Chapter Two Flashcards
Describe the scientific method and steps of doing research
- Form a testable hypothesis
- Select the research method and design the study
- Collect the data
- Analyze the data and draw conclusions
- Report the findings
What is the operational definition
Describes the actions or operations that will be used to measure or control a variable
Explain the difference between correlational and experimental design
- experimental manipulates one variable to conclude a cause and effect about another variable
- correlational seeks to identify a relationship between two variables, which does not conclude anything about cause and effect
What is correlational research
- examines how variables are naturally related in the real world
- a correlation occurs when there is a relationship/association between variables
What are the methods of correlational research
- surveys
- Naturalistic observation
- Case studies
Explain why correlation is not causal
- does not equal causation
- directionality problem
- third variable problem
Positive correlation vs negative correlation
- positive= two variables change together in the same direction
- negative= two variables change together in opposite directions
What is the directionality problem in correlational research
You don’t know which variable causes which
What is the third variable problem in correlational research
An outside variable causes both variables to change
What are surveys
Interviews to gather information
What is naturalistic observation
Careful observation of behavior without intervening
What are case studies
An in depth investigation of an individual subject
What is experimental research
- the investigator manipulates a variable under carefully controlled decisions
- observes whether any changes occur in a second variable as a result
What are the pros and cons of experimental research
- PRO: permits conclusions about cause and effect relationships between variables
- CON: experiments are often artificial and cannot be used to answer some questions due to ethical concerns
Independent vs dependent variable
- independent— manipulated
- dependent- changes
Experimental vs control group
- experimental is given special treatment
- control is not given special treatment
What is the extraneous variable
Any variables other than the IV that seem to unintentionally influence the DV
What is random assignment
All subjects have an equal chance of being assigned to any group in the study
What is the sampling bias
A sample is not representative of the population
What is placebo effect
Participants’ expectations lead them to experience some change even though they don’t receive the treatment
Social desirability bias
Participants tend to give socially approved answers to questions about themselves
What is the halo effect
Someone’s overall impression of a person spills over to influence more specific behavior ratings
What is experimenter bias and what solves it
Experimenter’s expectations about the outcome of a study unintentionally influence the research procedure or the behavior of participants; solved by double blind procedure
What is the double blind procedure
Neither subjects nor experimenters know which subjects are in which group
