Psychological Research Flashcards
Descriptive Research
- determines the basic dimensions of a phenomenon, defining what it is, how often it occurs, etc.
- Does not allows us to say how and why things are the way they are
- 3 types: observation, surveys & interviews, case studies
Observation
- who/what
- when and where
- how
Survey & Interviews
-self-report measures, checklist; what people think about themselves
Case studies
-an in-depth look at an individual; may also involve families or groups
Correlational Research
- tells us about the relationship between 2 variables (+1.00 and -1.00)
- DOES NOT mean causation
Longitudinal Research
- obtaining measures of the variables you are interested in multiple waves over time
- cannot state causality with 100% certainty
Experiment
-regulated procedure in which a research manipulates one or more variables that is/are hypothesized to influence another variable
Random assignment
-assignment of participants in a study to groups by chance ensure that any differences that emerge in the results are due to preexisting differences
Independent Variable
-the variable that the researcher changes to see what its effects are; the cause
Dependent Variable
-the factor that can change in an experiment in response to changes in the independent variable; the effect
Experimental Groups
-participants in an experiment who receive the drug or other treatment study
Control Group
-participants in an experiment who are as much like the experimental group as possible except that they do not receive or experience the manipulated factor
External Validity
-the degree to which an experimental design actually reflects the real-world issues it is supposed to address
Internal Validity
-the degree to which changes in the dependent variable are due to the manipulation of the independent variable
Experimenter Bias
-bias that occurs in research when the researcher’s expectations influence the outcome of the study
Demand Characteristics
-any aspect of a study that communicates to a participant how the researcher wants him/her to behave/respond
Placebo
-a harmless substance used in drug studies that is given to participants in the control group so that they are receiving a drug just like the experimental group – the difference being that their “drug” is not an actual medication that is expected to produce change
Population
-the entire group about which the investigator wants to draw conclusions
Sample
-the subset of the population chosen by the investigator for study
Random Sampling
-a sample that gives every member of the population an equal chance of being selected
Common Settings
-research laboratory; classroom
Naturalistic Settings
-the observation of behavior in a real-world setting
Institutional Review Boards
-a review board that evaluates the ethical nature of a proposed research study
American Psychological Association
-professional society in the field of psychology that has developed ethical guidelines for researchers
Informed Consent
-all participants must be informed about what their participation requires; right to withdraw at any time
Confidentiality
-all data must be kept confidential
Debriefing
-informing participants about the purpose and methods of the study after the study is completed
Deception
-controversial! If used in a study, researchers must have a valid reason to use it and debrief participants following completion of the study
Descriptive Statistics
-mathematical procedures that are used to describe and summarize sets of data in a meaningful way
Mean
-the average of the sample
Median
-the middle score in a sample
Mode
-the most common score in a sample
Range
-the difference between the highest and lowest scores
Standard Deviation
-how much scores in a sample differ from the mean of the sample
Inferential Statistics
-mathematical methods that are used to indicate whether results for a sample are likely to generalize to a population
