PSC 041 Research Methods

Question 1

What is construct validity?

Answer 1

Do your variables accurately measure your construct?

Question 2

Relationship between construct and operational variables?

Answer 2

Construct cannot be observed, operational variables estimate the construct

Question 3

Relationship between construct validity and face validity?

Answer 3

construct validity includes face validity. face validity is surface-level construct validity

Question 4

what does face validity include?

Answer 4

• procedure
• operational definition
• method match

Question 5

what is the difference between measured and manipulated variables and what they are concerned with?

Answer 5

measured is concerned w/ procedure and accuracy. Manipulated is concerned w/ equivalent groups and appropriate controls

Question 6

give an example of circular reasoning

Answer 6

answers may vary

Question 7

what is the difference between accuracy and consistency?

Answer 7

consistency is measured w/ reliability. accuracy is measured w/ construct validity

Question 8

how do you solve observer expectancy?

Answer 8

train observers, clear OD, blind observers, inter-rater reliability, limit contact btwn researchers and participants

Question 9

how do you solve observer effects?

Answer 9

be unobtrusive, allow acclimation time

Question 10

how do you solve observer-affect effect?

Answer 10

blind observers

Question 11

what are bad questions in surveys?

Answer 11

leading, response sets, double-barreled, long, confusing grammar, unknown answers

Question 12

how do you solve extremity aversion?

Answer 12

add points to your range

Question 13

how do you solve social desirability/faking bad?

Answer 13

blinds

Question 14

how do you protect method match?

Answer 14

recency and specifics

Question 15

what are two common reactivity effects?

Answer 15

hawthorne effect, observer-expectancy effect

Question 16

what is selection effect?

Answer 16

participants skew results by choosing own group

Question 17

what is history effect?

Answer 17

an external event happens and causes skewed results

Question 18

what is maturation effect?

Answer 18

the amount of time spent in the experiment is different for the groups

Question 19

what is attrition effect?

Answer 19

participants in one group drop out a significant amount

Question 20

what is testing effect?

Answer 20

the amount of times the groups are tested are different

Question 21

true of false: between-group designs have a group where all conditions are tested

Answer 21

false

Question 22

why isn’t attrition an issue in within-group designs?

Answer 22

if you drop out, you drop out of all conditions

Question 23

why isn’t selection an issue in within-group designs?

Answer 23

there is only one possible group to be part of

Question 24

what is the difference between concurrent and counterbalanced designs?

Answer 24

concurrent tests all different conditions at the same time. counterbalanced tests the conditions in different orders

Question 25

when should you use between-group design?

Answer 25

• impossible to be part of two conditions
• important for participants to be unaware of the design

Question 26

when should you use within-group design?

Answer 26

to detect small changes more easily or reduce individual differences