1. Introduction and Methods Flashcards
Emotional contagion
The tendency to converge emotionally with another, “sickness”
How to test emotional contagion?
Do research
Operational definition
Definition of a variable in terms of a process used in your research
When to use correlational research?
When you are trying to find how similar or different two variables are
What is mood and friendship closeness correlation?
Moderately positive correlation
Does correlation equal causation?
No because it could be reverse causation or third variable problem.
Self-selection problem
Allowing participants to somehow determine which condition they are in (the point is to create controlled conditions)
Random assignment
Any person has an equal probability of being in any condition
Field experiment
Manipulate a variable in a real-world (field) setting
Demand characteristics
Cues in the study that might tell the participant how to behave (participants knowing what the study is about)
Social psychology
The scientific study of the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors of individuals in social situations
What could a correlation between two variables mean?
- Causation (one causes second)
- Reverse causation (second causes first)
- Third variable problem (random causes both)
Deception (in studies)
True purpose of the study is concealed
