CH 2 Research Methods (Questions) Flashcards
Why do we need research designs?
- Avoid biases when evaluating information
- Attempt to see the world as it really is (including the psychological world)
Describe the Facilitated Communication incident 

- Premise: Children with autism are just as intelligent as other children; they have severe motor problems that prevent communication
- Facilitator steadies them as they approach intended letter keys on computer keyboard
- Investigators put it to the test; “communications” came from facilitator
What are the Two Modes of Thinking?

Intuitive Thinking (System 1)
- Quick, Reflexive, Adaptive
- Little mental effort required
- Flaw: over-reliance leads to errors
- Research methods can help to avoid the pitfalls of intuitive thinking
Analytic Thinking (System 2)
- Slow and reflective; deliberate
- Requires mental effort
Types of Research Designs 

- Observational Research: Naturalistic observation
- Case Studies
- Surveys
- Correlation Designs
- Experiments
Defining Variables in Research 

Conceptual Definitions
- How do we specify our phenomenon or construct of interest? (e.g., happiness; driving performance)
Operational Defintion
- Defining a variable in terms of what a researcher is measuring (measurable)
- Convert an abstract, hypothetical, or non-observable construct into things that can be measured
What are the advantages to Naturalistic Observation?

- External Validity: The extent to which findings apply to other contexts beside the research setting.
- Ecological Validity (subtype): The extent to which the research findings apply in the real world (research setting is the real world)
What are the disadvantages to Naturalistic Observation?

- Lack internal validity*: the ability to draw cause-and-effect inferences
- Reactivity: When the process of observing behaviour causes that behaviour to change
What are the disadvantages to Case Study Designs?

- Cannot systematically test hypotheses
- Cannot draw casual inferences
- Problems with generalizability
What are 5 the advantages to Case Study Designs?

- Existence Proofs
- In depth exploration
- Flexibility of data collection techniques
- Provide supporting or disconfirming evidence
- Provide insights or “leads” for researchers to further investigate
How are measures evaluated in Survey Research?

Validity: Extent to which a measure assesses what it purports to measure
What are the 4 common issues in Wording the Questionnaire?

- Leading questions (overly suggest one perspective)
- Loaded Questions (emotionally triggering)
- Double-barrelled questions (ask about two questions in one, forcing respondents to combine contradicting opinions into one judgement)
- Double negatives (phrasing contains two negative words)
Advantages of Self-Report Measures

- Convenient
- Appropriate: many questions need to be asked directly
- External Validity/ Generalized inferences
Disadvantages of Self-Report Measures 

- Lack of personal insight
- Assume honest responses
- No internal validity
- Social Desirability Bias: Tendency to respond in way that is socially acceptable
Correlation vs. Causation

Correlation doesn’t equal Causation
- Correlation allows us to make predictions
- Prediction is not perfect
- Casual relationships are not necessary, just associations
What do experimental designs require?
- Confounding Variable
- Cause-and-Effect Inferences require the groups be equal
- If not, we have alternative explanations
- Random Assignments
- Create groups
Issues in Experimentation
- Placebo Effect
- Nocebo Effect
- Experimenter, Expectancy Effects
- Demand Characteristics
Describe the Tuskegee Syphilis Study? What were its problems?
(1932-1972) USA
- Studied how syphilis spread through the body
- Recruited 600 financially poor black men
Problems
- Important information was withheld
- Coerced to participate
- Direct harm; low benefit
What are the core principles of the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS-2)
- Respect for Persons
- Concern for Welfare
- Justice
When can Deception be permitted?
- Study cannot be conducted without deception
- Does not harm participants
- Does not involve a medical or therapeutic intervention
- The study is likely to yield significant positive benefits
