Chapter 2 Flashcards
Psychology
Scientific study of behaviour and the mind.
Social psychology
The scientific study of how individuals think, feel, and behave in a social context.
ABCs
Affect (feelings)
Behaviour (actions)
Cognition (thoughts)
Theory
an organized set of principles used to explain observed phenomena.
Hypothesis
a testable prediction about the conditions under which an event will occur.
Steps of Psychology Research
1) theory
2) create a hypotheses based on theory
3) test the hypothesis
4) refine the theory
Signs of a good theory
1) assumes cause and effect relationships.
2) is coherent (organizes observations).
3) offers a simple explanation.
4) is testable and can be falsified.
5) generates new questions.
6) solves problems (has practical value).
Correlational Research
research designed to measure the association between variables that are not manipulated by the researcher.
Experimental Research
a form of research that can demonstrate causal relationships because (1) the experimenter has control over the events that occur and (2) participants are randomly assigned to conditions.
Independent Variable
the factor that experimenters manipulate
Dependent Variable
the factor that experimenters measure
Random Assignment
a method of assigning participants so that each participant in the experiment has an equal chance of being in any of the conditions.
Ego depletion
people have a common source of controlled resources/willpower from which they draw. each time we try to control our will, we reduce this pool of resources.
Operational Definition
a concise and detailed definition of a measure.
Construct Validity
the confidence you can have that the operational definition faithfully represents the abstract construct it is supposed to.
Descriptive Research
to record how typically people think, feel, or behave in particular ways.
Methods of Descriptive Research
1) observational studies
2) archival studies: examining existing records of past events and behaviours.
3) surveys: asking people questions about their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours.
Meta-analysis
a set of statistical procedures used to review a body of evidence by combining the results of individual studies to measure the overall reliability and strength of particular effects.
What do Social Psychologists Care about?
- how to stop being negatively affected by others.
- how to fight prejudice/stereotypes.
- how to have good relationships.
- how to achieve goals.
- why do people reject science.
Replication Crisis
- researchers attempted to replicate 100 studies that had been published in three prominent psychology journals.
- just 39 of the studies were successfully replicated.
Meta-analysis
a set of statistical procedures used to review a body of evidence by combining the results of individual studies to measure the overall reliability and strength of particular effects.
Confound
any variable other than the independent variable that may have an unwanted effect on the dependent variable.
Subject Variable
a variable that characterizes preexisting differences among the participants in a study.
Ego depletion experiment
- participants watched a sad movie and either 1) told not show emotions (2) given no instructions (3) shown no movie and no instructions.
- participants were then told to hold hand in cold water for as long as possible.
- those given no instructions could hold hand in water the longest.
- theory has been debunked.
Self-reports
Sets of questions that together measure a single conceptual variable.
Correlation Coefficient
a statistical measure of the strength and direction of the association between two variables.
can range from +1.0 to -1.0.
Internal Validity
the extent to which research provides a valid test of the relationship between the independent variable and dependent variable.
Bogus Pipeline Technique
a procedure in which research participants are (falsely) led to believe that their responses will be verified by an infallible lie detector.
Random Sampling
a method of selecting participants for a study so that everyone in a population has an equal chance of being in the study.
Control Group
consists of participants who experience all of the procedures except the experimental treatment.
Interval Contingent Self Report
respondents report their experiences at regular intervals, usually once a day.
Field Research
conducted in real-world settings outside the laboratory.
Experimenter Expectancy Effect
when an experimenter’s expectations affect their behaviour toward a participant and thereby influence the participant’s responses.
Signal Contingent Self Reports
respondents report their experiences as soon as possible after being signaled to do so, usually by text message.
Replication
to repeat the experiment and see if similar results are found.
Deception
in the context of research, a method where false information is given to participants.
Confederate
accomplice of an experimenter who acts as if they are also a participant while dealing with the real participants in an experiment.
Interrater Reliability
the degree to which different observers agree on their observations.
External Validity
the degree to which the results of a study can be generalized to other people.
Mundane Realism
the degree to which the experimental situation resembles places & events in the real world.
Experimental Realism
the degree to which experimental procedures are involving to participants and lead them to behave naturally and spontaneously.
Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)
take on the responsibility of reviewing research proposals to ensure that the welfare of participants is adequately protected.
Informed consent
ensures that participants are aware of all the potential risks and costs involved in a procedure.
Debriefing
a disclosure made after the experiment in which the researcher explains the purpose of the research.
Statistically Significant
if the results could have occurred by chance 5 or fewer times in 100 possible outcomes they should be taken seriously.
Event contingent self reports
respondents report on a designated set of events as soon as possible after such events have occurred.
