Questions I forget: Research Methods Flashcards
git good
Define epistemology
the philosophical study of the nature, origin, and limits of humanknowledge.
What is an alternative prediction?
Your prediction
Two-tailed hypothesis
a hypothesis that does not state the direction of the relationship
Scientific Theory
comprehensive explanation supported by a vast body of evidence
Null hypothesis
accepted if the prediction is not supported by the data
Structuralism
an approach to psychology interested in the contents and structure of the mind
what is a cause-and-effect relationship?
when it is proven that one variable directly affects the other (this is almost impossible to guarantee)
What is an independent variable?
The variable that gets manipulated
When was the British Psychological Society founded?
1901
When was the american psychological association founded?
1892
What are levels (or conditions)?
different types of independent variable in a study
What is Independent (between-subjects) design?
When different participants experience different levels of the independent variable
What is Repeated measures (within-subjects) design?
when all participants experience all levels of the independent variable
What is counter-balancing?
when participants are randomly assigned to conditions
what does N stand for in a study
number of participants
What is repeated measures (within-subjects) design?
when all the participants experience all levels of the independent variable
What is the hawthorne effect?
when the behaviour of the participants in a study is affected by the presence of the researcher
What is the social Learning theory?
an approach in psychology that is interested in how people learn through observation
What is humanistic psychology?
an approach in psychology that emphasises the importance of the individual and the importance of self-actualisation
What is psychometrics?
the science of measuring psychological phenomena
What is operant conditioning?
the process of learning through reinforcement and punishment
What are confounding (or extraneous) variables
variables that either have not or cannot be controlled
What is the population in psychology?
the group of people the theory is based on
What is random sampling ?
a method of selecting a sample from a population by selecting individuals from the population at random
What is Convenience (or opportunity) sampling?
when the researcher selects participants from a group that is easy to access
What is a P-value?
the probability of the observed result occurring by chance alone
What is a Type I error?
(or a false positive) is when a null hypothesis is rejected when it should have been accepted
What is a familywise error?
the probability of making more false positives the more tests are run simultaneously
What is HARKing?
when researchers hypothesise after results are known
What is the file drawer effect?
unpublished or unreplicated studies being hidden from view
What is publication bias?
when studies with statistically significant results are published while those without are not
What is Independent (between-subjects) design?
when different participants experience different levels of the independent variable
What is the sharp-shooter fallacy?
when someone cherry-picks specific data points or patterns after the study has concluded and claims that they have significance
What is falsification?
when one manipulates or distorts existing data
What do registered reports comprise of?
developing a hypothesis; designing a study; peer review; collecting and analysing data; writing a report; peer review; and publishing the report
What are non-sequiturs?
statements that do not follow logically from the premises
What is literate programming?
documentation directly attached to the analysis script
What is a data repository?
a database that stores data in a structured format
What is a cross-sectional study?
study that looks at different subsections of a population at one point in time
What is a cohort?
a subsection of a population all born at a similar time
What are the cohort effects?
when different cohorts have fundamental differences that can affect the findings of a study
What is an accelerated longitudinal study?
looks at multiple cohorts over a shorter period of time (a combination of longitudinal and cross-sectional)
What are prospective studies?
when longitudinal studies are set up to collect data over time in the future
What are retrospective studies?
when pre-existing longitudinal data is used to test a hypothesis
What is internal validity?
how well the study is measuring what it is supposed to be measuring
What is external validity?
the extent to which the findings of a study can generalised to other populations
What is ecological validity?
how well the study’s results translate to a real-world setting
What are cross-lagged correlations?
when a correlation measured at an earlier moment in time also correlates with that same correlation at a later point (diagonal correlation)
What are prospective studies?
when longitudinal studies are set up to collect data over time in the future
What is efficacy in relation to studies?
whether the treatment can work
What is a feasibility study?
attempts to measure the acceptability and practicality of a treatment
What is adherence (or compliance)?
how many participants stick to the treatment regime
What does drop out (or attrition) relate to in a study?
how many participants leave the study before it is completed
What is a cross-generational problem?
a skew in data brought about by generational-specific factors
