Chapter6 Flashcards
accuracy
The extent to which an experimental measure is free from error.
brain imaging
A range of experimental techniques that make brain structures and brain activity visible.
case study
A research method that involves the intensive examination of one person.
central tendency
A measure that represents the typical behavior of the group as a whole.
confound
Anything that affects a dependent variable and may unintentionally vary between the experimental conditions of a study.
control (or comparison) group
The participants in a study that receive no intervention or an intervention different from the one being studied.
correlational study
A research method that examines how variables are naturally related in the real world, without any attempt by the researcher to alter them.
cross-sectional studies
A research method that compares participants in different groups (e.g., young and old) at the same time.
culturally sensitive research
Studies that take into account the ways culture affects thoughts, feelings, and actions.
data
Objective observations or measurements.
dependent variable
In an experiment, the measure that is affected by manipulation of the independent variable.
descriptive statistics
Overall summary of data.
descriptive studies
A research method that involves observing and noting the behavior of people or other animals in order to provide a systematic and objective analysis of behavior.
directionality problem
When researchers find a relationship between two variables in a correlational study, they cannot determine which variable may have caused changes in the other variable.
electroencephalogram (EEG)
A device that measures electrical activity in the brain.
experiment
A study that tests causal hypotheses by measuring and manipulating variables.
experimental (or treatment) group
The participants in a study that receive the intervention.
experimenter expectancy effect
Actual change in the behavior of the people or animals being observed that is due to observer bias.
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
An imaging technique used to examine changes in the activity of the working human brain.
hypothesis
A specific prediction of what should be observed in the world if a theory is correct.
independent variable
In an experiment, the condition that is manipulated by the experimenter to examine its impact on the dependent variable.
inferential statistics
A set of procedures used to make judgments about whether differences actually exist between sets of numbers.
institutional review boards (IRBs)
Groups of people responsible for reviewing proposed research to ensure that it meets the accepted standards of science and provides for the physical and emotional well-being of research participants.
longitudinal studies
A research method that measures the same participants multiple times.
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
A method of brain imaging that produces high-quality images of the brain.
mean
A measure of central tendency that is the arithmetic average of a set of numbers.
median
A measure of central tendency that is the value in a set of numbers that falls exactly halfway between the lowest and highest values.
meta-analysis
A “study of studies” that combines the findings of multiple studies to arrive at a conclusion.
mode
A measure of central tendency that is the most frequent score or value in a set of numbers.
naturalistic observation
A passive descriptive study in which observers do not change or alter ongoing behavior.
observational technique
A research method of careful and systematic assessment and coding of overt behavior.
observer bias
Systematic errors in observation that occur because of an observer’s expectations.
participant observation
A type of descriptive study in which the researcher is actively involved in the situation.
population
Everyone in the group the experimenter is interested in.
positron emission tomography (PET)
A method of brain imaging that assesses metabolic activity by using a radioactive substance injected into the bloodstream.
random assignment
The procedure for placing research participants into the conditions of an experiment in which each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any level of the independent variable.
reactivity
When the knowledge that one is being observed alters the behavior being observed.
reliability
The extent to which a measure is stable and consistent over time in similar conditions.
replication
Repetition of an experiment to confirm the results.
research
Scientific process that involves the systematic and careful collection of data.
response performance
A research method in which researchers quantify perceptual or cognitive processes in response to a specific stimulus.
sample
A subset of a population.
scatterplot
A graphical depiction of the relationship between two variables.
scientific method
A systematic procedure of observing and measuring phenomena to answer questions about what happens, when it happens, what causes it, and why.
selection bias
When participants in different groups in an experiment differ systematically.
self-report method
A method of data collection in which people are asked to provide information about themselves, such as in questionnaires or surveys.
standard deviation
A statistical measure of how far away each value is, on average, from the mean.
theory
A model of interconnected ideas and concepts that explains what is observed and makes predictions about future events.
third variable problem
When the experimenter cannot directly manipulate the independent variable and therefore cannot be confident that another, unmeasured variable is not the actual cause of differences in the dependent variable.
transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
The use of strong magnets to briefly interrupt normal brain activity as a way to study brain regions.
validity
The extent to which the data collected address the research hypothesis in the way intended.
variability
In a set of numbers, how widely dispersed the values are from each other and from the mean.
variable
Something in the world that can be measured and that can vary.
