Ch. 3 Researchc Methods and Study Design Flashcards
archival studies
Studies that explore historical records and search for patterns or insight.
attrition
Occurs when participants in a study drop out before completion.
between-subjects design
Comparisons are made between one group and another to test for differences.
biographical studies
Studies that investigate all relevant details of the life an individual or small group.
case studies
Studies that make a deep and comprehensive exploration of a single individual, phenomenon, or disorder.
confounding variables
Variables other than the research variables that would explain an experimental effect if one were found; also known as extraneous variables.
construct validity
The extent to which a psychometric instrument measures what it purports to.
control group
The group that does not receive the treatment in an experiment, and is used as a point of reference for the experimental group.
correlational studies
Studies that measure the quantitative relationship between two variables.
cross-sectional study
A study design in which data collection or survey of a population or sample occurs at a specific time.
debriefing
After participants complete a study or some part of a study, researchers thoroughly review the purpose of the study, hypotheses, and implications.
demand characteristics
Researcher expectations that influence participant responses; often, participants subconsciously adapt their behavior and responses to fit what the research hypothesis, which they have guessed.
ethnographic studies
Studies that make a deep and comprehensive exploration of an ethnicity or culture.
experimental group
The group that receives the treatment in an experiment, in contrast to the control group.
experimental hypothesis
The hypothesis that there is an experimental effect and the treatment in responsible for the measured difference.
external validity
The extent to which experimental results can be applied to real-world situations.
extraneous variables
Variables other than the research variables that would explain an experimental effect if one were found; also known as confounding variables.
heritability
The extent to which a behavior is due to genetic factors.
homogenous
The same throughout; often used to describe a sample in which participants have similar characteristics.
internal validity
How “well-designed” a study is; how valid it is to draw conclusions from the research based on the way it was constructed.
meta-analysis
A review of many studies to combine results and find emergent patterns in an area of research.
mixed methods
Any two types of research methodology are combined in the same study, such as qualitative and quantitative or between-subjects and within-subjects.
null hypothesis
The hypothesis that there is no experimental effect and any differences, if measured, are due to chance.
observational studies
A type of research characterized by minimal manipulation in an attempt to investigate phenomena in their naturalistic state.
operational definition
The specifications of experimental variables in terms that can be used by other researchers to replicate methodology.
p-value
Numerical value that gives the probability that a measured difference occurred due to chance.
pearson correlation
A numerical value between -1 and 1 that indicates how two variables correlate; a negative value indicates a direct relationship, a positive value indicates a direct relationship, and values further from zero indicate a stronger relationship.
phenomenological method
The use of introspection to explore the nature of phenomena, often related to perception or subjective experience.
placebo effect
The phenomenon that if a group of participants simply believes that it has been given a treatment, this can lead to a measurable effect.
power
The ability of a study to pick up an effect if one is indeed present; this is related to factors such as large sample size and low variation.
predictive validity
The extent to which a psychometric instrument predicts results along a well-known test or in variable of interest.
psychometrics
The art and science of measuring psychological processes.
qualitative
Descriptive, as opposed to numerical; often used to refer data.
quantitative
Numerical, as opposed to descriptive; often used to describe data.
randomized block technique
A technique used by researchers who wish to make experimental and control groups similar along a set of variables.
reliable
The tendency of a survey or other instrument of measurement to produce similar results under similar conditions and measure what they are purported to.
sample size
The number of participants in a study.
sampling bais
Occurs when some individuals from a population have a greater likelihood of being selected than others.
selection bias
Nonrandom processes in the selection of participants, experimental groups, or any other process that introduce potential bias into a research study.
significant difference
A difference between two measurements that is unlikely to be due simply to chance, according to a predetermined threshold.
survey studies
Studies that are questionnaires to explore a research variable.
twin studies
Studies that incorporate research into different types of twins to gain insight into heritability.
type 1 error
Researchers incorrectly reject the null hypothesis, also known as false positive
type 2 error
Researchers accept the null hypothesis, also known as false negative
within-subjects design
Comparisons are made at different time points for the same group.
disclosure
An outline given to participants before the experiment begins that clarifies incentives and expectations while reminding them of their right to terminate the experiment any time.
longitudinal method
Involves intervallic measurements of a dependent variable over a long time frame.
