more evolutionary explanations of group display in humans

(4 marks and 16 marks)

For Monday 19th/Tuesday 20th

We will look at the plans and you will have a timed essay on Thursday/ Friday next week

Define the following on the white boards

• Objectivity

• Empiricism

• Hypo-thetico Deductive approach

• Peer review

Gender research ideas

Gender research topic ideas• Gender differences in memory• Gender differences in sleep• Gender differences in answering questions in class• Gender differences in likeliness to be asked questions in class• Gender traits• Gender preferences in films/music• Gender differences in jealousy• Gender differences in mental health• Gender preferences in choice of A level subjects• Gender differences in university decisions

Scientific Process

1. Problem/theory- Question

2. Prediction

3. Experimental method

4. Research Method- Design, instruments, participants

5. Data

List as many research methods as you can

Research methods• Experiments

• Observations

• Case studies

• Self reports

• Interviews

• Questionnaire

• Correlations

Experimental methods

• Lab

• Field

• Natural

• Quasi

Quasi experiments

http://study.com/academy/lesson/quasi-experimental-designs-definition-characteristics-types-examples.html

Study• Plan your method

Children become more attached to animals they can cuddle such as rabbits and dogs than animals they can’t such as reptiles and fish

1.Case study2. Interview/questionnaire3. Observation4. Lab/Quasi experiment5.Field Experiment6. Natural experiment

Case study Ecological validity Rich data Variety of methods- mixed

Rich data is hard to analyse Cannot generalise and low population validity Cannot control extraneous variables- individual differences Low reliability Low generalisabiltiy Open to research bias

Interview/Questionnaire Mixed data methods Easy to analyse Validity- real children with real views Practicality Ethics- Anonymity Large sample really easily Social desirability Interviewer or interpreter bias Ethics- sensitivity Validity- Wrong information given? Accuracy? Missing information Communication of questions may be ambigous

Observation Covert- no investigator effects or demand characteristics Rich, detailed data- Qual and Quan High ecological validity External and internal validity is high Hard to control extraneous variables Subjective and open to bias Observer bias Ethics- consent and protection from harm Replicability and reliability Internal validity

Lab/Quasi

control over all variablesReliability and replicabilityNo research bias- (depends)High internal validityEthicsSocial desirabilityDemand characteristicsLow ecological validityEthics

Natural/ Field

High ecological validityExternal validityDetailed dataOpen to extraneous variablesLow reliabilityBias EthicsLow internal validity due to lack of control

Booklet task

• Page 8

Experimental design

• Independent measures

• Repeated measures

• Matched pairs

Starter- Experimental design

• Highlight Strengths and Weaknesses of

• Independent groups

• Dependant groups

• Matched pairs

Research design

Zoe is doing an experiment on memory for neutral and sport related words involving a short memory test in controlled

conditions. She is worried all the sporty people will end up in one group so decides to test everyone on both kinds of words

• What is the experimental method?• What is the experimental design?• What problem could there be with this design?• How could Zoe overcome this problem?• What other type of experiment could she use?

What is content analysis?

Exam practiceIn an observational study, 100 cars were fitted with video cameras to record the driver’s behaviour. Two psychologists used content analysis to analyse the data from the films. They found that 75% of accidents involved a lack of attention by the driver. The most common distractions were using a hands-free phone or talking to a passenger. Other distractions included looking at the scenery, smoking, eating, personal grooming and trying to reach something within the car.

1 8 What is content analysis? (2 marks)

1 9 Explain how the psychologist might have carried out content analysis (4 marks)

Hypotheses

• One tailed (directional)

• Two tailed (non- directional)

Which is better?

Note the IV/DV/Type of Hypothesis• Memory will be worse after a delay than for immediate

recall

• Child and adult witnesses differ in accuracy of their testimonies

• Children spending longer in day care are more aggressive

Operationalising variables

• Any variable needs to be defined to ensure it is a valid manipulation or measure and to aid replication, e.g. a DV of ‘security of attachment’ could be defined by an infant’s responses in the Strange Situation.

• In a memory study the DV could be defined by the number of words recalled and the IV of ‘amount of rehearsal’ as the time allowed for learning.

Operationalise

• OperationalisedThere is a relationship between happiness scores on a questionnaire and intelligence test scores

• Not operationalisethere is a relationship between happiness and intelligence’

Task

Answer the questions relating to the hypothesis below: ‘Do older people sleep more or less than younger people?’ Identify the IV and DV.How could you operationalise the IV and DV?Write an operationalised ONE TAILED hypothesis.Write an operationalised NULL hypothesis

Practice

• Booklet p9

Your research

• Question

• Operationalise variables

• Hypothesis

• IV

• DV

Sampling methods

• List them

1. Jane is hoping to carry out an experiment on how non-smokers’ memories are affected by a smoky atmosphere. She has decided to put a notice on the VLE asking people who would be willing to participate to e-mail her.

2. As part of his A Level, Henry is investigating how childhood memories of seventeen and eighteen year olds differ according to gender. He selects participants for his study by asking friends, acquaintances or anyone who will agree to take part. 3. Tessa is investigating how the strength of BHASVIC students’ memories differ for events that have occurred in their college life compared to in their life outside of college. She decides to gain her sampling by giving each BHASVIC student a number, then using random number tables to select students who have the corresponding numbers.

Question oneResearchers conducted an independent measures design experiment in a local coffee bar investigating whether receiving physical contact from someone increases their rating of friendliness.

The experiment took place between 11am and 2pm on a Wednesday. As members of the public left the coffee bar after paying, some were touched lightly on the upper arm by the cashier, whereas others were not.

Outside the coffee bar members of the public were asked how friendly they thought the staff were on a scale of 1 (‘not very friendly’) to 10 (‘extremely friendly’).

Identify the sampling technique used to obtain participants for this study and suggest one weakness with it. [4]

Question two

A researcher has become interested in studying stress associated with driving and wishes to conduct an investigation to assess stress levels of motorists in England using the self-report method.

• Describe and evaluate an appropriate sampling technique for this study. [10]

Ethics

• You have 15 mins to create something to present on how you are going to meet all of the ethical guidelines

• Use page 2 of your proposal booklet to help you

• 5 people are going to form the ethics board per student/group presentation

Next session(s)