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PSYCH 1000 > Chapter 2: Studying Behaviour Scientifically > Flashcards

Chapter 2: Studying Behaviour Scientifically Flashcards

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1
Q

5 steps in the scientific process

A

1) IDENTIFY a question of interest
2) GATHER information and FORM hypothesis
3) TEST hypothesis by conducting research
4) ANALYSE data, draw conclusions and REPORT
5) BUILD a body of knowledge, ask further questions, conduct more research

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2
Q

Name 3 characteristics of good theories

A
  • incorporates existing facts and observations and organizes info in a meaningful way
  • is testable
  • conforms to the law of PARSIMONY - if 2 theories can explain and predict the same phenomenon equally well, the simpler theory is the preferred one
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3
Q

Law of parsimony

A

if 2 therories can explain and prdict the sme phenomenon equally well, the simpler thery is the preferred one

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4
Q

variable

A

any factor or characteristic that can vary - ex. hair colour, height

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5
Q

operational definition

A

they translate abstract concepts into something observable and measureable

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6
Q

social desieability bias

A

the tendency to respond in a socially acceptable manner rather than according to how one truly feels or behaves

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7
Q

reaction time

A

how rapidly one responds to a stimulus

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8
Q

reliable

A

consistent observations

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9
Q

archival measures

A

records or documents that already exist

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10
Q

methods of research

A
  • descriptive research

- case study

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11
Q

descriptive research

A

seeks to identify how humans and other animals behave, particularly in natural setting

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12
Q

case study

A

an in-depth analysis for an individual, a group or an event

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13
Q

advantages of case study

A

when a rare phenomenon occurs, the method enables scientist to study it closely

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14
Q

naturalistic observation

A

the researcher observes behaviors as it occurs in a natural setting

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15
Q

population

A

consists of all the individuals about whom we are interested in drawing a conclusion

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16
Q

sample

A

a subset of individuals drawn from the larger population of interest

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17
Q

representative sample

A

one that reflects the important characteristics of the population

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18
Q

random sampling

A

every member of the population has an equal probability of being chosen to participate in the survey

19
Q

correlational research

A

a study to determine the relationship among two or more variables without any attempt to influence them. Involves measuring variables, NOT manipulating them

20
Q

3 components to correlational research

A

1) the researcher measures one variable (x) such as people’s birth order
2) researcher measures a second variable (y) such as a personality trait
3) researcher statistically determines whether x and y are related

21
Q

correlational coefficient

A

a statistic that indicates the strength of the relation between two variables. Variables can be correlated either positively or negatively

22
Q

positive correlation

A

means that higher scores on one variable are associate with higher scores on a second variable - e.g., positive correlation between social relationships and happiness

23
Q

negative correlation

A

occurs when higher scores on one variable are associate with lower scores on a second variable - e.g., job satisfaction and turnover meaning the workers who are more satisfied with jobs have lower rates of turnover

24
Q

experiment - 3 essential characteristics

A

1) researcher manipulates one or more variables
2) researcher measures whether this manipulation influence other variables
3) researcher attempts to control extraneous factors that might influence the outcome

25
Q

independent variable

A

usually the x axis - refers to the factor that is manipulated or controlled by the experimenter

26
Q

control group

A

purpose is to provide a standard of behaviour to which the experimental group can be compared.

27
Q

dependent variable

A

factor that is measured by the experimenter and that may be influenced by the independent variable - usually the y axis

28
Q

experimental group

A

group that receives a treatment or an active level of the independent variable

29
Q

between groups experiment design

A

common experimental design where each group int he experiment is composed of a different set of participants

30
Q

random assignments

A

a procedure in which each particpat has equal likelhood of being assigned to any one group within an experiment

31
Q

repeated measures design

A

in this design, each participant is exposed to all the conditions on an independent variable

32
Q

counterbalancing

A

a procedure in which the order of conditions is varied so that no condition has an overall advantage relative of the others

33
Q

validity

A

refers to how well an experimental procedure actually tests what it is designed to test

34
Q

internal validity

A

represents the degree to which an experiment supports clear causal conditions

35
Q

confounding of variables

A

two variables are intertwined in such a way that we cannot determine which one has influenced a dependent variable

36
Q

placebo effect

A

people receiving a treatment show a change in behaviour because of their expectations, not because the treatment itself had any specific benefit

  • placebo effect weakens internal validity
37
Q

experimenter expectancy effects

A

the subtle and unintentional ways researchers influence their participants to respond in a manner that is consistent with the researcher’s hypothesis

38
Q

double blind procedure

A

procedure in which both the participant and the experimenter are kept blind as to which experimental condition the participant is in

39
Q

external validity

A

the degree to which the results of a study can be generated to other populations, settings and conditions

40
Q

replication

A

the process of repeating a study to determine whether the original findings can be duplicated

41
Q

meta-analysis

A

a statistical procedure for combining the results of different studies that examine the same topic to test the overall significance of the findings

42
Q

cross-cultural replication

A

examining whether findings generalize across different countries

43
Q

incomplete disclosure/deception

A

occurs when participants are mixed about the nature of a study

44
Q

debriefed

A

told the true purpose of the study at the end of the experiment

PSYCH 1000 (8 decks)

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