CHAPTER 2 research methods

Question 1

empirical

Answer 1

the belief that accurate knowledge can be acquired from observation

Question 2

scientific method

Answer 2

a procedure for finding the truth by using empirical evidence

Question 3

theory

Answer 3

a hypothetical explanation of natural phenomenon

Question 4

hypothesis

Answer 4

a FALSIFIABLE prediction made by a theory

Question 5

consistency

Answer 5

theories can never be proved certain but your observations can be CONSISTENT with your hypothesis

Question 6

empirical method

Answer 6

a set of rules and techniques used for observation

Question 7

What are the three things that make humans difficult to study?

Answer 7

complexity: the human brain is so complex that we can’t even begin to fully describe how it works
variability: no two individuals act in the same manor
Reactivity: people can act differently when their know they are being observed versus when that are not

Question 8

operational definition

Answer 8

description of a property in concrete, measurable terms

Question 9

validity

Answer 9

the goodness with which a concrete event defines a property

Question 10

reliability

Answer 10

tendency for an instrument to produce the same measurement whenever it is used to measure the same thing

Question 11

power

Answer 11

an instrument’s ability to detect differences or changes in the property

Question 12

demand characteristics

Answer 12

aspects of an observational setting that cause people to behave as they think someone else wants or expects

Question 13

naturalistic observation

Answer 13

unobtrusively observing people in their natural environments

Question 14

observer bias

Answer 14

expectations can influence observations, expectations can influence reality

Question 15

Double-blind observation

Answer 15

to avoid observer bias an observation whose true purpose is hidden from both the observer and the person being observed

Question 16

third- variable correlation

Answer 16

two variables are correlated only because each is causally related to a third variable ex. children that play violent video games are more likely to be aggressive. one may not be the cause of the other, rather poor supervision is the cause of both therefore correlating the two

Question 17

third- variable problem

Answer 17

causal relationships between two variables cannot be inferred from the naturally occurring correlation between them because there is always a possibility of a third variable

Question 18

Experiment

Answer 18

a technique for establishing the causal relationship between two variables

Question 19

manipulation

Answer 19

changing a variable in order to determine is causal power ex. when you manipulate instead of measure the variable you know that there is no third variable

Question 20

self-selection

Answer 20

problem that occurs when anything about a person determines whether he or she will be included in the experimental or control group

Question 21

random assignment

Answer 21

a procedure that lets chance assign people to experimental or control groups

Question 22

internal validity

Answer 22

an attribute of an experiment that allows it to establish causal relationships everything inside the experiment is working just as it need to

Question 23

external validity

Answer 23

an attribute of an experiment in which variables have been defined in a normal, typical, or realistic way

Question 24

A ____ _____ is ______ of a population

Answer 24

random sample is representative of a population `

Question 25

Weaknesses of naturalistic observation

Answer 25

participant bias, and observer bias

Question 26

Strengths of naturalistic observation

Answer 26

good for observing real life

Question 27

Strengths of case studies

Answer 27

intense observation of one person or a small group so you get rich complex info and data

Question 28

Weaknesses of case studies

Answer 28

representativeness- one person does not (may not) represent all others

Question 29

Strengths of surveys

Answer 29

efficiency, quick and cheap

Question 30

Weaknesses of surveys

Answer 30

bias questions e.g. “have you stopped hitting your wife yet” no= you haven’t yes implies that at one point you did

Question 31

Strengths of experiments

Answer 31

the only method that proves cause and effect

Question 32

Weakness of experiments

Answer 32

artificial, ethics