Exam #1 Chapter: Research Methods

Question 1

What are the steps of the scientific method?

Answer 1

• 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

Question 2

What is theory?

Answer 2

An organized set of principles that describes, predicts, and explains some phenomenon

Question 3

What is hypothesis?

Answer 3

A specific testable prediction, often derived from a theory

Question 4

What is a “population”?

Answer 4

A “population” consists of all the subjects you want to study

Question 5

What is a “sample”?

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

What are case studies?

Answer 6

A type of research that involves making in-depth observations of individual persons. (Example: Genie the Wild Child)

Question 7

What are surveys?

Answer 7

A research method that involves interviewing or giving questionnaires to a large number of people.

Question 8

What is correlation?

Answer 8

a measure of the relationship between two variables, represented by “r”
Correlations show patterns, not causes

Question 9

What is a positive correlation?

Answer 9

variables related in same direction

Question 10

What is negative correlation?

Answer 10

variables related in opposite direction

Question 11

What is an experimental design?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

What is an independent variable?

Answer 12

Is any variable that the researcher manipulates in an experiment

Question 13

What is a dependent variable?

Answer 13

is the variable that is being measured in an experiment and is thought to respond to the change in the IV

Question 14

What is an experimental group?

Answer 14

The group which receives the manipulation in the experiment

Question 15

What is a control group?

Answer 15

Treated same as experimental group without the manipulation, thus allowing it to serve as a comparison

Question 16

What is the experimenter effect?

Answer 16

when the researchers expectations significantly influence the outcome of the study (Example: Case of the Maze-Bright Rats)

Question 17

What is the researcher participator bias?

Answer 17

when the participant changes their behavior based on their expectations of the study (Example: The Hawthorne Effect)

Question 18

What is the Nocebo Effect?

Answer 18

A negative attitude or expectation that leads to harm and/or other undesirable outcomes

Question 19

What is the placebo effect?

Answer 19

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)

Question 20

What is the single blind experiment?

Answer 20

Experiments where the participant doesn’t know whether they are in the experimental or control group

Question 21

What is the double-blind experiment?

Answer 21

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)