Module 2: Research Methods Flashcards
The steps of the scientific method:
- Identify the problem
- Gather Information
- Generate a hypothesis
- Design and conduct experiments
- Analyze data and formulate conclusions
- Restart the process
Descriptive Methods
Any means to capture, record, or otherwise, describe.a group. These methods are concerned with identifying “what is” rather that “why it is”
Participant Observation
A research method in which a researcher becomes part of the group under investigation
Naturalistic Observation
Observation of behaviour as it happens, without an attempt to manipulate or control the subjects’ natural environment
Field Experiments
An experiment that takes place in real world settings in which a researcher manipulates and controls the conditions of the behaviour under observation.
What are some disadvantages of naturalistic observation?
- Researchers lack control over the environment and the many different factors that can affect behaviour, THEREFORE, we may not always be sure of what is influencing behaviour.
- Researchers’ perspectives and bias may also influence the interpretation of behaviours they find relevant
A case study is:
An in-depth analysis of a unique circumstance or individual
Example of Case Study:
Phineas Gage, lost his eye as well as his easy going personality when a bar went right through his frontal lobe. This proved that personality changes happened in the frontal lobe of the brain.
Surveys are:
A method using questions to collect information on how people think or act.
The four types of biases
- Response Bias
- Acqueiscent Response Bias
- Socially Desirable Bias
- Volunteer Bias
Response Bias:
The tendency for people to answer the question the way they feel they are expected to answer or in systematic ways that are otherwise inaccurate.
Acqueiscent Response Bias:
The tendency for participants to agree or respond “yes” to all questions regardless of their actual opinions.
Socially Desirable Bias:
Participants respond to questions in ways that would be seen as acceptable by others.
What is illusory superiority?
The tendency to describe our own behaviour as better than average
Volunteer Bias:
A bias whereby only a motivated fraction of a population respond to a survey or participate in research
Research Ethics:
A set of principles or standards of behaviour for psychologists to follow in research
The Tuskegee Syphilis Study
he Tuskegee syphilis study was intended to follow the natural progression of syphilis, a contagious disease spread primarily through sexual contact. Over 600 African-American men, including 400 known to have already acquired syphilis, were recruited to participate in the study with the promise of free meals, medical treatment for “bad blood” (a generic term for a variety of ailments), and burial insurance (Reverby & Foster, 2010). Unfortunately, the researchers’ only goal was to follow the time course of the disease—they had no intention of treating participants for their “bad blood.” Over the 40-year span of the study, researchers misled participants about the actual purpose of the study and denied them medical treatment, despite numerous medical advances in the treatment of syphilis during this time. This negligence ultimately led to the preventable deaths of hundreds of participants and needlessly contributing to the spread of syphilis.
In 1972, the New York Times released a story about the Tuskegee syphilis study, and the public reacted in shock. Shortly thereafter, the government moved to establish federal ethical principles and guidelines outlining how all researchers should conduct research studies (Heller, 1972).
What are the general ethical principle of psychologists?
Principle A: Beneficence and Non-maleficence
Principle B: Fidelity and Responsibility
Principle C: Integrity
Principle D: Justice
Principle E: Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity
Principle A: Beneficence and Non-maleficence?
This states that research should strive to do good and avoid experiments that can intentionally harm participants.
Principle B: Fidelity and Responsibility?
This principle inspires researchers to maintain that trust. Researcher should remain loyal and faithful.
Principle C: Integrity?
This principle states that psychologists should engage in accurate, honest, and non-biased practices in the science, teaching, and practice of psychology
Principle D: Justice?
Strives to establish “equality” in the research process
Principle E: Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity?
States that each person is valued in the research process and that researchers should take measures to respect and protect participants’ rights, privacy, and welfare.
Informed consent:
The process whereby researchers work with participants to describe essential details of the study
An example of research deception?
Milgram’s Conformity Experiment
When two variables are ____________, the variables change in the same direction. One variable increases and the other increases as well.
positively correlated
When variables are negatively correlated, an ________ in one variable leads to a ________ in the other.
Increase, decrease
A _______ correlation indicates that there is no apparent relationship between variables.
zero
Confounding variable
Other variables that may influence one or both variables that we are measuring, thereby influencing the correlation coefficient
Independent Variable:
The variable that the experimenter will manipulate, and it must contain at least two levels.
Dependent Variable:
The variable that the experimenter counts or measures.
Internal Validity:
The degree to which results may be attributable to the independent variable rather than some other effect of our experiment.
External Validity:
The degree to which a result can be applied beyond the scope of the experiment
