Chapter 2: The Research Enterprise in Psychology

Question 1

Measurement and description
Understanding prediction
Application and control

Answer 1

Goals of the scientific approach

Question 2

Condition or event manipulated by the experimenter

Answer 2

independent variable

Question 3

What are the steps in an investigation?

Answer 3

1. Formulate a testable hypothesis
2. Select a method and design the study
3. Collect the data
4. Analyze the data and draw conclusions
5. Report the findings

Question 4

Aspect of behaviour thought to be affected by the independent variable
What’s being measured

Answer 4

dependent variable

Question 5

Participants or subjects who recieve special treatment

Answer 5

experimental group

Question 6

Similar subjects who don’t recieve the treatment given to the experimental group

Answer 6

control group

Question 7

Factors besides the IV that might affect the DV; hence, they need to be controlled

Answer 7

extraenous variables

Question 8

Exists when two variables are related to each other

Answer 8

correlation

Question 9

Define positive correlation and negative correlation

Answer 9

• Positive correlation: variables co-vary in the same direction
• Negative correlation: variables co-vary in the opposite direction

Question 10

Numerical index of degree of relationship between two variables
Indicates the direction (positive or negative) of the relationship and how strongly the 2 variables are related

Answer 10

Correlation coefficient

Question 11

The closer the correlation to either -1.00 or +1.00, the ____ the relationship

Answer 11

Stronger

Question 12

Careful, systematic observation, but no intervention with subjects

Answer 12

naturalistic observation

Question 13

What is a case study?

Answer 13

An in-depth investigation of a single participant, typically involving data from many sources

Question 14

Questionnaires and interviews are used to gather information about specific aspects of participants’ behaviour

Answer 14

survey

Question 15

Exists when a sample is not representative of the population

Answer 15

Sampling bias

Question 16

Occur when participants’ expectations lead them to experience some change, even though they recieve empty or fake treatment.

Answer 16

Placebo effect

Question 17

Result from problems, such as social desirability bias and halo effects, that happen when participants give verbal accounts of their behaviour

Answer 17

Distortions in self-report data

Question 18

Occurs when a researcher’s expectations or preferences about the outcome of a study influence the results obtained

Answer 18

Experimenter bias

Question 19

A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables

tentative: not certain or fixed

Answer 19

Hypothesis

Question 20

Any measurable conditions, events, characteristics, or behaviours that are controlled or observed in a study

Answer 20

Variables

Question 21

A system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of obervations

Answer 21

Theory

Question 22

Occurs when two variables are linked in a way that makes it difficult to sort out their specific effects

Answer 22

A confounding of variables

confound: mix up (something) with something else so that the individual

Question 23

Occurs when a participant’s behaviour is altered by the presence of the observer

Answer 23

Reactivity

Question 24

The use of math to organize, summarize, and interpret numerical data

Answer 24

Statistics

Question 25

Used to organize and summarize data, provide an overview of numerical data

Answer 25

Descriptive statistics

Question 26

The arithmetic average of the scores in a distribution

Answer 26

Mean

Question 27

The score that falls exaclty in the middle of a distribution of scores

Answer 27

Median

Question 28

The most frequent score in a distribution

Answer 28

Mode

Question 29

An index of the amount of variability in a set of data

Answer 29

Standard deviation

An index is a way of compiling one score from a variety of questions or