CH 2 Research in Psychology (TERMS) Flashcards
Scientific method
A set of general procedures for gathering and interpreting data
Theory (1,2)
A system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations
- A strong theory can account for a large number of disparate facts
- Over time they will generate testable hypotheses (empirical test)
Hypothesis (1,2)
A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables
- Derived from previous knowledge
-Ideally a cause and effect statement
Dependent Variable (DV)
Measured behaviour
Experiment (1,1)
One or more variables are systematically manipulated (independent variable) and the effect of that manipulation on other variables is studied (experimental & control group)
- Observes cause and effect relationships
Operational definitions
How concepts are practically defined
- How a concept or term is going to be defined or measured in practice
e.g., anxiety defined as anticipation of receiving severe shock
Experimental group
Exposed to a particular value of the independent variable manipulated by experimenter
Control group
- “Baseline”
Comparison group exposed to the naturally occurring or zero value of independent variable
Extraneous variables
Any variable other than independent variable that could influence dependent measure (ex. experiences, age, etc.)
Confounding variable (1,2)
- Caused by extraneous variables between groups
Factors other than the independent variable that may cause a result
- Compromises cause and effect conclusions
Placebo Effect
An effect of belief without an actual influence by the presumed causal agent
Double-blind experiment (1,1)
Both the participants and the experimenter are unaware of the specific treatment condition
- Protects against placebo effects
Non-experimental methods (3); What are the often used for? (3)
- Do not manipulate the independent variable
- No random assignment
- Cause-and-effect conclusions are not permitted.
Used for:
- Initially describing behaviour for future research
- Evaluate behaviour that cannot be experimentally examined
- Establish the degree of relationship between different variables and behaviour
Naturalistic observation (1,2)
Formal record of observed events in a natural setting
- Accurate firsthand behavioural information
- Objectivity of observer essential
Case Studies
Detailed history and analysis of a single individual
Surveys (1,1)
Large number of participants complete a self-report questionnaire
- Collect data about behaviour difficult to observe (i.e., sexual behaviour)
Correlational research (3)
- Employs statistical methods to examine the relationship between two or more variables
- Allows for the prediction of behaviour from knowledge of certain variables
- Predicting behaviour of populations, not individuals
Scatterplot
Paired X and Y scores for each variable are plotted as singe points
- The more clumped together the dots are, the stronger the correlation
Correlation (1,1)
Quantifies the strength of association between two variables
- Ranges between -1.0 and +1.0
Positive correlation
as X increases, Y increases
Negative correlation
as X increases, Y decreases
Zero correlation
0.0
Descriptive statistics
Used to summarize behavioural observations
Central tendency
Representative scores
Mean (+Flaw)
Arithmetic average
- Sensitive to extreme scores
Median
Middle value of scores
Mode
Most frequent score
Variability
Degree to which a group of scores are clustered or distributed
Standard Deviation
Measure of the distribution of scores from the mean
Normal distribution (1,1)
Scores cluster around the mean in the form of a bell-shaped curve
- 68% (1 SD), 95% (2 SD)
Inferential statistics (1,1)
Used to determine whether numerical differences between groups are relevant
- Uses chances or probabilities
Statistical significance
Indicates that the observed differences were unlikely to occur on the basis of chance alone
