Chapter 1 Flashcards
What is psychology?
The study of mental activity and behavior, which depend on processing in the brain
What is critical thinking? What are the steps to becoming a critical thinker?
Being able to evaluate information to reach conclusions based on evidence that is presented
Step 1: Is the source of the claim believable?
Step 2: Is there strong evidence for the claim?
Step 3: Do other believable sources agree about the claim?
What is the scientific method?
A 5 step process that allows observation and measurement to reach one or more specific goals
- Formulate a theory
- Develop a testable hypothesis
- Test with a research method
- Analyze the data
- Share the results and conduct more research
What are the important ethical principles in research?
- Privacy
- Confidentiality
- Informed consent
- Protection from harm
What is informed consent?
When people are told about the research and have the option to participate or not
What is the difference between a hypothesis and a theory?
Hypothesis: a specific, testable prediction of what should be observed in a study if a theory is correct
Theory: an idea or set of ideas that explain prior research findings and that make predictions about future events
What are case studies? What are their pros and cons?
Case studies: descriptive research method that involves intensive examination of one person or organization of a few individuals or organization
Pros: provide a lot of data
Cons: can be subjective due to researcher having preexisting bias
What are self reports? What are their pros and cons?
Self-reports: questionnaires and surveys are two common types of self-reports that researchers use to gather data from a large number of people in a short time
What are observational studies? What are their pros and cons?
Observational studies: a descriptive method, they involve observing and classifying behavior, either with intervention or without intervention
Pros: valuable in early stages while determining if a phenomenon exists
Cons: observer’s presence can change the behaving being witnessed
What are correlational studies? What are their pros and cons?
Correlational studies: examine how variables are related to each other
Pros: rely on naturally occurring relationships; may take place in a real-world setting
Cons: no cause and effect
What is an experiment?
Experiment: involves manipulation of an independent variable, measurement of a dependent variable, and exposure of various participants to one or more of the conditions being studied
-Gold standard of research because of random assignment
What is independent variable?
In an experiment, the variable that the experimenter manipulates to examine its impact on the dependent variable
Ex: caffeine
What is dependent variable?
In an experiment, the variable that is measured to determine how it was affected by the manipulation of the independent variable
Ex: reaction time
What is the experimental group?
In an experiment, the one or more groups of participants that experience the treatment of interest based on manipulation of the independent variable
Ex: people who drank caffeine
What is the control group?
In an experiment, a group of participants that receives either no treatment or a manipulation that is expected to have little to no impact
Ex: people who didn’t drink caffeine
