Chapter 2 | Psychological Research Key Terms

Question 1

Deductive reasoning

Answer 1

ideas are tested in the real world

Question 2

Inductive reasoning

Answer 2

real-world observations lead to new ideas

Question 3

Theory

Answer 3

well developed set of ideas that propose an explanation for observed phenomena

Question 4

Hypothesis

Answer 4

testable prediction about how the world will behave if our idea is correct

Question 5

Falsifiable

Answer 5

capable of being shown to be incorrect

Question 6

clinical or case study

Answer 6

scientist focus on one person or a few individuals

Question 7

Generalizing

Answer 7

the ability to apply the findings of a particular research projects to larger segments of society

Question 8

naturalistic observation

Answer 8

observing behavior in its natural setting

Question 9

Observer bias

Answer 9

people who act as observers are closely involved in the research project and may unconsciously skew their observations to fit their research goals or expectations

Question 10

inter-rater reliabliity

Answer 10

a measure of reliability that assesses the consistency of observations by different observers.

Question 11

Surveys

Answer 11

lists of questions to be answered by research participants

Question 12

Sample

Answer 12

subset of individuals selected from a population

Question 13

population

Answer 13

overall group of individuals that the researchers are interested in

Question 14

archival research

Answer 14

relies on looking at past records or data sets to look for interesting patterns or relationships

Question 15

Longitudinal Research

Answer 15

research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time

Question 16

Cross-sectional research

Answer 16

researcher compares multiple segments of the population at the same time

Question 17

attrition rates

Answer 17

reduction in the number of research participants due to dropouts

Question 18

Correlation

Answer 18

there is a relationship between two or more variables, but this relationship does not necessarily imply cause and effects

Question 19

Correlation coefficient

Answer 19

number from -1 to +1 that indicates the strength and direction of the relationship between variables. (represented by r)

Question 20

positive correlation

Answer 20

the variables move in the same direction.

Question 21

negative correlation

Answer 21

variables move in opposite directions

Question 22

confounding variable

Answer 22

is causing the systematic movement in our variables of interest

Question 23

Illusory correlations

Answer 23

occur when people believe that relationships exist between two things when no such relationship exists

Question 24

Confirmation bias

Answer 24

ignoring evidence that would tell us our hunch is false;

Question 25

Operational definition

Answer 25

precise description of our variables. important so everyone understands how and what a researcher measures in an experiment

Question 26

Experimenter bias

Answer 26

the possibility that a researcher’s expectations might skew the results of the study.

Question 27

Single-blind study

Answer 27

one of the groups (participants) are unaware as to which group they are in (experiment or control group) while the researcher who developed the experiment knows which participants are in each group.

Question 28

Double-blind study

Answer 28

both the researchers and the participants are blind to group assignments.

Question 29

Placebo effect

Answer 29

occurs when people’s expectations or beliefs influence or determine their experience in a given situation

Question 30

Random sample

Answer 30

a subset of a larger population in which every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected.

Question 31

Random assignment

Answer 31

all participants have an equal chance of being assigned to either group

Question 32

Statistical analysis

Answer 32

is conducted to find out if there are meaningful differences between the two groups

Question 33

peer-reviewed journal articles

Answer 33

A peer-reviewed journal article is read by several other scientists (generally anonymously) with expertise in
the subject matter. These peer reviewers provide feedback—

Question 34

replicate (experiments)

Answer 34

others can repeat the experiment using different samples to determine reliability

Question 35

Reliability

Answer 35

The ability to consistently produce a given result

Question 36

Valiidity

Answer 36

the extent to which a given instrument or tool accurately measures what it’s supposed to measure

Question 37

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Answer 37

a committee of individuals often made up of members of the institution’s administration, scientists, and community members to review proposals for research involving human participants.

Question 38

Informed Consent

Answer 38

form that provides a written description of what participants can expect during the experiment, including potential risks and implications of the research. Research is voluntary, data will remain confidential.

Question 39

Deception

Answer 39

purposely misleading experiment participants in order to maintain the integrity of the experiment, but not to the point where the deception could be considered harmful.

Question 40

debriefing

Answer 40

basically unveiling all deception and getting the whole truth for participants

Question 41

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

Answer 41

Consistts of institutional admin, scientists, veterinarians, and community members to ensure human treatment of animal research subjects, and conduct semi-annual inspections of animal facilities.