C2

Question 1

The Observational Method and its limitations

Answer 1

Used to describe behavior
Limitations
Certain behaviors difficult to observe
Does not allow prediction and explanation

Question 2

correlational method

Answer 2

A statistical technique that assesses how
well you can predict one variable from
another

NOT CAUSATION

Question 3

surveys

Answer 3

A survey gathers data by asking a group of people their thoughts, reactions or opinions to fixed questions, Correlations computed using responses

Question 4

advantages and disadvantages of surveys

Answer 4

•Advantages
–Investigate relations between variables difficult to
observe
•Disadvantages
–Accuracy of responses: reactivity, lack of self awareness

Question 5

experimental method and its purpose

Answer 5

Researcher randomly assigns participants
to different conditions

Conditions are identical except for the 
independent (manipulated) variable (the 
one thought to have a causal effect on 
people’s responses).
–Use to answer causal questions / prove causality

Question 6

dependent variable

Answer 6

The DV is what researchers measure to

see if it is affected

Question 7

Internal Validity

Answer 7

Making sure that nothing besides the 
independent variable can affect the 
dependent variable (the extent to which the IV is what is impacting the DV)

Question 8

Increasing Internal Validity

Answer 8

Control extraneous variables
Randomly assign people to experimental
conditions

Question 9

limits of experimental method

Answer 9

Experimental situations can be
Artificial
Distant from real life
Tradeoff with increasing control over the situation 
to make it similar for all participants

Question 10

External Validity

Answer 10

The extent to which the results of a study can
be generalized to other situations and to other
people.

Question 11

social neuroscience

Answer 11

Examines the connection between biological
processes and social behavior
•Technologies used include:
–Electroencephalography (EEG)
–Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Question 12

EEG

Answer 12

▪electrodes are placed on the scalp to measure electrical

activity in the brain

Question 13

fMRI

Answer 13

▪in which people are placed in scanners that measure

changes in blood flow in their brains

Question 14

IRB

Answer 14

institutional review board
Any board, committee, or other group formally
designated by an institution to review, to approve
the initiation of, and to conduct periodic review of,
biomedical research involving human subjects.
The primary purpose of such review is to assure
the protection of the rights and welfare of the
human subjects

Question 15

how to ensure ethical research and why?

Answer 15

Submit to Institutional Review Board
–Ensures the safety and dignity of research participants
–Must include at least one scientist, one nonscientist, and one
person who is not affiliated with the institution
–Reviews all research proposals
–Approves studies before research conducted
–Procedures judged to be overly stressful or upsetting must be
changed or deleted before the study can be conducted
–often requires informed consent (except for necessary deceptions as approved by the IRB)

Question 16

Requirements to give consent

Answer 16

Informed
Cognitive capacity must be adequate
Comprehension of what is being consented to
Language (clear)
Rational (appreciation of the consequences)
Voluntary

Question 17

Zimbardo prison experiment/Stanford prison experiment

Answer 17

unethical experiment in which a prison was simulated and “guards” became sadistic
there was not informed consent and it inflicted unnecessary harm/upset on its subjects

Question 18

Milgram experiment

Answer 18

unethical experiment on obedience in which a person essentially thought they were murdering another (seizures/electric shocks) and still followed orders to continue to administer shocks
ethical issues included the degree of deception (weren’t actually administering shocks) and the right to withdraw consent.