Experimental methods

Question 1

4 main problems with PURE OBSERVATION

Answer 1

1. not always possible
2. not always true
3. can change over time
4. not universal (opinionated)

Question 2

How to deal with reliability of observations?

Answer 2

1. Openness: Publicly available data
2. Falsifiable hypotheses
3. Double-Blind

Question 3

Operationalization

Answer 3

Turn abstract concepts into measurable observations e.g. How to measure attraction?

Question 4

Confirmatory vs exploratory studies

Answer 4

The former starts with a falsifiable hypothesis and data collected is used to confirm or contradict the hypothesis.

The latter starts off by collecting data and finding patterns to later form a hypothesis.

Question 5

What makes a good instrument?

Answer 5

Validity
Reliability
Power/sensitivity

Question 6

Why does correlation not mean causation?

Answer 6

Directionality and third variable problems

Question 7

Demand characteristics

Answer 7

Characteristics that hint at or tell participants what a study is trying to observe or investigate.

Question 8

Spurious correlations

Answer 8

Strongly correlated variables that we know are not causally related

Question 9

Operational definition

Answer 9

Statement of procedures a researcher uses to measure a concept or variable.

Question 10

What factors make a good operational definition?

Answer 10

Precise, specific and quantifiable.