chapter 3 (research methods with children and families)

Question 1

affective bias

Answer 1

a form of wishful thinking in which our perceptions are influenced by our desires, motives, and emotions.

Question 2

attrition

Answer 2

a threat to. study’s internal validity caused by the loss of participants over the course of the study.

Question 3

beneficence

Answer 3

an ethical principle that involves balancing the benefits of one’s actions against the risks or costs involved.

Question 4

case study

Answer 4

a research design that provides a detailed description of a person, group, or phenomenon.

Question 5

confirmatory bias

Answer 5

a form of selective thinking in which our perceptions are influenced by our beliefs, thoughts, and expectations.

Question 6

correlation coefficient (r)

Answer 6

a statistical measure of the strength and direction of the linear relationship between two variables.

Question 7

correlational study

Answer 7

a research design that examines the relationships between variables.

Question 8

critical thinking

Answer 8

a tendency to be skeptical and seek plausible alternative explanations for phenomena rather than rely on others’ beliefs or opinions.

Question 9

cross-sectional study

Answer 9

a type research design that examines the association between variables at the same point in time.

Question 10

debriefing

Answer 10

a feature of a study in which researchers describe the nature, results, and conclusions of the study and answer questions about the study that participants might have.

Question 11

deception

Answer 11

a feature of a study in which researchers deliberately provide false or incomplete information to participants in order to mislead them; can only be used under limited conditions.

Question 12

diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

Answer 12

a neuroimaging method that measures the density and volume of white matter in the brain to estimate connectivity between brain to estimate connectivity between brain regions.

Question 13

double-blind study

Answer 13

a research design in which neither participants nor researchers know which participants are receiving treatment and which are serving as controls.

Question 14

effect size (ES)

Answer 14

in meta-analysis, a number that reflects the weighted mean difference between treatment and control groups at the end of treatment outcome study.

Question 15

empirical data

Answer 15

information acquired through our senses, especially direct observation and careful measurement

Question 16

experiment

Answer 16

a research design that allows researchers to conclude causal relationships between variables; essential features include random assignment, the systematic manipulation of one variable, and holding all extraneous factors constant.

Question 17

external validity

Answer 17

the degree to which the results of a study generalize to other people and situations.

Question 18

falsifiability

Answer 18

the capacity for an idea to be proven wrong; an essential feature of all scientific hypotheses

Question 19

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Answer 19

a neuroimaging method that measures brain activity by detecting blood oxygen concentrations during a mental task.

Question 20

hypothesis

Answer 20

a specific, falsifiable prediction about the relationship between two or more variables.

Question 21

idiographic assessment

Answer 21

data collection that evaluates a person’s unique abilities, experiences, and behaviours.

Question 22

informed consent in research

Answer 22

an ethical requirement for all research studies; involves making sure that participants are aware of the purpose and nature of the study, agree to participate freely, and know that they can withdraw at any time.

Question 23

internal validity

Answer 23

the degree to which we can conclude that the manipulation of the independent variable in a study (ex: treatment) caused a corresponding change in the dependent variable (ex: outcome).

Question 24

longitudinal study

Answer 24

a type of research design that examines the association between variables at different points in time; specifies the temporal relationship between the variables.

Question 25

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Answer 25

a neuroimaging method in which a strong magnetic field is used to create a static, detailed image of the body.

Question 26

mediator

Answer 26

a variable that can help explain how two other variables are related; usually a continuous variable.

Question 27

meta-analysis

Answer 27

a statistical technique that is used to combine the results of multiple research studies into a single, overall, numerical result called an effect size.

Question 28

moderator

Answer 28

a variable that affects the direction or strength of two other variables; usually a categorical variable.

Question 29

nomothetic assessment

Answer 29

data collection that evaluates how groups of people typically think, feel, or act.

Question 30

nonequivalent groups study

Answer 30

a type of quasi-experimental study in which researchers compare treatment and control groups, but participants are not randomly assigned to these groups.

Question 31

nonmaleficence

Answer 31

an ethical principle that means avoiding harm or inflicting the least discomfort possible to reach a beneficial outcome.

Question 32

open-label study

Answer 32

a research design in which participants and researchers know which participants are receiving treatment and which are serving as controls.

Question 33

operational definition

Answer 33

a precise description of how a variable in a research study will be measured.

Question 34

parsimony

Answer 34

a scientific principle that dictates that simpler explanations should be selected over more complex.

Question 35

placebo effect

Answer 35

people’s tendency to alter their behaviour simply because they know that they are receiving treatment; a treat to internal validity.

Question 36

precision

Answer 36

care in the manner in which scientists collect data and draw conclusions from their observations.

Question 37

pretest-posttest study

Answer 37

a type of quasi-experimental study in which the same group of participants is assessed before and after treatment.

Question 38

pseudoscience

Answer 38

statements, beliefs, and practices that people claim to be evidence based but are incompatible with scientific thinking; based largely on biases, opinions, and appeals to authority.

Question 39

quasi-experimental study

Answer 39

a research method that involves the manipulation of an independent variable without the random assignment of participants to groups.

Question 40

random assignment

Answer 40

research method in which each participants has an equal chance of being part of each experimental condition; an essential feature of an experiment.

Question 41

random selection

Answer 41

a manner of recruiting participants for a research study in which each person in a given population has an equal chance of being included.

Question 42

randomized controlled trial

Answer 42

a special type of experiment used to test the efficacy of treatment; participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups.

Question 43

replication crisis

Answer 43

refers to the finding that the results of many scientific studies are difficult or impossible to reproduce.

Question 44

reproducibility

Answer 44

scientific principle that the results of research must be replicated before they are accepted.

Question 45

science

Answer 45

a set of principles and procedures that are used to guard against biased thinking; relies on the careful, systematic collection of data to understand ourselves and the world.

Question 46

scientific method

Answer 46

procedures used to gather, evaluate, and organize information about the natural world.

Question 47

selection bias

Answer 47

a systematic difference between participants in the treatment and control groups that can emerge when participants are not randomly assigned; a problem often seen in nonequivalent group studies.

Question 48

single subject study

Answer 48

a type of quasi-experimental study in which one participant’s behaviour is assessed over time, usually with and without treatment.

Question 49

theory

Answer 49

an integrated set of ideas that explain and predict broad aspects of behaviour or development.

Question 50

threats to internal validity

Answer 50

characteristics of research studies that limit our ability to make causal inferences: maturation, environmental factors, repeated testing, attrition, and selection bias.

Question 51

treatment as usual (TAU)

Answer 51

the most stringent type of control group in which participants are referred to practitioners in the community and receive whatever treatment they provide.