Summary of research methods used in Key Studies of cognitive processing in a technological world (HL IB Psychology)

Research Methods used to Study the Interaction Between Technologies and Cognitive Processes

Note: you may be asked a Cognitive Approach HL Extension question on the methods used to study the effect of technology on cognitive processes. What follows is a summary of some of the methods used in Key Studies which feature on the RNs on this site.

1. Lab Experiments

• A lab experiment was used in Sparrow et al. (2011) to investigate the relationship between memory, technology, and the ‘Google Effect’

• The independent variable consisted of two conditions: Condition 1: The participants were told that the information they had entered into the computer would be saved; Condition 2: The participants were told that the information they had entered into the computer would be deleted

• The experiment used an independent measures design i.e. each participant was tested in one condition only so received one score only for that condition

Strengths of Lab Experiments

• Lab experiments use a standardised procedure which means that they are replicable so that the results can be tested for consistency over time

• Due to the use of controlled conditions, this method tends to be high in reliability

• Lab experiments generate quantitative data which is easily analysed and compared which adds to the reliability of the method

• This method enables the researcher to come close to a determining cause-effect relationship

• Control of extraneous variables means that the experiment should have good internal validity

Limitations of Lab Experiments

• Lab experiments ask participants to perform artificial tasks in a controlled environment far removed from everyday experience which means that they are low in ecological validity

• Using an independent measures design means that the researcher cannot control for individual differences i.e. each group will contain participants who are all quite different from each other, making consistency less easy to achieve

• Using a repeated measures design i.e. each participant is tested in both conditions can give rise to order effects which must be remedied using counterbalancing

• Participants may try too hard, not hard enough or may guess the aim of the research which means that demand characteristics can interfere with the findings

2. Field Experiments

• A field experiment was used in Rosen et al. (2011) to investigate the impact of multitasking, in the form of texting during a lecture, on memory

• The independent variable consisted of three conditions: Condition 1: The 4-text condition; Condition 2: The 8-text condition; Condition 3: The no-text condition 

• The experiment used an independent measures design i.e. each participant was tested in one condition only so received one score only for that condition

Strengths of Field Experiments

• Field experiments may use a standardised procedure which means that they are replicable so that the results can be tested for consistency over time

• Field experiments can generate quantitative data which is easily analysed and compared which adds to the reliability of the method

• Field experiments can also generate qualitative data in the form of participants’ comments, body language and other behavioural variables

• As field experiments are set in a non-lab environment they tend to be higher in ecological validity than lab experiments

• It is possible to use naive participants in field experiments which increases validity as the participants do not know that they are being tested which should mean a lack of demand characteristics 

Limitations of Field Experiments

• Although ecological validity is higher in field experiments this method may still involve participants performing artificial tasks and if so this limits the extent of the validity

• Due to the natural setting of this method it is impossible for the researcher to control all of the extraneous variables present at the time of testing: extraneous variables which have not been controlled for can become confounding variables which would decrease the validity of the findings

• Using naive participants may give rise to ethical concerns e.g. participants are unable to give informed consent or be given the right to withdraw which means that ethical validity is compromised

3. Meta-analyses

• A meta-analysis was used in Morina et al. (2015) in which the findings of 14 clinical trials using VRE in the treatment of specific phobias were analysed

• A meta-analysis can only be conducted on studies that generate quantitative data as the procedure involves a statistical analysis of numerical research findings

• Researchers combine the findings from multiple studies to draw an overall conclusion about the topic in question e.g. the effect of VRET on the treatment of phobias

Strengths of Meta-analyses

• Meta-analyses enable researchers to find a large sample as they combine the samples of several studies, often generating numbers into the thousands which increases the robustness of the data

• There is less chance of researcher bias as a meta-analysis uses secondary data which other researchers have collected so the researcher running the meta-analysis cannot have influenced the procedure in any way

• This method gives an objective overview of the topic, allowing the researcher to look for patterns, tendencies and trends in the data

Limitations of Meta-analyses

• Secondary data may be less reliable than primary data as the researchers have had no control over the ways in which the data was collected, particularly in how the independent and dependent variables were operationalised

• Selection of research can be a time-consuming process and one which may ultimately not produce a good enough number of relevant studies, particularly if the topic is obscure

• The researchers must be confident that they are able to use the complex statistical techniques involved in the analytical process