Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

psychology > Key words > Flashcards

Key words Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
AP® Psychology flashcards Psychology 101 flashcards GRE® Psychology flashcards
1
Q

Independent variable

A

The variable that the experimenter changes is interested in its effect. We want to see the effect of the IV on the DV

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Dependent Variable

A

the thing we measure, it measures the effect of the IV

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Extraneous Variable

A

anything that affects the DV that isn’t the IV

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

confounding variable

A

If an extraneous variable does actually affect the experiment it is called a confounding variable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Laboratory experiment

A

takes place in an artificial environment with a high degree of control

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Field experiment

A

takes place in a natural environment, but the experimenter is still manipulating the IV

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Natural experiment

A

takes place in a natural environment and the experimenter is NOT manipulating the IV, but rather observing and using information produced by natural circumstances

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Control Condition

A

The IV is NOT present. This is the base level to compare the experimental condition with

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Experimental Condition

A

the IV IS present. You are testing the effect of the IV on the DV

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Experimental Group

A

Participants are exposed to the experimental condition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Control Group

A

Participants who are exposed to the control condition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

(independent groups design)

A

All participants who have been selected for an experiment are just as likely to be in one group as the other

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Demand Characteristics:

A

parts of the experiment may give away the aims and therefore cause participants to change their behaviour to do what they think they should (this can be conscious or unconscious)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Participant Variables

A

Individual differences between participants (can create differences in behaviour in a study and alter the outcome instead of differences being solely due to the IV)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Order Effects

A

Practice & fatigue effects are the consequences of participating in a study more than once (repeated measures design) and can cause changes in performance between conditions not due to the IV

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Practice Effect

A

Performance improves because the participant has experienced the experimental task more than once (due to learning or familiarity)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Fatigue Effect

A

Performance declines because the participant has done the task more than once (due to boredom or tiredness)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Counterbalancing

A

used to overcome order effects in a repeated measures design experiment. Each possible order of levels of the IV is done by different subgroups. Can be ABBA, BAAB, ABAB, BABA, etc.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Standardization

A
  • Keeping the procedure for each participant exactly the same to ensure that any differences between participants or conditions are due to the variables being tests rather than differences in how they were treated
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Reliability

A

The extent to which a procedure, task, or measure is consistent (eg. Do you get the same results each time you do it)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Validity

A

The extent to which the researcher is testing what they claim to be testing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Internal Validity

A

The extent to which a piece of evidence supports a claim about cause and effect, within the context of a particular study

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

External Validity

A

The validity of applying the conclusions of a scientific study outside the context of that study

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Ecological Validity

A

The extent to which the findings in one situation would generalise to other situations. This is influenced by whether the situation represents the real world effectively and whether the task is relevant to real life

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Mundane Realism

A
  • Is the task relevant to real life, or is it artificial and therefore participants treat it so?
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Generalisability

A

Can the findings be applied more widely?

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Self Reports

A

A participant gives the researched information about themselves directly

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Questionnaires

A

Written questions Could be a physical form or online

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Open questions

A

Asks for descriptive answers in the patient’s own words: Looks for detailed information, gets a more in-depth response

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Closed questions

A

Has a fixed set of answers: Can be yes/no, numerical, strongly disagree to strongly agree,

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

lack of inter-rater reliability

A

If more than one researcher is involved their interpretations may not be
consistent

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Social Desirability Bias

A

where participants lie to look more acceptable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

filler questions

A

can be used to disguise the real aim of a questionnaire - these aren’t analysed, they are just there to hide the real aim of the study

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

Interviews

A

The researcher usually asks questions face to face, but could also be over the phone, or online chat

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

Structured interview

A

an interview with questions in a fixed order, usually scripted

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Unstructured interview

A

an interview where most questions depend on the person’s answers.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

Semi-structured interview

A

an interview with a fixed list of open and closed questions. The interviewer can add more questions if they think it’s required

38
Q

Subjective

A

A personal viewpoint that can be biased by your own experiences, thoughts, emotions, or beliefs

39
Q

Objective

A

An unbiased, external viewpoint, not influenced by any personal experiences, thoughts, emotions, or beliefs

40
Q

Case Study

A

a detailed investigation of a single instance

41
Q

Validity

A

the quality of being logically or factually sound

42
Q

Reliability

A

the quality of being trustworthy

43
Q

Naturalistic observation

A

watching the participants’ behaviour in their normal environment without interference from the researchers in either the social or physical environment

44
Q

Controlled observation

A

watching the participants’ behaviour in a situation where the social or physical environment has been manipulated by the
researchers. It can be conducted in either the participants’ normal environment or an artificial situation

45
Q

Unstructured observation

A

the observer records the whole range of possible behaviours which is usually confined to a pilot stage at the beginning of a study to refine the behavioural categories to be observed

