Chapter 1 : Research methods in Psychology Flashcards
Define Psychology.
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes in humans.
What is the difference between overt and covert behavior?
Overt behavior is clearly visible and directly observable and is more likely to be measured accurately. For example, walking.
Covert behavior is internal and hidden from view, and therefore cannot be directly observed, and is not easily measured. For example, feeling sad.
Define mental processes.
Mental processes generally refers to a person’s thoughts and feelings, which are personal and subjective and cannot be directly observed. For example, your perceptions and sensations, your emotions, your moods, etc.
Define behavior
Behavior refers to any externally expressed action made by a living person that can be directly observed. For example, walking, talking, singing, etc.
What is the general relationship between mental processes and behavior? Provide an example.
Mental processes and behavior are interrelated and often interact with each other. For example, you may feel mad at a person as you think that they have lied to you, as a result, you may behave very rudely towards this person.
Name the difference between a psychologists and a psychiatrist.
A psychiatrist needs to study up to 13+ years, while a psychologists needs to study for 6+years.
A psychiatrists can also prescribe medication and has the legal authority to hospitalize involuntarily individuals, while a psychologists cannot.
Name the areas of specialization in Psychology.
Clinical psychologists, clinical neurologists, organizational psychologists, sports psychologists, health psychologists, education and learning psychologists, community psychologists, forensic psychologists and counselling psychologists.
Define scientific (psychological) research.
Scientific research involves using an appropriate research method to collect data/information about a problem or topic of interest, and then organizing the data and drawing valid conclusions from it.
What happens when a scientific method is not used?
It will be difficult to reach a valid conclusion about a phenomenon, and observations or data are likely to be incorrectly interpreted.
Name the seven steps in psychological research.
- Identifying the research problem.
- Constructing a research hypothesis.
- Designing the method.
- Collecting the data.
- Analyzing the data.
- Interpreting the data.
- Reporting the research findings.
Define research hypothesis.
A research hypothesis is a testable prediction of the relationship between two or more events or characteristics. It is essentially an educated guess on what the results of the research study will be.
Define objectivity.
Objectivity involves taking steps to prevent any personal factors from influencing any aspect of the research or its reporting. It requires that data to be recorded free of bias, prejudice and other personal factors that may distort the data.
What is raw data?
Raw data is data that has not been coded or summarized in a meaningful way.
Define conclusion.
A conclusion is a judgement being made on what the results of the investigation mean.
Why is it important to report any research findings?
It is the way the other researchers find out about research that has been conducted and the way scientific progress is achieved. It also enables the general public to benefit from the research findings and enables replication by other researchers interested in what was studied.
Define research method.
A research method is a particular way of conducting a research study to collect accurate and reliable information about behavior and mental processes.
Provide examples of research methods.
An experiment, a survey, a case study, etc.
Define an experiment.
An experiment is used test a cause-effect relationship between variables under controlled conditions.
Name the four different variables.
Independent variables, dependent variables, extraneous variables and confounding variables.
What is a variable?
A variable is any factor that can change or vary in amount or type over time. For example, sexual desire, alcoholic content, happiness, stress, etc.
Define independent variable.
An independent variable is the variable that is systematically manipulated, changed or varied in some way by the researcher to access its effect on the participant’s responses.
Define dependent variable.
The dependent variable is the variable that shows any effect of the independent variable.
What is the difference between the experimental and control condition in an experiment?
The experimental condition is where the independent variable is present, where in the control condition, the independent variable is absent.
What is the purpose of a control condition in an experiment?
The control condition provides a standard of comparison for the experimental condition in which the IV is present.