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PSYC 101 > 2) Research Methods > Flashcards

2) Research Methods Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the two modes of thinking?

A

Intuitive & Analytic

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2
Q

Intuitive thinking

A

System 1
- Quick & reflexive
- Gut hunches
- Not much mental effort since brain is on autopilot
- Not always right
- Use of heuristics

ex/ form first impression on smb

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3
Q

Heuristics

A

Mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that help us make sense of world
- Can lead to errors

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4
Q

Analytical thinking

A

System 2
- Slow & reflective
- Takes mental effort, trying to reason through a problem
- Can override intuitive thinking and reject gut hunches

ex/ first learning to drive car

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5
Q

What is an operation definition and what kinds of variables are included?

A

A concrete way to measure an abstract concept
- Includes situational, response, & participant variables

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6
Q

Describe whether participant, response, and situational variables can be manipulated and/or measured

A

Situational: can measure & manipulate
Response: measure only
Participant: measure only, cannot be manipulated

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7
Q

What is the key to generalizability?

A

Random selection

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8
Q

What are the three key characteristics of a scientific method?

A
  1. Random Selection
  2. Evaluating measures (reliability & validity)
  3. Openness & transparency
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9
Q

What 2 things make a good measure?

A

validity & reliability

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10
Q

Describe the difference between validity and reliability

A

Validity = accuracy, whether it’s measuring what it’s supposed to

Reliability = consistency, stability of the measure

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11
Q

What is external validity?

A

Generalizability
- degree to which a study’s findings can be generalized to population from which sample was drawn

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12
Q

Ecological Validity

A

degree to which the setting of a study mirrors real life settings
- subtype of external validity

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13
Q

Internal Validity

A

the extent to which a causal conclusion can be made
- usually high in well designed experiments

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14
Q

What is our first concern with any measure, reliability or validity?

A

reliability

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15
Q

Population vs Sample

A

Sample is drawn from population, then generalize back to population

  • bigger sample = more likely to be representative
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16
Q

What is the differences between random selection, sampling, and assignment?

A

Selection
- how sample is obtained from population
- impacts generalizability
- random = has equal chance of being selected to be in experiment

(Sampling is same as selection^)

Assignment
- in experiments ONLY
- how sample is split into conditions
- impacts internal validity
- random = has equal chance to be in conditions

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17
Q

What is sampling bias and what does it impact?

A
  • how a sample is obtained might be biased
  • impacts generalizability
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18
Q

What are WEIRD samples?

A

most research studies are conducted on:
Western
Educated
Industrialized
Rich
Democratic

example: arrow longer vs shorter

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19
Q

What is a non experimental design?

A

design where experimenter does not manipulate or control any of the variables

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20
Q

What are the types of non experimental designs?

A

case study
observation
correlation

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21
Q

Naturalistic Observation

A
  • watch behaviour in real world WITHOUT manipulation
  • Some behaviours are better understood irl cuz can’t replicate envo in lab
  • does not involve sampling!
  • non experimental
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22
Q

Naturalistic observation pros & cons

A

pros
- high in external validity

cons
- low in internal validity
- cannot make causal claims

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23
Q

Case Study

A
  • examine one person or small number of ppl in depth (sometimes over long time)
  • can study rare conditions that cannot be recreated in lab
  • cannot draw sample!!
  • non experimental
24
Q

Case study pros & cons

A

pros
- can provide existence proofs
- allow us to study rare or unusual phenomena
- can offer insights for a way to generate hypotheses / later testings

cons
- can be misleading cuz anecdotal
- cannot generalize
- cannot make causal claims

25
Q

What are existence proofs?

A

demonstrations that a given psychological phenomenon can occur
- usually from case studies

26
Q

Self Report Measures

A

Assess characteristics by asking directly, aka questionnaires
- Closely related is surveys (used to measure opinions and attitudes)

27
Q

Self report measures pros & cons

A

pros
- Easy to administer
- measures of personality traits and behaviours work well

cons
- People may not have enough insight to report accurately
- Can obtain different answers depending on how questions are phrased
- People may not understand the answers they give
- Dishonesty: response sets or malingering

28
Q

What is a response set?

A

tendency of research participants to distort responses to make them look better

29
Q

What can counter some problems with self report data and why?

A

rating data
- ppl don’t have the same blind spots when rating someone else rather than themselves
(more objective)

30
Q

What is the drawback of rating data?

