Chapter 2- Psychology As A Science

Question 1

What is psychology?

Answer 1

The scientific method to study human behaviour and mental processes

Question 2

What is pseudopsychology (pseudoscience)?

Answer 2

No use of scientific method when commenting on human behaviour and mental processes

Question 3

Hypothesis is:

Answer 3

States your prediction in a way that it can be tested
Is found to be true or false

Question 4

What is a variable?

Answer 4

Condition, event or situation that is studied
Variables must be operationalized

Question 5

Independent variable (IV)

Answer 5

The variable that you manipulate

Question 6

Dependent variable (DV)

Answer 6

The variable that you measure( or the variable that is changed by the IV)

Question 7

Operational definition

Answer 7

How the researcher decide to measure the variables

Question 8

Operationally define the following items

Answer 8

Shyness, love, memory loss, spirituality and loneliness

Question 9

Population (choose participants)

Answer 9

The entire group that is of interest to researchers

Question 10

Sample (choose participants)

Answer 10

A portion of the population that is selected for the study (must represent the population)

Question 11

Random selection (Participants)

Answer 11

Everyone in the population of interest has an equal chance of being selected

Question 12

The case study

Answer 12

An intensive study of one person
-Advantage:helps develop early ideas abt phenomena
-Disadvantage: research bias, can’t generalize the results to all people

Question 13

Naturalistic observation

Answer 13

Observe people behaving as they normally do
- Advantage: more reflective of actual human behaviour
-Disadvantage: research bias, Hawthorne effect

Question 14

Surveys

Answer 14

The use of a questionnaire or interview
-Advantage: gather information that can be obtained from other methods. May be able to measure relationship strength between variables
-Disadvantage: Participant bias. Direction of relationship between variables is unknown

Question 15

Experimental research

Answer 15

Examines how one variable(IV) causes another variable to change(DV)
-Advantage: Can establish cause and effect. Can eliminate outside influences
-Disadvantage: Might not be generalizable. Sometimes unethical

Question 16

Experimental group

Answer 16

The group that is exposed to the IV (manipulation or treatment)

Question 17

Control group

Answer 17

The group that isn’t exposed to the IV; this group is used to compare how the IV changes the DV

Question 18

Random assignment

Answer 18

-The researcher should randomly assign who goes in which group
-Helps groups be balanced in terms of any other factor that could influence the results

Question 19

Double-blind procedure

Answer 19

Neither the participant nor the researcher knows who is in which group

Question 20

Statistics in making sense of research result

Answer 20

describe and measure relationships between variables

Question 21

Descriptive research in making sense of research result

Answer 21

Correlations indicate if there is a relationship between the variables

Question 22

Experimental research in making sense of research result

Answer 22

Statistics indicate if the hypothesis has been supported or if there is a meaningful difference between the groups

Question 23

What is correlation coefficient

Answer 23

The strength and nature of the relationship (-1.00 to +1.00)

Question 24

What is positive correlation

Answer 24

When one variable increases, the other increases

Question 25

What is negative correlation?

Answer 25

When one variable increases, the other decreases

Question 26

Descriptive statistics

Answer 26

Describe the data

Question 27

Standard deviation

Answer 27

How much the participants’ scores vary from one another

Question 28

Inferential statistics

Answer 28

Help to draw conclusions about the date

Question 29

Using t-tests or ANOVAs

Answer 29

-determine a p-value (the probability that the results of your experiment are not due to chance)
-If the p-value is lower than .05, there is only a 5% likelihood that your results occurred by chance

Question 30

Replication in conclusion

Answer 30

repeated testing of a hypothesis to ensure results from one experiment are not due to chance

Question 31

Research Ethics Boards (REBs)

Answer 31

are considered the ethics police. They are a research oversight group that evaluates research to protect the rights of participants in the study.

Question 32

Code of Ethics

Answer 32

Canadian Psychological Association

Question 33

Ethical guidelines:

Answer 33

-Obtain informed consent – obtaining permission from the participant after they know what the study involves and the risks and benefits of participating
-Protect participants from harm and discomfort
-Protect confidentiality
-Participation must be voluntary
-Deception or incomplete disclosure
-Provide complete debriefing – revealing to participants any information that was withheld during the study

Question 34

Canadian Council on Animal Care

Answer 34

Oversees research involving animals as subjects
—Animals are used only if the research promises significant benefit to humans or animals
—Animals are used if there is no other alternative
—Humane methods must be used
—The smallest number of animals possible must be used
—All pain and distress must be limited