Chapter 2: The Research Enterprise in Psychology Flashcards
What were Weiten’s themes?
Theme 1: Psychology is empirical
Theme 2: People’s experience of the world is highly subjective
Operational definition
statement that describes the procedures or the specific measures that are used to record observations
Construct
something abstract that is not a concrete concept
Psychological measures can be:
physiological, behavioral, or self-reported
Descriptive Studies
present observations about characteristics of a subject
Types of Descriptive Research
naturalistic/field, case studies, archival, self-reports
What is a concern with correlational observation?
danger of confounding variables
Confounding variable
a third factor that influences both variables causing them to covary
Correlation coefficient must be between
-1.00 to +1.00
Extraneous variables
variables other than the independent variable that influence the dependent variable in an experiment
Confounding of variables
when two variables are linked in such a way that it is difficult to distinguish the effects of one from the other
Sample
a subset of the population
Representative sample
accurate representation of the population
Random sample
every individual in the population has an equal chance of being chosen
Convenience sample
sample using individuals that are most readily available
Descriptive statistics
when numbers are used to describe or summarize your data
Inferential statistics
performed to infer something about our sample to our population
Psychological measures should be _______ and _______
reliable, valid
What are the two types of reliability for psychological measures?
1) Test-retest- test results should not change much if at all when experimenting with a relatively constant variable
2) Interrater- have agreement between raters (ex. Olympics)
Internal validity
degree to which you can draw a cause and effect relationship
External validity
degree to which one set of results can be applied to other situations
What are ways to reduce bias in a study?
anonymity, confidentiality, use of single-blind or double-blind study
What are some types of participant (subject) biases?
1) Reactivity: a participant will change their behavior because they know they are being observed
2) Socially desirable responding: when participants in a study want to come across in a certain way
3) Stereotype threat: pressure to conform to stereotypes
4) Placebo effects: improvement with fake treatment
What is a type of researcher bias?
Demand characteristics: subtle cues given by the researcher as to their expectations for participants
What are the objectives of the Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
weigh potential risks vs. benefits of research, ensure volunteers are able to give informed consent
What is protocol?
an application that researchers must fill out if their study will require human participants that has to be approved before it can be conducted
What are the three guidelines created for participant safety as a result of the Belmont report?
1) Respect for persons: recognition of personal dignity and autonomy of individuals
2) Beneficence: protecting persons from harm by maximizing anticipated benefits and minimizing risks or harm
3) Justice: fair selection of all participants
What potential risks should be weighed against the benefits of a study?
physiological, cognitive/emotional, and social
Informed consent
potential volunteer must be informed (know the purpose, nature of stimuli, tasks, potential risks involved in a study) and give consent without pressure
Welfare of animals in research
If study requires pain or discomfort, pain is justified by the potential benefits of the research
