Chapter 2 Research Methods

Question 1

Internal Validity

Answer 1

extent to which we can draw cause and effect inferences from a study

Question 2

External Validity

Answer 2

extent to which we can generalize findings to real-world settings

Question 3

Case Study

Answer 3

research design examining a small number of people or one person in depth over an extended period of time

Question 4

Existence Proof

Answer 4

demonstration that a given psychological phenomenon can occur

Question 5

Random Selection

Answer 5

procedure that ensures every person in a population has an equal chance of being chosen to participate

Question 6

Reliability

Answer 6

consistency of measurement

Question 7

Validity

Answer 7

extent to which a measure assesses what it claims to measure

Question 8

Response Set

Answer 8

tendency of research participants to distort their responses to questionnaire items

Question 9

Correlation Design

Answer 9

research design that examines the extent to which two variables are associated

Question 10

Correlation Coefficient

Answer 10

statistics that psychologists use to measure correlation; range from -1 to 1; -1 is a perfect negative correlation; +1 is a perfect positive correlation; the larger the absolute value of the number the stronger the correlation

Question 11

Experiment

Answer 11

research design characterized by random assignment of participants to conditions and manipulation of an independent variable

Question 12

What is a theory?

Answer 12

a set of ideas that describe, explain, and predict behavior; explains facts or observations; empirical support adds value to theories;