Psychology's Scientific Method - Chapter 2 Flashcards
Depending on how well a theory_________ an outcome or relationship, will determine its strength.
Predicts
The last step of the scientific, which is usually continuous and ongoing, requires____________.
replication.
What does an operational definition do?
Describes various things that can change. Important in determining how variables will be measured.
What methods are examples of descriptive research?
Cannot prove phenomenon, but it can reveal information about people’s behavior and attitude.
- naturalistic observation
- surveys/interviews
- standardized tests
- case studies
What does a correlation coefficient indicate between two variables?
The strength and direction of the relationship.
What does a strong positive correlation between 2 variables mean?
That it is a strong relationship in which as one variable increases so does the other.
Why is random assignment of participants important?
It ensures that not all participants of similar backgrounds/characteristics are in the same group.
What is meant by a double-blind experiment?
Both the observed and the observer do not know if the patient has the pill or the placebo.
What is a criticism of the case study method?
It tells a lot of information about one individual but it does not follow that it is all accurate for many.
What does the size of a correlation coefficient indicate?
The strength of the relationship.
If one variable is increasing at about the same rate another is decreasing, what can you conclude?
They have a strong relationship in a negative or opposite direction.
Explain random assignment.
Participants are randomly thrown into two or more groups based on nothing but the luck of the draw.
Why do experiments allow conclusions about cause and effect?
They demonstrate relationships between variables.
What is the placebo effect?
Some participants believe they have received the real medication when really they received a sugar pill and we observe changes in their behavior or well being.
Be able to figure out mean, median, and mode.
The mean is the average.
The median is the two middle numbers sum divided by two.
The mode is the most common number.
