Chapter 2 - Methodology

Question 1

What is hindsight bias?

Answer 1

The tendency for people to exaggerate how much they predicted the outcome after knowing that it occurred

Question 2

Briefly describe the results of the study conducted by Roese and Olson (1996) on hindsight bias

Answer 2

When asked how predictable the outcome of the story was in both conditions, both groups of participants thought the outcome was obvious

Question 3

What are the three main methods (and their focuses) used to answer research questions about social behaviour?

Answer 3

• Observational method > description
• Correlational method > description
• Experimental method > causality

Question 4

Define: theory

Answer 4

An organized set of principles that can be used to explain observed phenomena

Question 5

Define: hypothesis

Answer 5

A testable statement or idea about the relationship between two or more variables

Question 6

Latané and Darley (1968) suggested that a phenomenon called “diffusion of responsibility” may be the reason none of the 38 bystanders came to the aid of Kitty Genovese. What is diffusion of responsibility?

Answer 6

Paradoxically, the more people who witness an emergency, the less likely it is that any given individual will intervene.

Question 7

What is an operational definition?

Answer 7

The precise specification of how variables are measured or manipulated

Question 8

Define: observational method

Answer 8

The technique whereby a researcher observes people and systematically records measurements of their behaviour

Question 9

Define: ethnography

Answer 9

The method by which researchers attempt to understand a group or culture by observing it from the inside without imposing any preconceived notions they might have

Question 10

The advantage of using unobtrusive measures to observe social behaviour is ___________.

Answer 10

Researchers can observe spontaneous, naturally occurring behaviour.

Question 11

The importance of clearly defining the behaviours of interest applies to all psychological research, not just to observational studies. (T/F)

Answer 11

True

Question 12

Debra Pepler’s research on bullying shows that peer intervention generally stops bullying. (T/F)

Answer 12

True

Question 13

What is interrater reliability?

Answer 13

The level of agreement between two or more people ho independently observe and code a set of data

Question 14

Why is interrater reliability important? (i.e. what does it tell us?)

Answer 14

Shows us that two or more judges can independently come up with the same observations, so we then know that the observations are not subjective impressions of one individual

Question 15

Define: archival analysis

Answer 15

A form of the observational method whereby the researcher examines the accumulated documents, or archives, of a culture

Question 16

Archival analysis done by Spitzer, Henderson & Zivian (1999) found that body sizes of playboy models has ______ over time, while the body mass index of North American women has ______ over time.

Answer 16

decreased; increased

Question 17

Define: correlational method

Answer 17

The technique whereby researchers systematically measure two or more variables and assess the relation between them (i.e. how much one can be predicted from the other)

Question 18

What is the correlation coefficient?

Answer 18

A statistic that assesses how well you can predict one variable based on another (e.g., how well you can predict people’s height from their weight)

Question 19

What is a survey?

Answer 19

Research in which a representative sample of people are asked questions about their attitudes or behaviour

Question 20

Define: random selection

Answer 20

A way of ensuring that a sample of people is representative of a population, by giving everyone in the population an equal chance of being selected for the sample

Question 21

What did Herold and Mewhinney (1993) use surveys to determine?

Answer 21

They wanted to know whether people who had positive attitudes toward the use of condoms would be more likely to engage in safer sex

Question 22

Define: experimental method

Answer 22

The method in which the researcher randomly assigns participants to different conditions and ensures that these conditions are identical except for the independent variable

Question 23

Which of the 3 methods is known as the crown jewel of social psychological research? (and can answer causal questions)

Answer 23

The Experimental Method

Question 24

The experimental method always involves ______ on the part of the researcher.

Answer 24

direct intervention

Question 25

In the experiment carried out by Latané and Darley (1968), what were their main findings with respect to the percentage of people who would help the seizure victim?

Answer 25

• 31 % of participants left their cubicle to help when they believed four others had witnessed the seizure
• 62% of participants left their cubicle to help when they believed two others had witnessed the seizure
• 85% of participants left their cubicle to help when they believed they were the only one to witness the seizure

Question 26

Internal validity in an experiment means _________ .

Answer 26

keeping everything the same except for the independent variable; nothing can affect the dependent variable except for the independent variable

Question 27

What is the meaning of random assignment to condition?

Answer 27

The process whereby all participants have an equal chance of taking part in any condition in an experiment

Question 28

Define: external validity

Answer 28

The extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other situations and to other people

Question 29

The two types of generalizability at issue in external validity are:

Answer 29

Generalizability across situations and generalizability across people

Question 30

Define: mundane realism

Answer 30

The extent to which an experiment is similar to real-life situations

Question 31

Define: psychological realism

Answer 31

The extent to which the psychological processes triggered in an experiment are similar to psychological processes that occur in everyday life

Question 32

(T/F) When mundane realism in an experiment is low, psychological realism is consequentially low.

Answer 32

False; psychological realism may be high in experiments with low mundane realism

Question 33

What is a cover story? What is its purpose?

Answer 33

A description of the purpose of a study given to participants that is different from its true purpose; cover stories are used to maintain psychological realism

Question 34

Define: meta analysis

Answer 34

A statistical technique that averages the results of two or more studies to see if the effect of an independent variable is reliable

Question 35

The basic dilemma of the social psychologist is trade-off between _______ .

Answer 35

Internal and external validity

Question 36

Wendy Josephson’s 1987 study on violent television and aggression revealed that ____________ .

Answer 36

Exposure to violent programming did increase aggression, but only among boys who were predisposed toward aggression

Question 37

Define: cross-cultural research

Answer 37

Research conducted with members of different cultures to see whether the psychological processes of interest are present across cultures or whether they are specific to a single culture

Question 38

Define: basic research

Answer 38

Studies that are designed to find the best answer as to why people behave the way they do and that are conducted purely for reasons of intellectual curiosity

Question 39

Define: applied research

Answer 39

Studies designed specifically to solve a particular social problem; building a theory of behaviour is usually secondary to solving the specific problem

Question 40

What is informed consent?

Answer 40

Agreement to participate in an experiment, granted in full awareness of the nature of the experiment which has been explained in advance

Question 41

In social psychology, what is deception?

Answer 41

The procedure whereby participants are misled about the true purpose of a study or the events that will actually transpire

Question 42

Define: debriefing

Answer 42

Explaining to the participants, at the end of the experiment, the true purpose of the study and exactly what transpired

Question 43

What are the main guidelines for ethical research in social psychology?

Answer 43

Canadian Psychological Association guidelines specify procedures such as: obtaining informed consent, the participant’s right to leave at any time, ensured anonymity and confidentiality, and debriefing following an experiment

Question 44

“Tillie the Rain-maker’s” belief that her presence caused it to rain in dry areas is a violation of what key principle in research methodology?

Answer 44

Correlation does not equal causation

Question 45

A field experiment by Latané and Darley (1970) showed that fewer people reported a theft to the cashier when there was another witness in the store compared to when they were alone. (T/F)

Answer 45

True