Chapter 2: Research Methodology Flashcards
What are the 5 pillars of psychology
biological, cognitive, developmental, social & personality, mental & physical health
What is an operational definition?
a standardized meaning for an abstract concept
specifies how an abstract concept is measured in a particular study
Why is an operational definition neccessary?
it makes sure that different researchers are talking about the same thing when a term is used
What is behaviorism?
one of many ways (systems) to explain human behaviours, thoughts, and learning
What are two theories under Behaviorism
operant conditioning and classical conditioning
What is a theory
an explanation or model of how a phenomenon works; explains how (mechanistic explanation) or why (functional explanation) something happens; or both
What is classical conditioning?
how a stimulus acquires the capacity to evoke a response that was originally evoked by another stimulus
What makes a goodtheory?
one that leads to a number of testable hypotheses
falsifiable
supported by data
parsimonious
7 Steps of a Scientific investigation
- pose specific, testable question
- educate yourself on what is already known about your theory
- formulate a testable hypothesis
- design a study - select research method
- conduct study - collect data
- analyze data
- report findings
2 major concepts when evaluating measures are
reliability and validity
what does reliability mean
consistency or dependability of behavioral data; a reliable result will be repeated under similar conditions of testing at different times
what does construct validity mean
the extent to which a measure of X truly measures X and not Y
what type of error does an unreliable instrument show
random errors
what are random errors
the errors (inflation and deflation) will balance themselves and sum to zero
- does not affect the average, but the variability around the average (spread of distribution)
what are systematic errors
in either the positive or negative direction consistently; they bias the overall measurement
- shifts the average
what type of error does a reliable but inaccurate instrument show?
systematic
What is the difference between reliability vs. accuracy
reliable measure produces similar results when measurements are made under identical conditions
accurate/precise measure produces results that agree with a known standard
what is high internal validity
high internal validity means that the change in the dependant variable is caused by the independant variable and not the confounding variables
what is high external validity
an experiment with high external validity means that the researcher can generalize the experimental findings to broader circumstances, often from the laboratory to the real world
What is a Case Study
N=1 study
intensive observation, recording and description of an atypical person, organization, or event
What are correlational studies
used when researcher wants to determine to what extent two variables, traits, or attributes are related; researcher does not control ANY variables
What does a positive correlation graph look like?
/ (both increase together)
What does a negative correlation graph look like?
\ (as one increases the other decreases)
What does a no relation graph look like?
Correlation Coefficient
(Pearson’s r)
indicates strength of correlation and how accurate the prediction is
- values range from -1 to +1
What does a -1 correlation coefficient value mean
perfect negative correlation between X and Y
What does a +1 correlation coefficient value mean
perfect positive correlation between X and Y
What is an independent variable (X variable)
variable that the experimenter controls
what is a dependent variable (Y variable)
variable that the experimenter measures
What is a confounding variable?
variable that affects a dependent variable and unintentionally varies between experimental conditions of a study (ie stress level)
What is sampling and inferencing
draw a sample from the population, measure some attributes in the sample, generalize the results to describe the target population
What does descriptive statistics allow
allows us to draw conclusions through the use of graphs
Measures of central tendency in descriptive statistics
mean median mode
Measures of dispersion in descriptive statistics
range and standard deviation
What does inferential statistics allow
allows us to say whether difference is significant
What does t-test tell us
how significant is the difference between two group means
the bigger the t ratio….
the more significant is the test, as we want to maximize between-group difference and minimize within group variance
Formula for t is?
t = between groups difference / within group variation
What is replication
repetition of a research study to confirm or contradict the results
What is HARKing
“hypothesizing after the results are known” instead of generating a theory before running the study
What is meta-analysis
a “study of studies” that combines the findings of multiple studies to arrive at a conclusion
What is p-hacking
testing the same hypothesis using statistical tests in different variations until one produces a statistically significant result
Two main types of observational techniques
participant observation and naturalistic observation
What is participant observation
researcher is involved in the situation
What is naturalistic observation
observer is passive, remains seperated from the situation, and makes no attempt to change or alter ongoing behaviour
What is a confound
anything that affects a dependent variable and that might unintentionally vary between the study’s different experimental conditions
What is a control group
the participants in an experiment who receive an intervention that is unrelated to the independent variable being investigated
What is the Belmont Report
following horrific examples of abuses of human subjects by researchers, the National Comission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research issued the Belmont Report
3 key principles: respect for persons, beneficience, and justice
What are IRBs
Institutional review boards
responsible for monitoring research and enforcing guidelines
What is the purpose of informed consent?
to respect the autonomy of potential research participants by informing them about the risks and benefits of participating in a particular study
What is experimental aversion
the tendency to prefer untested treatments or conditions over random assignment to one or the other treatment or condition
