Chapter 2

Question 1

What is a descriptive method?

Answer 1

a method used to describe an existing phenomenon

ex: case study, survey, & naturalistic observation

Question 2

Case study:

Answer 2

the intensive study of people with unusual abilities (ex: Luria’s S, the guy who couldn’t forget things)

Question 3

Survey:

Answer 3

questions must be carefully worded

Question 4

Naturalistic Observation:

Answer 4

observing subjects in their natural environment (can’t establish cause and effect)

Question 5

What is a predictive method?

Answer 5

a method set up to answer questions related to a cause and effect

Question 6

Correlation:

Answer 6

is used to determine relationships between variables. good at prediction. (weakness: always have to think about how the media displays correlations)

Question 7

Explanatory methods:

Answer 7

attempts to establish cause and effect

Question 8

True experiments do what 3 things:

Answer 8

1. equate groups through random assignment
2. control all other factors
3. evaluate the outcomes through dependent variable

Question 9

What is random sampling?

Answer 9

a sample chosen randomly

Question 10

What is random assignment?

Answer 10

ensures that each variable has the same opportunity to be assigned to any given group

Question 11

What are “blind” experiments?

Answer 11

neither the experimenter nor the subject knows the condition of the subject

Question 12

Quasi-experiments:

Answer 12

with a quasi independent variable. quasi means not true.

Question 13

What is a confound?

Answer 13

something not controlled that cause surprise and confusion (ex: quasi experiments are always confounded)