Overall terms Flashcards
How does the nervous system enable psychological functioning?
Define accuracy
relates to how close a measurement is to the true value of the quantity being measured
define precision
refers to how closely a set of measurement values agree with each other, gives no indication of how close they are to the true value
define repeatability
closeness of the agreement between the results of successive measurements of the same quantity being measured, carried out under the same conditions of measurement. These conditions include the same measurement procedure, same observer, same measuring instrument used under the same conditions, same location and repetition over a short period of time.
define reproducibility
closeness of the agreement between results of measurements of the same quantity being measured, carried out under changed conditions of measurement. These different conditions include a different method of measurement, different observer, different measuring instrument, different location, different conditions of use, different time and/or different cultures.
define internal validity
if a psychological investigation investigates what it sets out and/or claims to investigate
consider:
- the appropriateness of investigation design, sampling and allocation techniques
- impact of extraneous and confounding variables on investigation results
lack of internal validity = study results deviate from the truth and no conclusions can be drawn
external validity
if the results of research can be applied to similar individuals in different settings
lack = results aren’t applicable to individuals different from the study population
can be increased thru using broad inclusion criteria and sampling techniques, resulting in a study population more closely resembling the overall general human population
define true value
value (s), that would be found if quantity could be measured perfectly
(correct value)
define beneficence
commitment to maximising benefits and minimising risks and harms involved
define integrity
commitment to searching for knowledge and understanding, the honest reporting of all sources of info and results, whether favourable or unfavourable, in ways that permit scrutiny and contribute to public knowledge and understandingd
define justice
moral obligation to ensure that there is fair consideration of competing claims; that there is no unfair burden on a particular group from an action; and that there is fair distribution and access to the benefits of an action
non-maleficence
involves avoiding causation of harm, if harm is unavoidable, it should not be disproportionate to the benefits of any position or course of action
respect
involves protecting & empowering values, such as welfare, liberty, autonomy, beliefs, perceptions, customs and cultural heritages as well as ability to make individual decisions
list the 5 ethical concepts
beneficence, integrity, justice, non-maleficence, respect
list the 6 ethical guidelines
Voluntary participation, Informed consent procedures, Withdrawal rights, Debriefing, use of Deception in research, Confidentiality
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define confidentiality
privacy, protection & security of a participant’s personal info in terms of personal details & anonymity of individuals results
define debriefing
ensures that participants leave understanding the experimental aim, results and conclusions, and their questions are answered and support is provided to ensure no lasting harm from involvement in study
define informed consent procedures
ensures participants understand the nature and purpose of the experiment, including potential risks before agreeing to participate
define voluntary participation
ensures absence of coercion or pressure put on participants to partake,but that they freely chose to be involved
define withdrawal rights
involves a participant being able to discontinue their involvement at any time during or after the conclusion of the experiment without penalty. May involve removing their results from the study.
what are the 3 types of errors?
random, systematic, personal
define random errors (what can they be caused by and how can they be improved?)
unpredictable errors affecting the precision of measurements
may be caused by limitations of instruments, environmental factors
can be improved through increasing sample size, refining measurement method/technique
define systematic errors (what can they be caused by and how can they be improved?)
set of values that differ from the true value by a consistent amount and affect the accuracy of a measurement
can be caused by faulty instruments
can be reduced by being familiar with limitations of instruments and experience with correct use
define personal errors
include mistakes, miscalculations and observer errors
what are the 5 types of variables
IV, DV, controlled, extraneous, confounding
define IV
manipulated variable that is assumed to have direct effect on the DV, plotted on the horizontal axis of a graph
define DV
measured variable, changed according to manipulation of IV, plotted on vertical axis of graph
define controlled variable
variables not part of the investigations that are held constant to ensure results are solely due to manipulation of IV on DV
define extraneous variables
any variable other than the IV that may affect the DV, they must be controlled or monitored in order to prevent them becoming confounding variablesd
define confounding variable
variables that have affected the DV apart from the IV, may be extraneous variable that wasn’t controlled or can be a type of variable that cannot be controlled for
disrupts the internal validity of investigation by providing alternative explanations for results
