G542 Core Studies : G542 Core Studies Participants:
Selection Procedures
Allocation to Conditions
Objectives : Objectives Re-cap who the participants were in each study:
How they were selected
Sampling Method (if appropriate)
How they were allocated to conditions (if appropriate)
Outline the strengths and limitations of participant choice and procedures.
Discuss ways of memorising information about the participants (with some ideas).
Participants and Studies(How much do you know?) : Participants and Studies(How much do you know?) On the next 2 slides are some details about the participants from each of the studies.
Identify the study.
Fill in any further detail that you can:
Sampling method
Allocation to conditions
Controls (including control group)
Participants and Studies #1(How much do you know?) : Participants and Studies #1(How much do you know?) 60 participants, 2 conditions, quasi-experiment
1 participant, not sampled
11 participants, quasi-experimental
2 participants, opportunistic
252 participants, stratified (cross-sectional) sample
45 students
4450, 55% white, 45% black
40 men, self-selecting
Participants and Studies #2(How much do you know?) : Participants and Studies #2(How much do you know?) 16 p’s in experimental, 50 + 10 in control group
72 children, matched design?
Unknown number of staff and patients, 8 hospitals
15 men, matched pairs design, self-selected
9 p’s, 5 studied intensively, 7 male, 2 female
16 right handed males, 50 in control group
Strengths and Limitations : Strengths and Limitations KEY POINTS TO BE MADE General strengths / weaknesses of sampling methods.
Issues of representativeness with small / biased samples and case studies.
Issues of generalisability resulting from non-representative participants
Issues of control with quasi-experimental / opportunistic studies. SPECIFIC POINTS TO BE MADE Who the participants were in any given study.
Ways in which the researchers categorised / defined groups.
How participants were allocated to conditions.
Effect on validity of participant variables resulting from choice of design.
Sampling Methods(Describe, Stengths, Weaknesses) : Sampling Methods(Describe, Stengths, Weaknesses)
Representativeness, Generalisability and Participant Variables : Representativeness, Generalisability and Participant Variables
A Strength can be a Weakness! : A Strength can be a Weakness! Case study = one participant, entirely opportunistic method of study, so no controlled sampling.
Rich, in-depth data = high validity in relation to the ‘subject’ of the study.
One participant is not representative of wider population, so not valid in relation to anyone but the ‘subject’ of the study.
However, repeating study with other p’s may demonstrate the results are reliable (consistent for all people) thus may demonstrate that conclusions are valid also.
Sample Questions to Try: : Sample Questions to Try: Describe how the sample was recruited in Reicher and Haslam’s BBC prison study. [4]
Describe the participants in Griffiths’ study and give one limitation of it. [6]*
Describe the sample in Baron-Cohen et al’s study and suggest one advantage of using this sample. [6]*
* Wording would normally be ‘in your chosen study’ in Section B.
How to Memorise Participants #1 : How to Memorise Participants #1 Through the medium of rhyme!
Loftus and Palmer – sound dude and dudette
Conducted experiments with Washington students.
First, they recruited 9 groups of 5
(This proved insufficient to keep their study alive).
Second: one hundred and fifty came to pass
To answer a question about broken glass.
How to Memorise Participants #2 : How to Memorise Participants #2 Via a most excellent spider diagram!