Midterm one (current) Flashcards
Why is psychology considered a science?
- psychology methods uses empirical and systematic approach to collect evidence
- science is also the study of doing many trials of different experiments that can lead to applicable results (this is idea if displayed in psychology research)
- we are able to use different methods found in the scientific world, such as the scientific theory to eliminate and collect viable data
What is an empirical approach in science?
- knowledge that is acquired through observations
What is a systematic approach to science
- this is the act of planning for objectively collecting information
What is this a scientific theory?
- an explanation for a large number or findings in the natural world
What is a hypothesis?
- this is the idea of a testable prediction that can be reached through following the scientific theory
What is the relationship between skepticism and science?
- both science and skepticism focus on the evaluation of different evidence. However skepticism focuses on evaluating claims with an open mind and science does not fully focus on this specific idea)
- Both focus on the collection of repeatible evidence that focus on proving a theory as valid
- both skepticism and science both focus on the consistant re-evaluation of evidence to fit a theory
How does science differ from pseudoscience?
- pseudoscience lacks the scientific safeguards that help prevent insufficent evidence
- it doesn’t produce un-bias findings
What are the different framework of scientific thinking and how do they related to research methods?
1) Ruling out rival hypotheses
- this method allows for research to consider alternative explanations for findings to explain weather the results comes from that specific findings
2) Correlation is not causation
- this framework allows us to be able to identify the different forms of variables that are exhibited in an experiment setting. This framework allows does not limit us to the causal inference research designs
3) Falsifiability
- this framework allows us to explore and focus on concepts that are actually testable
4) Replicability
- this framework allows us to examine the different evidence we collect and make sure we eliminate the idea that they may have be collected by chance
5) Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence
- if a claim goes against what we already know then evidence must be very counter agrumentive, for research purpose this allows us to continue to narrow out further the different aspects that our theories cover
6) Occam’s razor
- this theory allows use to find and express the simplist explanations for an event with multiple explanations which ultimately also allows us to account for the right amount of data
What is the purpose of good research methods designs
- good research designs allow for us to avoid biases when evaluating information
- good researchs helps us eliminate different baises by seeing the world how it actually presents itself
define system 1 thinking
- this system of thinking is known as intuitive thinking and tends to be the quick and reflex form of thinking that requires little mental effort
- this form of thinking tends to lead to many more errors
- this form of thinking is avoided through proper research methods
- this form of thinking uses heuristics (aka mental short cuts)
Define system 2 thinking
- this tends to be the idea of analytical thinking that is slow and reflective and requires a lot more mental effort
- this form of thinking tends to be used to figure out an answer to a problem or trying to understand basic concepts
briefly describe the concept of observational research.
- this is a form of research in which behaviour is systematically watched and recorded
What are the different forms of observational research in terms of research designs?
1) naturalistic observation
2) participant observation - when the observer becomes a part of the group or social setting being studied
3) Structured observation - when researchers shape the setting that they want to observe
Briefly describe the research design of naturalistic observation. What are its advantages and limitations?
- this is a form of observational research in which we watch the behaviour of different species in a real-world settings without manipulating factors that influence the outcomes
strengths: - this leads to research findings that are able to be applied to the real world in one way (ecological validity)
- this leads to findings that can be applied to other contexts besides the research settings (external validity)
Limitations: - this form of experimentation lacks the ability to draw cause-and effect inferences (lacks internal validity) . this means we are unable to manipulate certain variables that apply to the situation
- once the species finds out that we are observing behaviour, it can cause behaviour to change accordingly (reactivity)
Briefly describe the research design known as case studies. List it’s limitations and strengths
- case studies examine one person or a smaller population in depth usually over an extended period of time (this design tends to collect information regarding a certain event)
strengths: - proves that something ultimately exists and the details behind its existences
- you tend to collect in depth and rich topics on one certain event
- flexibility of dat collection techniques
- by being able to go more in depth in some topics lets use prove or disprove existing evidence
limitations: - this research design does not activily eliminate different biases
- lack internal validity (we have no degree of control over the feedback we receive)
- lack external validity meaning that we are not capable of drawing generalization
briefly describe the research method of survey research. Describe its limitations and strengths
- this research design uses questionnaires to gather information about people (this method can be used to be descriptive or can be used to test hypotheses). this method also allows us to focus on populations (cases of direct interest), samples (observations from the populations), and representative samples (a group that reflect important characteristics of a population)
limitations: - different questions can be answered based on the viewpoint or preferable to another
- can lead to loaded questions which are certain words that change the response given based off of option and viewpoint of those specific words
- these methods lack personal insight
strengths: - it is convenient and tends to have positive results
- many questions need to be asked directly
breifly describe the research design of correlational designs. List the strengths and limitations.
- This is a research design that focuses on examining the association between two variables. these associations will be either positive (both variables either increase or decrease), negative (one variable will increase while the second decreases), or no/zero (there is no association between different variables. Correlations will produce a range of -1.0 to
+1.0 (when the pearson’s r value is closer to either one of the one values then there is a stronger correlation)
strengths: - allows for us to notice patterns within the variables that are being examined
limitations: - can cause us to create incorrect inferences
- can lead to a bi-directionality problem (trying to seek a variable that might cause both variables)
- predictions that we find during these forms of research may not be capable of producing perfect predictions
Describe the different between experimentation and the other methods of research designs
- an experiment allows us to make causal inferences by manipulating variables to measure
- experiments also use random assignment of participants to conditions
What is an independent variable
- a variable that is manipulated by the researcher
- this variable is said to be the variables that is the cause in cause and effect relationship
what is a dependent variable?
- this is the variable that changes in response to the change of the independent variable
What are the different forms/categories of experimental research?
-random assignment: participants in the experiments are randomly sorted into different groups
- experimental groups: the group of participants that receives the manipulation
- control groups: the groups of participants that do not receive manipulation
What is a between-participant design in terms of experimental designs
- this happens when researches assign there participates into different groups where they are only tested in one of the conditions that are proposed by experiment
What is the within-participant design in terms of experimental designs
- this happens when the researches set up the experiments where the participants part take in all of the testable conditions available that the experiment is testing for
- this form of experimentation focuses on the particapants to act as their control groups
What does random assignment need in terms of the experimental designs?
- random assignment refers to the sorting the groups of participants into different groups, this allows for the minimization of difference in aspects of participants such as gender, religion, race, etc.
