INTRO TO RESEARCH METHODS Flashcards
What is thinking or feeling without reasoning or evidence
Intuition
What is acquiring knowledge from a highly respected source
Authority
What is acquiring knowledge from logic and reasoning
Rationalism
What is acquiring knowledge from experience and observation
Empiricism
What is science
Intuition, Authority, Rationalism and Empiricism
What is reasoning that goes from specific to general
Inductive reasoning
What is reasoning that goes from general to specific
Deductive reasoning
What is logical positivism in relation to hypothesis testing
Statement is meaningful only when it can be verified by observation or experience.
What was Karl Poppers approach to hypothesis testing
Falsificationism
What is Falsificationism
To try to vigorously disprove a hypothesis. If you can’t then the hypothesis might be true
What is Naturalism
Empirical adequacy which accounts for most of the observable phenomena
What are the 3 assumptions underlying scientific research
Uniformity, reality & discoverability
What is uniformity
The assumption that there must be underlying relationships between some events in nature
What is reality
What we perceive with our senses must be real
What is Discoverability
The assumption that we can discover the regularities that exist in nature.
What are the 4 characteristics of science
Control & Placebo, operationalism, replication & meta-analysis
What is control
The control of variables in an experiment
What is the placebo effect
improvements due to participants’ expectations rather than the actual treatment
What is Operationalism
Specific and consistent definitions of the variables and how they are measured
What is replication
Before we can trust the results, we need to be able to replicate the results
What is meta-analysis
A quantitative technique for describing the relationship between variables across multiple studies
What is a Theory
Explanation of phenomena through analysis of facts, usually suggesting further hypothesis and research
What are the 3 parts in the role of Theory
- integrates existing data
- explains results of previous research
- encourages continuous theory and observation
What is the inductive part of science
The context of discovery
What is the deductive part of science
The context of justification
What are the 4 qualities a scientist should possess
- curiosity
- patience
- objectivity
- comfort with change
What are the 4 objectives of Psychological research
- Description
- Explanation
- Prediction
- Control
What is the description in psychological research
portraying the phenomenon accurately
What is the explanation in psychological research
Identifying the causes of the phenomenon
What is the prediction in psychological research
Anticipation of outcome and identifying risk factors
What is the control in psychological research
manipulation of the conditions
When we search for evidence of what we already believe to be true, this is called
Confirmation Bias
What are the 6 data collection methods
- Tests
- Surveys
- Interviews
- Focus groups
- Observation
- Existing data
What data collection method has high reliability and Validity
Tests
What data collection method has moderately high reliability and validity as well as cost-effectiveness and provides anonymity
Questionnaires and surveys
What data collection method has moderately high reliability and validity but is time consuming and expensive with a potential for bias
Interviews
What data collection method is not useful when you are trying to measure your variables
Focus groups
What data collection method is best over a short period of time
Observation
What kind of time-based research can’t comment on the direction of the relationship but is inexpensive and efficient
a cross-sectional study
What kind of time-based research can comment on the direction of the relationship but is expensive and time consuming
a Longitudinal study
Where do research ideas come from
Usually, practical issues where a better technique is needed
When conducting research, once you have a research topic, what is the next step
Conduct a critical review to find out what is and isn’t known about the topic
When conducting research, once you have done your critical review, what is the next step
Write the research question about 2 or more variables that allow for empirical research that can be observed and measured
When conducting research, once you have done your research question, what is the next step
Writing a hypothesis about the relationship between the variables that is clear and easily testable
What are the 4 considerations of feasibility of a study
- time
- expense
- ethical
- effort required to collect data
