Lecture 2 Research methods

Question 1

Social Analysis

Answer 1

seeks to understand the Hows & whys of human social behaviour by theory development and repeated experiments

Question 2

2 categories of research

Answer 2

applied: field research
basic: test tube lab research

Question 3

Ways of Knowing

Answer 3

Intuition
Tradition
Authorities
Logic
Scientific method

Question 4

5 steps of the Scientific Method

Answer 4

identify research problem
generate hypothesis
collect and analyze data
interpret findings
generate conclusions

Question 5

3 types of Scientific research

Answer 5

Descriptive (in-depth portrayals)
Predictive (directional relationships and generalize future events)
Explanatory (provides why or how with theory like a blueprint)

Question 6

Cognitive Theories

Answer 6

individual is a thinking person

internal states

Question 7

variable

Answer 7

attributes or characteristics that change or vary taking on more than one value

Question 8

independent variable

Answer 8

manipulated variable that explains or causes the study outcomes

Question 9

dependent variable

Answer 9

phenomenon of interest expected to change because of manipulating the independent variable

Question 10

extraneous variable

Answer 10

variable other than IV that could influence DV

Question 11

Hypothesis

Answer 11

educated guess regarding outcome of research study

Question 12

Null Hypothesis

Answer 12

no relationship between variables under study

Question 13

Alternative Hypothesis

Answer 13

educated guess regarding independent variable

Question 14

causality

Answer 14

process of identifying agents that when manipulated bring about desired changes in DV’s of interest

Question 15

3 conditions of causal inference

Answer 15

IV correlated with DV
IV before DV
all possible extraneous variables must be ruled out

Question 16

measurement

Answer 16

assigning numbers to variables

Question 17

nominal measurement

Answer 17

assigning numbers to variables only as labels

Question 18

ordinal measurement

Answer 18

assigning numbers to variables so that it can be rank ordered

Question 19

interval measurement

Answer 19

numbers to variables so that distances are equal (actual measurement)

Question 20

ratio measurement

Answer 20

so that a true zero exists

Question 21

Psychometrics

Answer 21

assessment of psychological variables using numbers

Question 22

observed score =

Answer 22

true score + measurement error

Question 23

2 types of validity

Answer 23

internal (cause & effect)

external (generalizability)

Question 24

test validity:

Answer 24

content: representing well
criterion: do test scores reflect construct

Question 25

Face validity

Answer 25

does it make sense

Question 26

3 types of research design

Answer 26

Randomized experimental design (randomly assigns participants to different conditions and manipulates independent variable)
Quasi-experimental designs (does not randomly assign participants to different conditions)
Non-expirimental