Chapter 2: Developing a Research Question

Question 1

Define: Cause

Question 1

Define: law

Answer 1

a statement that cer- tain events are regularly associated with each other in an orderly way

Question 2

Define: Theory

Answer 2

a statement or set of statements explaining one or more laws, usually including one indirect concept needed to explain the relationship

Question 3

Define: hypothesis

Answer 3

a statement assumed to be true for the purpose of testing its validity

Question 4

Define: Operational Definition

Question 5

Define: Paradigm

Question 6

Define: Variable

Answer 6

aspect of a testing condition that can change or take on different characteristics with different conditions (p119)

Question 7

Define: independent variable

Answer 7

the condition manipulated or selected by the experi- menter to determine its effect on behavior (p121)

Question 8

Define: Dependent Variable

Answer 8

a measure of the subject’s behavior that reflects the independent variable’s effects

Question 9

Define: confounding variable and provide an example

Answer 9

one whose effect cannot be separated from the supposed independent variable

Gender colour preferences: is the preference from social habit or genetics?

Question 10

Define: reliability of a measurment

Answer 10

the property of consistency of a measure- ment that gives the same result on different occasions

Question 11

Define: validity of a measurement

Question 12

Define: construct validity

Question 13

Define: content validity

Question 14

Define: Criterion validity

Question 15

Define: test/retest validity

Question 16

Define: internal consistency

Question 17

List and explain the purpose and procedures in reviewing the literature.

Answer 17

Procedures:
-Find relevant articles (read abstracts and conclusions)
-Ask prof for guidance

Purpose:
-Find what is already known
-Develop a research question

Question 18

What is your “go-to” source for psych research according to the textbook?

Answer 18

PsycINFO

Question 18

What are the four parts to a research proposal?

Answer 18

-Introduction
-Method
-results
-discussion

Question 18

Define variable of interest

Answer 18

a variable for which its role in the cause and effect of an observed relationship is not clear

Question 19

Define subject variable and provide an example

Answer 19

subject variable: a dif- ference between subjects that cannot be controlled but can only be selected

You cannot control the IQ or wealth status of a subject

Question 20

Explain the difference between a categorical and quantitate variable?

Answer 20

A quantitive variable differs in amount while a categorical variable differs in kind