Psych Research

Question 1

archival Research

Answer 1

method of research using past records or data sets

Question 2

attrition

Answer 2

reduction in number of research participants as some drop out of the study over time

Question 3

cause-and-effect relationship

Answer 3

changes in one variable cause the changes in the other variable

Question 4

clinical or case study

Answer 4

observational research study focusing on one or a few people

Question 5

confirmation bias

Answer 5

tendency to ignore evidence that disproves ideas or beliefs

Question 6

confounding variable

Answer 6

outside factor that affects both variables of interest
(gives the false impression of a cause-and-effect relationship between two variable, when the
outside factor is causing changes in both variables)

Question 7

control group

Answer 7

group that does is not manipulated and serves for comparison (the independent variable or effect)

Question 8

correlation

Answer 8

when two or more variables have a relationship; one variable

changes as the other does

Question 9

correlation coefficient

Answer 9

number on a scale from from -1 to +1
(indicating the strength and direction of the relationship
between variables, and usually represented by r)

Question 10

cross-sectional research

Answer 10

compares multiple segments of a population at a single time

Question 11

deception

Answer 11

when participants are mislead in order to maintain the integrity of the experiment. after the experiment, they are debriefed.

Question 12

deductive reasoning

Answer 12

predicting results based on an idea

Question 13

dependent variable

Answer 13

variable that the researcher measures to see how much effect the independent
variable had (control group, or the effect)

Question 14

double-blind study

Answer 14

experiment in which both the researchers and the participants are blind to group
assignments

Question 15

empirical

Answer 15

grounded in tangible evidence that can be observed over tine, regardless
of who is observing (a fact)

Question 16

experimental group

Answer 16

group who experiences the experimental manipulation to answer the research question. (the cause, or independent variable)

Question 17

experimenter bias

Answer 17

researcher expectations skew the results of the study

Question 18

falsifiable

Answer 18

able to be disproven by experimental results

Question 19

generalize

Answer 19

results for a sample can apply to the larger population

Question 20

hypothesis

Answer 20

tentative and testable statement

Question 21

illusory correlation

Answer 21

when a false relationship is drawn between two things when no such relationship exists

Question 22

independent variable

Answer 22

variable that is influenced or controlled by the experimenter. (experimental group, or the cause)

Question 23

inductive reasoning

Answer 23

conclusions drawn from observations

Question 24

informed consent

Answer 24

informing a research participant about what to expect, any risks involved, and the implications of the research, and then obtaining the person’s
consent to participate

Question 25

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

Answer 25

committee of administrators, scientists,
veterinarians, and community members that reviews proposals for research involving non-human
animals

Question 26

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Answer 26

committee of administrators, scientists, and community members that
reviews proposals for research involving human participants

Question 27

inter-rater reliability

Answer 27

agreement among observers on how they record and classify a

particular event

Question 28

longitudinal research

Answer 28

studies in which the same group of individuals is observed

repeatedly over an extended period of time

Question 29

naturalistic observation

Answer 29

observation of behavior in its natural setting

Question 30

negative correlation

Answer 30

two variables change in different directions, with one becoming larger as the other
becomes smaller (not meaning no correlation)

Question 31

observer bias

Answer 31

when observations may be skewed to align with observer expectations

Question 32

operational definition

Answer 32

description of what actions and operations will be used to measure and manipulate the variables (terms and conditions)

Question 33

peer-reviewed journal article

Answer 33

article read by several other scientists who provide feedback regarding the quality of the manuscript before it is
accepted for publication

Question 34

placebo effect

Answer 34

people’s expectations influencing or determining their experience in a given
situation

Question 35

positive correlation

Answer 35

two variables change in the same direction, both becoming either larger or smaller

Question 36

random assignment

Answer 36

when participants have an equal

chance of being assigned to either the control or experimental group

Question 37

random sample

Answer 37

subset of a larger population in which every member of the population has an equal
chance of being selected

Question 38

reliability

Answer 38

being able to consistently get the same result

Question 39

replicate

Answer 39

repeating an experiment using different samples to determine the research’s reliability

Question 40

single-blind study

Answer 40

when the researcher knows which participants are in the experimental
group and which are in the control group but the participants do not

Question 41

statistical analysis

Answer 41

determines likelihood of differences between experimental groups due to chance

Question 42

theory

Answer 42

well-developed set of ideas that propose an explanation for observed phenomena

Question 43

validity

Answer 43

accuracy of a given result in measuring what it is designed to measure