Psychological Research - Exam 1

Question 1

operational definition

Answer 1

what we expect
provides specific description of a variable

Question 2

scientific method (definition)

Answer 2

HOW you study something and evaluate claims

Question 3

steps of the scientific method

Answer 3

1. observe phenomenon
2. create hypothesis/prediction
3. test hypothesis
4. draw conclusions
5. evaluate conclusions

Question 4

what is a hypothesis?

Answer 4

testable prediction that comes from theories (ex: getting rejected by others will make people more aggressive)

Question 5

what is a confederate?

Answer 5

people in on a study pretending to be participants

Question 6

what questions should we ask when drawing conclusions?

Answer 6

is the hypothesis supported?
how do findings relate to prior theory?

Question 7

can we prove something from drawing conclusions?

Answer 7

NO

Question 8

what does evaluating conclusions also include?

Answer 8

presenting research or publishing in a journal for others to evaluate your methods/conclusions

Question 9

descriptive research

Answer 9

attempts to describe certain phenomenon
**cannot determine cause/effect
3 types:
- naturalistic observation
- case studies
- surveys and interviews

Question 10

naturalistic observation

Answer 10

observe people in natural setting
ex: watching children play on a playground

Question 11

what is important for naturalistic observation?

Answer 11

taking good notes
having multiple observers
using a natural environment

Question 12

why is it important to use a natural setting for a naturalistic observation?

Answer 12

people behave differently when not in a natural setting

Question 13

case study

Answer 13

in depth look at a single individual
performed when aspects of an individual’s life cannot be replicated (ethical reasons)
ex: studying someone who lost half of their brain

Question 14

what can be an issue with case studies?

Answer 14

issues with generalizability
cannot ethically replicate studies

Question 15

surveys and interviews

Answer 15

standard set of questions/items everyone is asked
designed to assess someone’s self reported attitudes or beliefs

Question 16

limitations of surveys and interviews?

Answer 16

wording effects - different words mean different things to people/perception (ex: Obamacare vs Affordable Care Act)
people often respond in a socially acceptable/desirable way

Question 17

correlation research

Answer 17

tells us the relationship between variables
is either positive, negative, or zero

Question 18

positive correlation

Answer 18

going the same direction
ex: more studying -> higher grades

Question 19

negative correlation

Answer 19

going in opposite directions
ex: more time at bar -> lower grades

Question 20

zero correlation

Answer 20

no relationship/pattern
ex: more studying -> more often car breaks down

Question 21

correlation coefficient

Answer 21

r
-1.00 - 1.00 **cannot go out of this range
closer to 1.00 = stronger correlation

Question 22

what is important to remember about correlation?

Answer 22

correlation is NOT causation
ex: there is a strong correlation between ice cream sales and murder

Question 23

third variable problem

Answer 23

a third variable that may explain the relationship between 2 variables

Question 24

experimental research

Answer 24

manipulation of one/more independent variable that are believed to influence a dependent variable
**goal - determine cause and effect

Question 25

independent variable (IV)

Answer 25

what the experimenter is manipulating

Question 26

depending variable (DV)

Answer 26

what the experimenter is measuring

Question 27

what is something that is important in experimental research?

Answer 27

random assignment

Question 28

random assignment

Answer 28

randomly assign participants to groups groups - experimental, control

Question 29

experimental group

Answer 29

given manipulation

Question 30

control group

Answer 30

treated equally to experimental but no manipulation ex: given placebo

Question 31

Bondura's Bobo doll experiment

Answer 31

children were randomly assigned to one of 3 conditions - aggressive, no aggressive, normal researchers observed behavior (looking for aggression) children who saw aggressive model had more aggressive behavior IV - model DV - actions

Question 32

descriptive research pros and cons

Answer 32

pro - findings usually create foundation for future research con - can't establish cause and effect

Question 33

correlation pros and cons

Answer 33

pro - explains relationship among variables con - can't make causal conclusions and third variable problem

Question 34

experimental research pros and cons

Answer 34

pro - allows for causal conclusions con - artificial environments

Question 35

Nuremberg Trials

Answer 35

series of trials on Nazi war criminals, led to the development of Nuremberg code

Question 36

Nuremberg Code

Answer 36

set of 10 principles concerning ethics of human research highlights: - human participants MUST be able to provide consent - benefits of research should outweigh cost - participants must be able to stop at anytime

Question 37

Ex of ethical violations in human research

Answer 37

Stanford Prison Exp Milligram Study (shocking)

Question 38

what was formed to help ensure human research is ethical?

Answer 38

institutional review board (IRB)

Question 39

institutional review board (IRB)

Answer 39

responsible for reviewing every study MUST be approved by IRB before starting

Question 40

American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines for conducting research

Answer 40

informed consent confidentiality debriefing deception

Question 41

informed consent

Answer 41

all participants must know what their participation will involve and potential risks must be 18 children must assent/agree

Question 42

confidentiality

Answer 42

researchers are responsible for keeping participants personal info confidential

Question 43

debriefing

Answer 43

after completion participants should be informed about the purpose of the study participants should not leave worse than when they arrived

Question 44

deception

Answer 44

should only be used when absolutely necessary

Question 45

if deception is used, what also must happen?

Answer 45

participants must be debriefed

Question 46

why do psychologists use animals for research?

Answer 46

provides better understanding of many human problems

Question 47

what is required for animal research?

Answer 47

maintain living environment benefits must outweigh the costs