A

Halo effect

31
Q

Horns Effect

A
  • Opposite of halo
  • Tendency of ratings of one negative trait to spill over and influence to ratings of other negative traits
32
Q

Halo Effect

A
  • tendency of ratings of one positive characteristic to influence ratings of other ones
33
Q

Correlational Designs

A
  • Examines extent to which two or more variables are associated
  • Measure variables without manipulating them
  • non experimental
34
Q

Correlational design pros & cons

A

pros
- can help us predict behaviour

cons
- cannot imply causation!

35
Q

describe the correlation constant (r)

A
  • statistic that index the strength of relationship
  • strength is absolute value
  • only useful for LINEAR relationships

-1 (perfect negative)
0 (no relationship OR it’s not linear)
1 (perfect positive)

36
Q

How is correlational data collected & analyzed?

A

on a scatterplot

37
Q

what does it mean when r is 0 in correlational data?

A

no relationship
OR
there is a relationship but it is not linear

38
Q

Illusory Correlation

A
  • perception of statistical association between variables when none exists
  • form basis of many superstitions
39
Q

Why are we prone to illusory correlation?

A

Our minds are
- not good at remembering nonevents
- pay more attention to times when things happen

To minimize tendency, we should pay more attention to disconfirming instances

40
Q

Experimental Design

A
  • characterized by random assignment and manipulation of an independent variable
  • allows cause and effect inferences
41
Q

Experimental vs correlational design

A
  • differences are created (exp) vs measured (corr)
  • can draw causal inferences (exp) vs cannot
    (i.e. high internal validity vs low)
42
Q

Describe internal validity in an experimental design

A

Ability to infer the IV causes changes in the DV

Must have:
1. Covariation between the 2 variables
2. Temporal precedence (A must come before B)
3. Eliminate plausible alternative explanations

Can the difference in the DV be attributed ONLY to the manipulation of the IV?

43
Q

How can we achieve internal validity in experiments?

A
  1. Experimental Control
    Manipulate IV with no confounds
  2. Random assignment
    Balances influence of variables across conditions
44
Q

Confounds

A
  • intertwined with IV and impacts DV
  • could explain part of the result
  • source of false conclusions
45
Q

Random assignment is more effective (for achieving internal validity) as the sample size ____

A

increase

46
Q

Between subjects design vs within subject design

A

btwn
- assign diff groups to control & exp conditions

within
- each participant acts as their own control

47
Q

What are some pitfalls in experimental designs?

A

Placebo effect
Nocebo effect
Experimenter Expectancy Effect
Demand Characteristics

48
Q

Experimental design pros & cons

A

pros
- high internal validity, can infer causation

cons
- can sometimes be low in external validity

49
Q

Placebo Effect

A

Improvement resulting from the expectation of improvement
ex/ we think more expensive meds work better

50
Q

How can we avoid the placebo effect in experimental designs?

A

Use a placebo: participants shouldn’t know whether they have the real or placebo treatment

51
Q

True or false: Placebo effect is all in people’s heads

A

false, placebo effects are just as real as drugs

52
Q

Nocebo effect

A

evil twin of placebo effect
- harm resulting from expectation of harm
ex/ ppl allergic to roses sneeze when presented with fake ones

53
Q

Experimenter Expectancy Effect

A

Form of involuntary and unconscious cueing by the researcher that impacts participant’s behaviour
ex/ horse that can do math

54
Q

How can we avoid the experimenter expectancy effect in experimental designs?

A

double blind
- neither researchers nor participants are aware of who’s in which conditions

55
Q

What are demand characteristics? What aspect of experimental design is it a threat to?

A

any feature of an experiment that might inform participants of the purpose of the study
- a threat to internal validity

56
Q

How can we minimize the effects of demand characteristics in experimental designs?

A

use deception

cuz participants might try to help OR hurt,
can be due to social desirability

57
Q

Describe the difference between quasi-experimental vs experimental designs

A
  1. Also use a control group but NO random assignment
    - selected based on pre-existing values of IV rather than assigned values
    - should still be some kind of intervention,
    ex/ can’t ask eye colour cuz ppl born with it
  2. Less internal validity, cannot make causal statements
  3. allows its wide use in ethical issues
    common example: study brain before and after getting a concussion

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