Midterm 1

Question 1

Two goals of scientific psychology

Answer 1

Understand / explain and predict

Question 2

Is science a subject or a way of thinking?

Answer 2

Way of thinking - leads us to testable explanations of our observation

Question 3

What is a scientific theory?

Answer 3

Explanations of our observation

Question 4

Do we use the term Prove?

Answer 4

No, research simply generates evidence that can support or contradict a theory

Question 5

What is the scientific method?

What are the two methods its based on?

Answer 5

Systematic approach to investigating research questions

1. Empirical method
2. Hypothetico-deductive method

Question 6

What is the empirical method

Answer 6

1. Observation - gathering data

2. Induction - abstracting the patterns from the data

Question 7

Empirical observation

Answer 7

Objectivity - only record obj. behaviours and avoid assumptions
- this requires training (have a tendency to rely on intuition)

Question 8

Empirical induction

Answer 8

Comparing enough data typically yields patterns

- moving from particular instances to a generalized patter is induction - resulting statement is the theory

Question 9

What is a hypothesis

Answer 9

Precise statement about the assumed relationship between variables - aims to answer the research question

Question 10

What are research predictions

Answer 10

Outlined by the hypothesis, expressed in terms of observable measures

Question 11

What is the Hypothetico Deductive method

Answer 11

Theories are evaluated by generating and testing hypothesis

Question 12

What is Deduction?

Answer 12

The process of moving from theory to observations

Question 13

What is Replication

Answer 13

Results from one exp are not sufficient to support a theory

Especially likely in psychology - behaviour is varied and flexible

Question 14

When are replicating likely done

Answer 14

Most likely when the cases have important implications

Question 15

Do Researchers need to exactly replicate the study?

Answer 15

Not, they can vary the sample, the task and the measurement

Question 16

Why do we Disconfirm theories

Answer 16

To demonstrate the limitations of any effect

Learning about when theories dont apply can help us better understand the phenomena

Question 17

Falsifiability - definition and reason

Answer 17

Theories must be stated in terms that make them falsifiable

To allow for tests to show it to be false if this is the case

Question 18

Literature search

Answer 18

Survey of current literature in an area

Often uses databases like psychinfo or google scholar

Question 19

Identifying keywords

Answer 19

Mechanisms of searches vary by database, but combining keywords is often the best strategy

Question 20

Types of studies

Answer 20

1. Primary source articles
2. Review articles
3. Meta analysis

Question 21

Purpose of primary source articles

Answer 21

• provide the methodology, analyses and results

Question 22

Purpose of review articles

Answer 22

• provides critiques of research and point out gaps in the knowledge base

Question 23

Purpose of meta-analysis articles

Answer 23

• stats techniques to analyze the results of many primary sources
• determine the effect size of a given variable on another set of variables

Question 24

How to evaluate a research article

Answer 24

1. consider the authors level of expertise
2. Journal’s impact factor
   - this refers to the influence the journal has on the community
   - higher the impact factor, more prestigious the publication

Question 25

What questions do we consider when evaluating a research article?

Answer 25

1. does the literature contain current info and key references
2. Is it designed appropriately
3. Was it executed correctly
4. Were the stat analysis appropriate?
5. Were the results meaningful
6. Do the conclusions follow from the findings

Question 26

What are the main features of a psychological investigation?

Answer 26

1. Variables - the human char. or behaviours that we study
2. Samples - who do we study
3. Design - how the the hypothesis be tested?
4. Analysis - what type of evidence will be obtained? in what form?

Question 27

Where do research funds typically come from?

Answer 27

• university or hospital units
• gov. agencies
• private companies
• charities
• Private benefactors

Question 28

what are the four major agencies for funding research in Canada?

Answer 28

1. SSHRC (Social sciences and humanities research council)
2. NSERC (national sciences and engineering research council of Canada)
3. CIHR (Canadian institutes of Health research)
   - health research for university and hospitals, typically neuro, clinical psych and health psychology
4. CFI (Canadian foundation for innovation)
   - funding for infrastructure, like equipment and labs

Question 29

Process of acquiring funding

Answer 29

Grant applications get peer reviewed

Each application is scored on a standardized scale, must achieve a certain score to be considered

Question 30

Major tasks of conducting a study

Answer 30

Preparation, data collection and analysis, report writing

Completion time depends on the nature of the investigation (generally 1-4 years)

Question 31

Writing results

Answer 31

APA format (title, keywords, abstract, intro, method, stat analysis, results, discussion and limitations)

Question 32

Things to take into account when finding a publisher

Answer 32

1. Impact factor of the journal
2. publishing likelihood
3. publishing timeframe
4. Peer review

Question 33

Once submitted to a publisher …

Answer 33

Journal’s editorial board will determine its worth

- provide written feedback, may accept the article, reject it or suggest revisions.