Research Design Flashcards
What four reasons make empirical evidence the most reliable?
Universalism (systemic, objective), communality (openly shared, replicable), disinterestedness (motivated by the truth), organized skepticism (peer review process)
What is the purpose of basic research in psychology?
Describe, predict, explain fundamental principles of behaviour and mental processes
What is the purpose of applied research in psychology?
The research that is applicable to real-world problems
What are the two types of sources for research ideas?
Nonsystematic sources: random discovery, observation, serendipity, inspiration
Systematic sources: practical problems, past research, theory
What makes a research question empirical?
It can be answered using proper scientific methodology and allows for testable predictions
What is a theory in research?
A theory organizes and explains various findings related to a particular phenomenon and generates new, testable hypotheses
What is a hypothesis?
A hypothesis is a declarative statement proposing a relationship between variables, based on theory, that is concise and testable
What are the key characteristics of a good hypothesis?
Declarative form, proposes a relationship between variables reflects prior literature,
concise, falsifiable
What is the difference between a hypothesis and a prediction?
A prediction is more concrete than a hypothesis, making a precise assertion about the specific outcome of a study
Where should researchers aim to publish their work?
In a peer-reviewed scientific journal, after writing up a research report
What is a variable in research?
A variable is a property of objects that can take on different values. Variables have levels/values and can be numeric (quantitative) or qualitative (categories)
What are the two basic types of research designs?
Non-experiments: Measure variables to see if they are related, without manipulating any variables
Experiments: Use the experimental/scientific method, manipulating a variable to see causal relations
What are situational variables?
Situational variables relate to a specific situation or environment and can either be manipulated or measured
What are response variables?
Response variables refer to the behavior or responses of individuals in a study. These are generally measured, not manipulated
What are participant variables?
Participant variables are characteristics of individuals, such as age, gender, or personality traits, which can influence research outcomes
What are confounding variables?
Confounding variables are outside influences that affect both the independent and dependent variables, potentially weakening or invalidating research findings
How can confounding variables be managed in research?
Confounding variables can be managed by anticipating them during the research design phase and controlling or accounting for them
What are operational definitions?
How you are measuring a variable and arriving at a conclusion of measurement
What are the different types of relationships between variables in correlational designs?
Positive linear: Both variables increase together
Negative linear: As one variable increases, the other decreases
Curvilinear: The relationship changes direction at least once
No correlation: No relationship between the variables
What is the Pearson r correlation coefficient used for?
It is used to measure the strength of linear relationships between two variables
What is a mediating variable?
A mediating variable is a psychological process that occurs between two variables and helps explain their relationship
What is the third variable problem in correlational research?
It refers to the possibility that an unmeasured third variable is responsible for the observed association between two other variables
How can researchers address the third variable problem?
By controlling or accounting for third variables in experiments, researchers can uncover causal relationships
Why can’t causal statements be made based on correlational designs?
They cannot establish temporal precedence (which variable comes first), they cannot establish covariation (the degree of change in one variable caused by another), and they cannot rule out the influence of third variables
