Ch. 2 - Research Methods Flashcards
Hypothesis
An explicit, testable prediction about the conditions under which an event will occur
Theory
A theory must be proposed based on several tested and proven hypotheses. It is an organized set of principles used to explain observed phenomena.
- Potentially provides an important contribution to a field even if it turns out to be wrong
Basic Research
Seeks to increase our understanding of human behaviour
- Often designed to test a specific hypothesis from a theory
Applied Research
creates practical applications to the world and contributes to solving social problems
Construct Validity
- how well the experiment manipulates the variables intended &
- How well the measurements accurately represent the intended conceptual variables
Conceptual variable
abstract form of a variable that is under examination
- what an operational definition is indicative of
Self Reports
Can be a series of questions, where a participant gives the answers
- least accurate method of testing
Interval-contingent self reports
Respondents report experiences at regular intervals, usually once a day
Signal-contingent self reports
Respondents report ASAP after being signaled, usually by a notification from the experimenters
Bogus Pipeline technique
The belief that the experimenters can tell when they’re lying leads to more honest results
Event-contingent self reports
Respondents report on a designated set of events ASAP after they occur
Interrater reliability
There must be agreement among multiple observers, then the more nuanced data can be trusted
- helps avoid the inaccuracies of self-rating, but increases the observer’s paradox
Archival studies
studies examining existing records and other studies
Random Sampling
A method of selecting participants for a study so that everyone in a population has an equal chance of being in the study
Experiments
- Experimenter always has full control over the variables
- participants are randomly assigned to the manipulated conditions
Correlation Coefficient
Statistical measure of the strength of the relation between two variables
Ranges from -1.0 to +1.0
- Positivity or negativity shows the direction of the relation, and the closer it is to either - or + 1.0 shows more correlation
- e.g. college entrance exam correlates positively with grades, and the number of missed classes correlates negatively with grades
Random assignment
how people in the study are assigned to different conditions
Independent Variables
Manipulated by the experimenters
Dependent Variables
Potentially affected by the independent variable
Subject Variables
- Preexisting differences among participants in the experiment
- Race, gender, etc.
Statistical significance
- If the results could have been chance less than 5/100 times, then it’s statistically significant
- Doesn’t mean certainty, which is why we need Replication
Mundane realism
how much the experimental setting resembles the real world
External Validity
Would the same results occur in different circumstances
Experimental realism
how much the experimental setting and procedures are real and involving to the participant
Deception
False information in an experiment
Confederates
actors pretending to be in the experiment but are actually working for the experimenters
Informed consent
- Participants must be given enough information to make an informed decision
- Extremely important
Debriefing
Discloses the nature of the research, and resolves any negative feelings surrounding it
- Important end of experiment practice
Preregistration
When scientists report their predictions and plans for analyses before the data are collected
Confirmation Bias
Taking in supporting data and ignoring refuting data
- Often the correct approach is to take new data lightly in comparison with previous beliefs, which is why confirmation bias is so harmful
four factors in changing beliefs
Old belief
Confidence in old belief
New data
Confidence in new data
- The more confidence in an old belief, the less likely one is to believe the new data
When does Fear work in affecting action?
- When someone is already stressed out
- When you’re getting someone not to do something
- Hope and positive feedback are better at provoking action
The Equality Heuristic
A mental shortcut which assigns equal weight to everyone’s opinion
- counterproductive at times, since it’s better to put more weight on people with expertise
Surprisingly popular vote
ask people a question, and then what they think the most popular answer will be, if there is a difference in how people answer, it marks them as being more knowledgeable
two human brains’ activities synchronize when someone is telling a story, making them more easily influenced by the storyteller
the listener is more receptive to new ideas when they have more faith in the speaker, basically improves the security of the new data
