Methods Flashcards
5 steps of research
Hypothesize, Operationalize, Measure, Evaluate, Revise/Replicate (H.O.M.E.R)
Theory
A general question about a topic of interest
Hypothesize
Coming up with a testable prediction about the conditions under which an event will occur
Observational method
Used to describe the nature of a phenomenon (Y)
* Questions:
* What is Y?
* What happened to Y when X is set at a certain level?
* Does Y exist?
3 main study designs
Observational, Correlational, Experimental (O.C.E)
Correlational method
Examines the association between two variables
-Questions:
-How does Y change when X changes?
-Is Y associated with/related to X?
-Can you predict Y by knowing what X is?
Experimental method
Manipulate one variable to see the effect on another variable
-Questions:
-When X is systematically manipulated, what effect does this have on Y?
-Does X cause Y?
Experimental group
The group that receives/experiences/has the manipulated/changing/dependent variable
Control group
The group that receives/experiences/has no abnormal or studyable variable
Independent variable (A.K.A: IV or X)
The variable that is manipulated to observe its effect on DV
Dependent variable (A.K.A: DV or Y)
The variable that is measured to see if it was influenced by IV
Random Assignment
Each participant in your study has to have an equal chance of being in any condition
(-This way you make sure that the only difference between the different conditions is the IV
-Ensures participants in the random groups share roughly the same characteristics
-Accomplished by coin flipping, random number tables, packet shuffling etc.)
Representative sampling
A sample that closely matches the characteristics of its population as a whole
Random sampling
A sample that randomly selected people from a population
Internal validity
-Have you adequately controlled alternative explanations (third variables) for your effect?
-Can you be sure that X actually caused Y?
External Validity
-Would your findings hold up with variations in the situation, different participants, different types of manipulations, etc.?
-External validity has to do with generalizability
Construct Validity
Do you operationalization really represent your conceptualizations?
Generalizability
Findings can be generalized to the larger population
Mundane Realism
The extent to which an experiment is similar to real life situations
Psychological Realism
The extent to which psychological processes triggered in an experiment are similar to psychological processes that occur in everyday life
Research Ethics
All scientist have a responsibility to be ethical and test participants fairly
Minimizing risk:
-Clear all studies with an institutional review board
-Reduce undue or irreversible stress
-Ask for participants’ informed consent
-Guarantee participants’ confidentiality
-Allow participants to leave the study at any time
-Debrief participants at the conclusion of the study
-Explain purpose of the study
-Explain any deception involved
-Remove any negative psychological effects
Conceptualization
Defining and specifying the key concepts in research to avoid misinterpretation
Operationalization
Deciding and defining how something will be tested
