Ch. 2 - The Research Enterprise in Psychology

Question 1

Anecdotal evidence

Answer 1

Personal stories about specific incidents and experiences.

Question 2

Case study

Answer 2

An in-depth investigation of an individual subject.

Question 3

Confounding of variables

Answer 3

A condition that exists whenever two variables are linked together in a way that makes it difficult to sort out their independent effects.

Question 4

Control group

Answer 4

Subjects in a study who do not receive the special treatment given to the experimental group.

Question 5

Correlation

Answer 5

The extent to which two variables are related to each other.

Question 6

Correlation coefficient

Answer 6

A numerical index of the degree of relationship between two variables.

Question 7

Data collection techniques

Answer 7

Procedures for making empirical observations and measurements.

Question 8

Dependent variable

Answer 8

In an experiment, the variable that is thought to be affected by the manipulation of the independent variable.

Question 9

Descriptive statistics

Answer 9

Statistics that are used to organize and summarize data.

Question 10

Double-blind procedure

Answer 10

A research strategy in which neither subjects nor experimenters know which subjects are in the experimental or control groups.

Question 11

Experiment

Answer 11

A research method in which the investigator manipulates a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observes whether any changes occur in a second variable as a result.

Question 12

Experimental group

Answer 12

The subjects in a study who receive some special treatment in regard to the independent variable.

Question 13

Experimenter bias

Answer 13

A phenomenon that occurs when a researcher’s expectations or preferences about the outcome of a study influence the results obtained.

Question 14

Extraneous variables

Answer 14

Any variables other than the independent variable that seem likely to influence the dependent variable in a specific study.

Question 15

Halo effect

Answer 15

A distortion that occurs on questionnaires when one’s overall evaluation of a person, object, or institution spills over to influence more specific ratings.

Question 16

Hypothesis

Answer 16

A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables.

Question 17

Independent variable

Answer 17

In an experiment, a condition or event that an experimenter varies in order to see its impact on another variable.

Question 18

Inferential statistics

Answer 18

Statistics that are used to interpret data and draw conclusions.

Question 19

Mean

Answer 19

The arithmetic average of the scores in a distribution.

Question 20

Median

Answer 20

The score that falls exactly in the center of a distribution of scores.

Question 21

Meta-analysis

Answer 21

A research technique that combines the statistical results of many studies of the same question, yielding an estimate of the size and consistency of a variable’s effects.

Question 22

Mode

Answer 22

The score that occurs most frequently in a distribution.

Question 23

Naturalistic observation

Answer 23

A descriptive research method in which the researcher engages in careful, usually prolonged, observation of behavior without intervening directly with the subjects.

Question 24

Operational definition

Answer 24

A definition that describes the actions or operations that will be made to measure or control a variable.

Question 25

Participants

Answer 25

The persons or animals whose behavior is systematically observed in a study.

Question 26

Placebo effects

Answer 26

The fact that subjects’ expectations can lead them to experience some change even though they receive an empty, fake, or ineffectual treatment.

Question 27

Population

Answer 27

The larger collection of animals or people from which a sample is drawn and that researchers want to generalize about.

Question 28

Random assignment

Answer 28

The constitution of groups in a study such that all subjects have an equal chance of being assigned to any group or condition.

Question 29

Reactivity

Answer 29

Alteration of a subject’s behavior as a result of the presence of an observer.

Question 30

Replication

Answer 30

The repetition of a study to see whether the earlier results are duplicated.

Question 31

Research methods

Answer 31

Differing approaches to the manipulation and control of variables in empirical studies.

Question 32

Response set

Answer 32

A tendency to respond to questions in a particular way that is unrelated to the content of the questions.

Question 33

Sample

Answer 33

The collection of subjects selected for observation in an empirical study.

Question 34

Sampling bias

Answer 34

A problem that occurs when a sample is not representative of the population from which it is drawn.

Question 35

Social desirability bias

Answer 35

A tendency to give socially approved answers to questions about oneself.

Question 36

Standard deviation

Answer 36

An index of the amount of variability in a set of data.

Question 37

Statistical significance

Answer 37

The condition that exists when the probability that the observed findings are due to chance is very low.

Question 38

Statistics

Answer 38

The use of mathematics to organize, summarize, and interpret numerical data. See also Descriptive statistics, Inferential statistics.

Question 39

Subjects

Answer 39

The persons or animals whose behavior is systematically observed in a study. See Participants.

Question 40

Survey

Answer 40

A descriptive research method in which researchers use questionnaires or interviews to gather information about specific aspects of subjects’ behavior.

Question 41

Theory

Answer 41

A system of interrelated ideas that is used to explain a set of observations.

Question 42

Variability

Answer 42

The extent to which the scores in a data set tend to vary from each other and from the mean.

Question 43

Variables

Answer 43

Any measurable conditions, events, characteristics, or behaviors that are controlled or observed in a study.