quiz 4 - chapter 4a Flashcards
research process overview
research question, research design, findings/answers, share/publish findings
nonexperimental research is used
to answer “what”, “who”, or “how much” questions; there is no manipulation of variables, just measurements and assessments
experimental research is used
to answer “why” questions; there is manipulation of at least one variable
true experiment
designs in which the researcher manipulates all of the independent variables and randomly assigns participants to groups
quasi-independent variables
variables treated as if they are independent variables in the experimental design even though the researchers do not manipulate them (ex: gender)
quasi-experimental design
designs in which the researcher cannot manipulate the independent variable or use random assignment
two ways of measuring variables
self report and behavioral
self report
any measurement technique that directly asks the participant how they think or feel
benefit: chepa, easy to administer, first hand info
drawbacks: may not have enough self knowledge, self enhancement, self-deception, blind spots, social desirability, etc.
social desirability
the tendency for respondents to give answers that make them look good
demand characteristic
a cue that potentially makes participants aware of what the experimenter expects
retrospective bias
when participants view or interpret past events in an inaccurate way
behavioral measure
a measure of participant’s actions in a research design
benefits: may help identify potential bias in self reports, more accessible to nonscientists
drawbacks: time consuming, expensive, cumbersome to use
behavioral trace
a behavioral measure that relies on evidence left behind by a participant who is no longer present
benefits: does not require participant cooperation
drawbacks: relies on researcher inferences
behavioral observation
a behavioral measure that relies on directly seeing or observing behavior
benefit: see behavior in its entirety as its engaged
drawback: social desirability & demand characteristics may be at play, also requires inference
behavioral choice
a behavioral measure involving participants making a purposeful selection from several options
participant reactivity
participants act differently or unnaturally because they know someone is watching them
unobtrusive measures
strategies that allow for observation and assessment without a participant’s awareness
raw score
the actual score, comprised of true score and error
true score
what the score would be if the test were a perfect measure of the attribute being tested and were uninfluenced by any extraneous factors
error
extraneous influences that cause the raw score to deviate from the true score
random error
variation from the measure’s true score due to unsystematic or chance factors; its unpredictability means that it cannot be eliminated
bias/systematic error
error that consistently pushes scores in a given direction
standardization
keeping the experimental situation the same for everyone and as free from variation as possible
observer/scorer bias
misinterpreting an observation based on the researcher’s existing beliefs, previous experiences, or expectations
sensitivity
the range of data a researcher can gather from a particular instrument
ceiling effect
occurs when the upper boundary of a measurement tool is set too low, leading most to select the highest response
floor effect
occurs when the lower boundary of a measurement tool is set too high, leading most to select the lowest response
ways to assess quality of the research design and data
reliability and validity
reliability
the stability or consistency of a measure in research, depends on whether it minimizes error and routinely provides similar/consistent measurement
validity
the degree to which a tool measures what it claims to measure
best research designs are high in
reliability and validity
validity and reliability are
related but might not perfectly coincide
