2.1- Research within Psych

Question 1

Objectivity

Answer 1

assumes that certain facts about the world can be observed and tested independently by the individual who describes them (ie: scientists)

Question 2

Subjective

Answer 2

their knowledge of the event is shaped by prior beliefs, expectations, experiences, and their mood

Question 3

objective measurement

Answer 3

the way a behaviour is measured must be the same - regardless of who is measuring or what tools are used

Question 4

Variable

Answer 4

the object, concept, or event being controlled, manipulated, or measured by a scientist

Question 5

operational definitions

Answer 5

statements of procedures for other scientists to understand- (ex: depression “a score of 20 or higher on the heck depression inventory”)

Question 6

Validity

Answer 6

refers to the degree to which an instrument or procedure actually measures what it claims to measure

Question 7

reliability

Answer 7

when it provides consistent and stable answers across multiple observations and points in time

Question 8

test-retest reliability

Answer 8

examines wether scores on a given measure of behaviour are consistent across test sessions (similar scores overtime)

Question 9

generalizability

Answer 9

the degree to which one set of results can be applied to other situations, individuals, or events

Question 10

population

Answer 10

the group that researchers want to generalize about

Question 11

sample

Answer 11

a select group of population members - once the sample is studied, then it is able to be generalized to the entire population of the group

Question 12

random sample

Answer 12

a sampling technique in which every individual of a population has an equal chance of being included

Question 13

convenience samples

Answer 13

samples of an individual who are the most readily available

Question 14

ecological validity

Answer 14

the results of a lab study can be applied to or replicated in the natural enviroment

Question 15

research bias

Answer 15

when various types of bias can be unintentionally introduced by the researchers (ie: the experimenter treating participants differently- causing it difficult to figure out if if the different results are actually accurate)

Question 16

subject/ participant bias

Answer 16

when participants- including animals- introduce their own bias (ex: trying to predict the response and responding accordingly)

Question 17

hawthorne effect

Answer 17

a behaviour change that occurs as a result of being observed

Question 18

social desirability

Answer 18

when participants respond in ways that increases the chance that they will be viewed favourably by the experimenter / or other participants

Question 19

placebo effect

Answer 19

a measurable and experienced improvement in health or behaviour that cannot be attributable to a medication or treatment

Question 20

demand characteristics

Answer 20

cues given off by the experimenter or the experimental context that provide information about how participants are expected to behave

Question 21

single blind study

Answer 21

participants do not know the true purpose of the study, or do not know what treatment they are receiving

Question 22

double blind study

Answer 22

a study in which neither the participants nor the experimenter know the exact treatment for any individual (assistance needed)

Question 23

peer review

Answer 23

a process in which papers submitted for publication in scholarly journals are read and critiqued by exports in that scientific field of study

Question 24

replication

Answer 24

the process of repeating a study and finding a similar outcome each time

Question 25

poor evidence must come in one of 5 varieties

Answer 25

1- untestable hypothesis
2- relies on personal experience
3- biased selection of data
4- authority over facts
5- common sense is used