Chapter 2 - Psychological Research Flashcards
1
Q
empirical
A
- what scientific knowledge (and psych) is grounded in
- based on objective, tangible evidence that can be observed repetitively by different people
2
Q
opinions
A
- research makes the difference between facts and opinions
- personal judgments, conclusions, or attitudes that may be accurate
3
Q
facts
A
- research makes the difference between facts and opinions
- observable realities
4
Q
deductive reasoning
A
- when ideas are tested in the real world
- part of the scientific method, ongoing cycle of wonder and test
5
Q
inductive reasoning
A
- when real world observations lead to new ideas
- part of the scientific method, ongoing cycle of wonder and test
6
Q
theory
A
- a well-developed set of ideas that propose an explanation for observed phenomena
- repeatedly checked against the world, but usually to complex to test all a once
7
Q
hypothesis
A
- a testable prediction about how the world will behave if our idea is correct
- often an if-then statement
- used to test aspects of a theory
8
Q
falsifiable
A
- capable of being shown to be incorrect
- allows hypotheses to be testable and allows for confidence it results it produces
9
Q
clinical/case studies
A
- when in observational research, scientists focus on one person or just a few individuals
- can learn a lot about the phenomena this way
10
Q
generalizing
A
- the ability to apply the findings of a particular research project to larger segments of society
- con of case studies because they can’t do this
11
Q
naturalistic observation
A
- observing behavior in its natural setting
- ideally allows people to behave more normally when being observed
- observer must be inconspicuous
12
Q
observer bias
A
- people who observe are closely involved in the research project and may unconsciously skew their observations to fit their research goals
- negative of naturalistic observation
13
Q
inter-rater reliability
A
- a measure of reliability that assesses the consistency of observations by different observers
14
Q
surveys
A
- lists of questions to be answered by research participants (electronically, verbally, or by pen and paper)
- con is people may not be truthful, less in depth information
15
Q
sample
A
- a subset of individuals studied that represent a larger population
16
Q
population
A
- the overall group of individuals that the researchers are interested in
- observe a smaller representative sample to do this
17
Q
archival research
A
- researchers using existing records to answer various research questions
- con of this is they have no control on how research was collected
18
Q
longitudinal research
A
- a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time
- con is results may not come for a long period of time, participants may drop out
19
Q
cross-sectional research
A
- a researcher compares multiple segments of the population at the same time
20
Q
attrition
A
- reduction in the number of research participants due to dropouts
- in longitudinal studies are quite high and increase over the course of a project
21
Q
correlation
A
- that there is a relationship between two or more variables
- relationship does NOT imply cause and effect
- allows us to discover the strength and direction of relationships that exist between two variables
22
Q
correlation coefficient
A
- a number from -1 to +1 that indicates the strength and direction of the relationship between variables
- closer the number is to 1 (+ or -), the stronger the relationship
23
Q
positive correlation
A
- the variables move in the same direction (i.e. as one increases, the other increasese)
24
Q
negative correlation
A
- the variables move in opposite directions (e.g. as one goes down the other goes up)
25
Q
cause and effect
A
- correlation is limited because establishing the existence of a relationship tells us little about
26
Q
confounding variable
A
- when variables are sometimes correlated because one does cause the other
- BUT some other factor, a confounding variable, is actually causing the systematic movement in our variables of interest
27
Q
illusory correlations
A
- when people believe that relationships exist between two things when no such relationship exists
- aka false correlation
- can be dangerous bc can enforce things like prejudice
28
Q
confirmation bias
A
- tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports prior beliefs or values
29
Q
experimental group
A
- group getting experimental manipulation (the treatment or variable being tested)
- by only changing one thing we can determine what effect it has
30
Q
control group
A
- the group where no variable is being modified
- made to compare against experimental group
31
Q
operational definition
A
- a precise description of our variables
- important in allowing others to understand exactly how and what a researcher measures in a particular experiment
32
Q
experimenter bias
A
- the possibility that a researcher’s expectations might skew the results of the study
- might combat this by not telling researcher groups when looking at data
33
Q
single-blind study
A
- one of the groups are unaware which group they are in (experiment or control) while the researcher knows which participants are in each group
34
Q
double-blind study
A
- both the researchers and the participants are blind to group assignments (control or exp.)
35
Q
placebo effect
A
- occurs when people’s expectations or beliefs influence/determine their experience in a situation
36
Q
independent variable
A
- variable manipulated or controlled by the experimenter
- usually the only difference between both groups
37
Q
dependent variable
A
- what the researcher measures to see how much effect the independent variable had
38
Q
participants
A
- the subjects of psychological research
- usually college students (don’t rep. majority of population)
39
Q
random sample
A
- a subset of a larger population in which every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected
- helps results be generalized
40
Q
random assignment
A
- all participants have an equal chance of being assigned to either group
41
Q
statistical analysis
A
- conducted to find out if there are meaningful differences between the two groups
42
Q
peer-reviewed journal
A
- aimed at an audience of professionals and scholars who are actively involved in research themselves
- checked by experts for reasonability
43
Q
replicate
A
- scientists can repeat the experiment using different samples to determine reliability
44
Q
reliability
A
the ability to consistently produce a given result
45
Q
validity
A
the extent to which a given instrument or tool accurately measures what it’s supposed to measure
46
Q
institutional review board (IRB)
A
- a committee of individuals made up of members of the institution
- reviews proposals for research that involves human participants
47
Q
informed consent
A
a written description of what participants can expect during the experiment, including potential risks and implications of the research
48
Q
deception
A
- purposely misleading experiment participants to maintain the integrity of the experiment
- deception can’t be harmful though
49
Q
debriefing
A
- happens after studies where people were deceived
- information about experiment’s purpose, data usage, why deception was used, and information about how to learn more about the study
50
Q
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
A
- consists of institutional administrators
- ensure that experimental proposals require the humane treatment of animal subjects / inspect facilities
51
Q
the only way to establish cause and effect relationships
A
- conducting a scientific experiment (with precise requirements for design and experimentation)
52
Q
issues with experiments
A
- can’t directly control for all variables
- limited by ethical constraints
53
Q
replication “crisis”
A
- some well-known studies have produced research that has failed to be replicated by others
- part of this is there’s no glory in validating results
54
Q
experimenter effects
A
things we’re doing as a researcher that may affect the data results
55
Q
demand characteristics
A
certain type of behavior is assumed to be expected by the subject, altering the results
56
Q
rights of people in studies (4 things)
A
- right to self esteem
- right to informed consent
- right to privacy
- right to leave study at any time
57
Q
Milgram experiment
A
study that wanted to see if people will hurt others when authority tells them to (i.e. Nazis and holocaust)
58
Q
nature vs. nurture
A
To what extent are we products of our genes (nature) or our environment (nurture)