46
Q

Structured observation

A

the observer records only a limited range of behaviours

47
Q

Behavioural categories

A

the activities recorded in an observation that are clearly operationalised and broken into discrete and recordable events that are observable actions

48
Q

Participant observer

A

a researcher who watches from the perspective of being part of the social setting

49
Q

Non-participant observer

A

a researcher who doesn’t become involved in the situation being studied (eg. Watching through one-way glass or keeping apart from the participants)

50
Q

Overt observer

A

the role of the observer is obvious to the participants

51
Q

Covert observer

A

the role of the observer is not obvious to the participants (because they’re either hidden or disguised)

52
Q

Hypothesis

A

predicts a difference between levels of the IV, or a relationship between variables (correlation)

53
Q

Alternate hypothesis

A

predicts a difference of relationship between variables in a particular direction

54
Q

Non-directional (two-tailed) hypothesis

A

predicts only that one variable will be related to another, or that there will be a relationship between the measured variables in a correlation (in no particular direction)

55
Q

Directional (one-tailed) hypothesis

A

predicts that one variable will be related to another, or that there will be a relationship between the measured variables in a
correlation (in a particular direction)

56
Q

Null hypothesis

A

predicts that any difference or correlation in the results is due to chance, ie. that no pattern in the results is because of the variables

57
Q

Population

A

Everyone in the target group

58
Q

Sample

A

A part of the target group you plan to study, representative of the population

59
Q

Sampling technique

A

the method used to obtain the participants for a study

60
Q

Opportunity sampling

A

participants are chosen because they are available

61
Q

Volunteer (self-selected) sample

A

participants are invited to participate and choose to

62
Q

Random sample

A

all members of the population are equally able to be selected in an unbiased way

63
Q

Qualitative

A

descriptive, in-depth results showing the quality of something (such as open questions or detailed observations)

64
Q

Quantitative

A

numerical results about something (such as a test score or pulse rate)

65
Q

Measures of Central Tendency:

A

Mean, Median, Mode

66
Q

Mean

A

the average

67
Q

Median

A

the exact middle

68
Q

Mode

A

the most common

69
Q

Measures of spread:

A

Range, Standard deviation

70
Q

Range

A

From the lowest to the highest

71
Q

Standard Deviation

A

how far away a score is from the mean

72
Q

Single Blind Study

A

the participants don’t know whether they’re in the control of the experimental group

73
Q

Double Blind Study

A

neither the participants nor the experimenter/s don’t know whether they’re in the control of the experimental group

74
Q

Informed Consent

A

knowing enough about a study to decide whether you will agree to participate

75
Q

Right To Withdraw

A

participants should know that they can remove themselves, and their data, at any time (before, during, or after the experiment)

76
Q

Privacy

A

participants’ emotions & physical space should not be invaded (eg. They should not be observed in places or situations where they don’t expect to be seen)

77
Q

Confidentiality

A

participants’ results and personal information should be kept safely and not released to anyone outside of the study

78
Q

Debriefing

A

Giving participants a full explanation of the aims and potential consequences of the study at the end of a study is vital, so that they leave in at least as positive a condition as they arrived

79
Q

Deception

A

Participants should not be deliberately misinformed (lied to) about the aim of procedure of the study, however this is not always possible. If this is unavoidable, the study should be planned to minimise the risk of distress, and participants should be fully debriefed

80
Q

Replacement

A

researchers should consider replacing animals with alternatives like videos from previous studies or computer simulations

81
Q

Species & Strain

A

the chosen species and strain should be the one least likely to suffer pain or distress. Were they bred in captivity? Have they been in previous experiments? What is their ability to think and feel?

82
Q

Number of Animals

A

only the minimum number should be needed to get reliable and valid results (good experimental design is vital for this)

83
Q

Procedures on Pain & Distress

A

research causing death, disease, injury, physical or psychological distress or discomfort should be avoided where
possible

84
Q

Housing

A

Isolation and crowding can cause distress, so cage conditions should depend on the social behaviour of the creature

85
Q

Reward, Deprivation, & Averse Stimuli

A

Using deprivation of the normal feeding or drinking patterns of the animals should be considered so that their needs can be satisfied. The use of rewards should be considered rather than the use of punishments to control behaviour

86
Q

Anaesthesia, Analgesia, & Euthanasia

A

Animals should be protected from pain using appropriate anaesthesia and analgesia for surgeries, and euthanised if suffering lasting pain

87
Q

Operant Conditioning

A

learning through the consequences of our actions

88
Q

Behaviour reinforcement

A

When we do something that has a good consequence, we are more likely to repeat it

89
Q

Positive Reinforcement

A

adding something good (a positive reward), like chocolate or praise

90
Q

Negative Reinforcement

A

the removal of something bad (still a reward), like eating to remove the feeling of hunger

91
Q
A

psychology (11 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions