Chapter 2: Psychological Research

Question 1

Archival research

Answer 1

Method in which researchers access data through existing records to answer various research questions

Question 2

Attrition

Answer 2

Reduction in # of research participants as they drop-out of the study over time

Question 3

Cause-and-effect relationship

Answer 3

Changes in one variable cause changes in the other variable

Question 4

Clinical/case study

Answer 4

Observational research study focusing on one or a few people

Question 5

Confirmation bias

Answer 5

Tendency to ignore evidence that disproves ideas or beliefs

Question 6

Confounding variable

Answer 6

Outside factor that affects both variables of interest

Question 7

Control group

Answer 7

Group in the experiment in which a variable is not being tested

Question 8

Correlation

Answer 8

• Relationship between two or more variables
• When two variables are correlated, one changes with the other

Question 9

Correlation coefficient

Answer 9

• # from -1 to +1 that indicates the strength & direction of the relationshipbetween variables
• Represented by “r”

Question 10

Cross-sectional research

Answer 10

Compares multiple segments of a population at a single time

Question 11

Debriefing

Answer 11

Participants in an experiment involving deception are told the complete truth at the end of the experiment

Question 12

Deception

Answer 12

Purposely misleading experiment participants to maintain the integrity of the experiment

Question 13

Deductive reasoning

Answer 13

• Results are predicted based on a general idea
• Ideas are tested in the real world

Question 14

Dependent variable

Answer 14

• Variable that the researcher measures
• The results

Question 15

Double-blind study

Answer 15

Experiment in which both researchers and participants are blind to group assignments

Question 16

Empirical

Answer 16

Grounded in objective, tangible evidence that can be recreated

Question 17

Experimental group

Answer 17

• Group designed to answer the research question
• Subject to experimental manipulation

Question 18

Experimenter bias

Answer 18

Researcher expectations skew results of the study

Question 19

Fact

Answer 19

Objective and verifiable observation established by evidence

Question 20

Falsifiable

Answer 20

• Requirement of all valid experiments
• Ability to be proved wrong

Question 21

Generalize

Answer 21

Applying the results for a sample to a larger population

Question 22

Hypothesis

Answer 22

Tentative and testable statement about the relationship between two or more
variables

Question 23

Illusory correlation

Answer 23

Seeing relationships between two things in which no such relationship exists

Question 24

Independent variable

Answer 24

Variable that is controlled by the experimenter

Question 25

Inductive reasoning

Answer 25

Conclusions are drawn from observations

Question 26

Informed consent

Answer 26

• Process of informing participants of the risks and implications of an experiment
• Ends with obtaining their consent

Question 27

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

Answer 27

Committee of administrators, scientists,
veterinarians, etc that review proposals for animal research

Question 28

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Answer 28

Committee of administrators, scientists, etc that reviews proposals for research involving human participants

Question 29

Inter-rate reliability

Answer 29

Measure of agreement among observers on how they record and classify an event

Question 30

Longitudinal research

Answer 30

Testing the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time

Question 31

Naturalistic observation

Answer 31

Observation of behavior in its natural setting

Question 32

Negative correlation

Answer 32

• Two variables change in different directions
• Does not mean NO correlation

Question 33

Observer bias

Answer 33

Observations may be skewed to align with observer expectations

Question 34

Operational definition

Answer 34

List of methods that will be used to measure the dependent and manipulate the independent variables

Question 35

Opinion

Answer 35

Personal judgments, conclusions, or attitudes that may or may not be accurate

Question 36

Participants

Answer 36

Subjects of psychological research

Question 37

Peer-reviewed journal article

Answer 37

• Article read by several other scientists with expertise in the area
• Judge the quality of the manuscript before publication

Question 38

Placebo effect

Answer 38

People’s expectations/beliefs influencing & determining their experience in a situation

Question 39

Population

Answer 39

Overall group of individuals of interest

Question 40

Positive correlation

Answer 40

• Two variables change in the same direction
• Both becoming larger or smaller

Question 41

Random assignment

Answer 41

Experimental group assignment in which participants have the same chance of being assigned to either group

Question 42

Random sample

Answer 42

Subset of a larger population in which every member has an equal chance of being selected

Question 43

Reliability

Answer 43

Consistency and reproducibility of a result

Question 44

Replicate

Answer 44

Repeating an experiment using different samples to test the reliability

Question 45

Sample

Answer 45

Subset of individuals selected from a larger population

Question 46

Single-blind study

Answer 46

Experiment in which the researcher knows which participants are in the experimental versus control group

Question 47

Statistical analysis

Answer 47

Determines how likely any difference between experimental groups is due to chance

Question 48

Survey

Answer 48

• Questions to be answered by research participants
• Can be online, in person, interviews, forms, etc

Question 49

Theory

Answer 49

Well-developed set of ideas that attempt to explain observed phenomena

Question 50

Validity

Answer 50

Accuracy of a result in measuring what it is designed to measure