CH 1 & 2 - Principles, hypotheses and article reading/finding

Question 1

Intuition

Answer 1

Non-scientific
Judgements, anecdotes
Can be useful for developing questions and solving quickly and for unimportant
Biased

Question 2

Availability heuristic

Answer 2

what is most easily brought to memory is seen as more common

Question 3

Illusory correlation

Answer 3

we focus on when events correlate and not when they don’t and end up thinking that everytime we do something, other thing happens

Question 4

Confirmation bias

Answer 4

We seek out info that confirms our hypothesis

Question 5

Experience

Answer 5

Conclusions based on own experience or testimonials
no control group, confounds, probability (research is probabilistic)

Question 6

Experience in studies

Answer 6

Case studies
Qualitative research

Question 7

Authority

Answer 7

Source from powerful people
People may accept ideas without critical thought

Question 8

Rationalism

Answer 8

Using knowledge and reason. But people are often faulty with logic, errors

Question 9

Empiricism

Answer 9

Gaining knowledge through systematic observations
Characteristic of the scientific method

Question 10

Theory - data cycle

Answer 10

Theory, hypothesis, data

Question 11

Theory

Answer 11

Framework that organizes and explains various findings related to a phenomenon, that generates testable hypothesis

Question 12

Hypothesis

Answer 12

Broad outcome the researcher expects to observe in a study if the theory is correct

Question 13

Deduction

Answer 13

Theory –> hypothesis –> prediction

Question 14

Hypothesis vs. prediction

Answer 14

Prediction is specific to the experiment itself (the results will show X)
Hypothesis is more broad, and related to the theory as a whole (what can be concluded from the results is Y)

Question 15

Induction

Answer 15

Observation –> hypothesis –> theory

Question 16

What makes a good scientific theory?

Answer 16

Data support
Are falsifiable
Have parsimony (be the simplest explanation aka Occam’s razor)

Question 17

Theories don’t…

Answer 17

Prove anything
Even when there is data
Data is evidence that SUPPORTS a theory
Science is composed of paradigm shifts

Question 18

Goals of psychological reseach

Answer 18

Describe behavior (what)
Predict behavior (when)
Determine cause of behavior (why)
Explain behavior (how)

Question 19

Basic research

Answer 19

Answer fundamental questions about behavior

Question 20

Applied research

Answer 20

Adresses practical problems and proposes solutions

Question 21

Process of conducting research - IN DETAIL

Answer 21

Theory - Consult past research - state hypothesis - design study - get ethic approval - collect data - analyze data - replicate or extend - write manuscript - submit to journal

Question 22

What is a variable

Answer 22

An attribute that varies, having at least two levels or values

Question 23

Measured variable

Answer 23

Variable whose levels are observed and recorded (DV)

Question 24

Manipulated variable

Answer 24

Variable the researcher controls (IV)

Question 25

Conceptual variables

Answer 25

Variable of interest stated in an abstract level
Construct - when it is a part of a psychological theory

Question 26

Conceptual definition

Answer 26

A researcher’s definition of a variable at the theoretical level

Question 27

Operational variable

Answer 27

Specific way in which a concept of interest is measure or manipulated as a variable in a study. Operational definition

Question 28

Operationalize

Answer 28

To turn a conceptual definition of a variable into a specific measured/manipulated variable in order to conduct a reseach

Question 29

Empirical journal article

Answer 29

Article that reports for the FIRST time the results of a study

Question 30

Review journal article

Answer 30

An article summarizing all the studies that have been published in one research area

Question 31

Meta-analysis

Answer 31

A way of mathematically averaging the effect sizes of all the studies that have tested the same variables to see what conclusion the whole body of evidence supports

Question 32

Major sections of an empirical research article

Answer 32

Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, References

Question 33

Major sections of an empirical research article

Answer 33

Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, References

Question 34

Introduction of research article

Answer 34

Section in which the researcher outlines the problem that has been investigated

Question 35

Method

Answer 35

Section in which information is provided in how the study was conducted, with details for the reader to replicate the study

Question 36

Results

Answer 36

Researcher presents the finding (without interpreting it)

Question 37

Discussion

Answer 37

Researcher considers the results from various perspectives (why you found what you found)

Question 38

The Thesaurus tool in PsychINFO can help you…

Answer 38

Find broader themes or narrower themes related to the term you are looking for
Shows history of term

Question 39

If you don’t know the title of the research article, where should you look for it?

Answer 39

Use a database

Question 40

What databases are there?

Answer 40

PsychINFO, Google scholar, Web of science

Question 41

Web of science

Answer 41

Powerful filters, sorting and citation searching functions

Question 42

Google scholar

Answer 42

Flexible, broad, natural search of term results