Exam #1 Chapter: Research Methods Flashcards
What are the steps of the scientific method?
- Ask a Question
- Do Background Research
- Construct a Hypothesis
- Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment
- Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion
- Communicate Your Results
What is theory?
An organized set of principles that describes, predicts, and explains some phenomenon
What is hypothesis?
A specific testable prediction, often derived from a theory
What is a “population”?
A “population” consists of all the subjects you want to study
What is a “sample”?
A “sample” is selecting a group of subjects for a study in such a way that the individuals represent the larger group from which they were selected.
What are case studies?
A type of research that involves making in-depth observations of individual persons. (Example: Genie the Wild Child)
What are surveys?
A research method that involves interviewing or giving questionnaires to a large number of people.
What is correlation?
a measure of the relationship between two variables, represented by “r”
Correlations show patterns, not causes
What is a positive correlation?
variables related in same direction
What is negative correlation?
variables related in opposite direction
What is an experimental design?
an investigator manipulates one or more factors (independent variables) to observe their effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent variable) , by random assignment of participants the experiment controls other relevant factors, Looking towards causal relationship
What is an independent variable?
Is any variable that the researcher manipulates in an experiment
What is a dependent variable?
is the variable that is being measured in an experiment and is thought to respond to the change in the IV
What is an experimental group?
The group which receives the manipulation in the experiment
What is a control group?
Treated same as experimental group without the manipulation, thus allowing it to serve as a comparison
What is the experimenter effect?
when the researchers expectations significantly influence the outcome of the study (Example: Case of the Maze-Bright Rats)
What is the researcher participator bias?
when the participant changes their behavior based on their expectations of the study (Example: The Hawthorne Effect)
What is the Nocebo Effect?
A negative attitude or expectation that leads to harm and/or other undesirable outcomes
What is the placebo effect?
any effect on behavior caused by administration of an inert substance or condition, which is assumed to be an active agent (Example: Pain Killer and the Cold Pressor Test)
What is the single blind experiment?
Experiments where the participant doesn’t know whether they are in the experimental or control group
What is the double-blind experiment?
Experiments where both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo (Example: Dilantin and Aggression Study)
