Research Designs in Applied Social Psychology

Question 1

described the most common
trade-offs researchers must consider as a ‘three-horned dilemma’.

Answer 1

Joseph McGrath

Question 2

What consists of three-horned dilemma?

Answer 2

✧ PRECISION
✧ SITUATION GENERALIZABILITY
✧ PEOPLE GENERALIZABILITY

Question 3

Good Researcher Must:

Answer 3

⌘ Know the unique advantages and disadvantages for each research design.
⌘ Conduct studies that make the best useof each design’s advantages while minimizing disadvantages.
⌘ Carefully construct research programmed using multiple designs that compensate for each method’s weaknesses.

Question 4

FEATURES OF TRUE EXPERIMENTS: MAXIMIZING PRECISION

Answer 4

Manipulator and Random Assignment

Question 5

occurs when the experimenter systematically varies the level of one (or more) variables while holding constant other variables that may have an effect.

Answer 5

Manipulator

Question 6

• The manipulated variable (potential cause)

Answer 6

Independent Variable

Question 7

• outcome variable (effect)

Answer 7

Dependent Variable

Question 8

occurs when the experimenter assigns participants to groups on an arbitrary basis. The use of random assignment therefore ensures that every participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any condition in the experiment.

Answer 8

Random Assignment

Question 9

is an additional variable that systematically varies with the independent variable and influences the dependent variable.

Answer 9

Confound

Question 10

• occurs when the presence of an individual difference influences the outcome variable.

Answer 10

Person Confound

Question 11

• occurs when the experimenter unwittingly varies two or more variables at once

Answer 11

Procedural Confound

Question 12

refers to variables that influence the dependent variable

Answer 12

Noise

Question 13

indicate that the effect that one or more independent variables has on the dependent variable depends on an additional independent variable.

Answer 13

Interactions

Question 14

has become the most common laboratory method for studying social behavior.

Answer 14

2X2 Factorial Design

Question 15

Statistical interactions are also useful because they identify the of a theory: conditions that demarcate when a theory does or does not apply. Boundary conditions are important to study because no theory that is of applied use will be correct under all circumstances (see McGuire, 1973)

Answer 15

boundary conditions

Question 16

is that research laboratories are often situated on university campuses, and it is very easy and cost effective to utilize this resource.

Answer 16

Incidental Reason

Question 17

Using homogenous samples reduces noise.

Answer 17

Purposeful Reason

Question 18

What are the disadvantages of true experiments, maximizing precision?

Answer 18

Incidental Reason, Purposeful Reason

Question 19

What are the advantages of true experiments, maximizing precision?

Answer 19

Confound, Noise, Interactions, 2X2 Factorial Design, Boundary Conditions

Question 20

Difficulty with these approaches, however, is that researchers can rarely, if ever, find the one ‘perfect’ situation that captures the range of situations of interest or the ideal complement of samples that will define the degree to which an effect generalizes to different people. Difficulty with these approaches, however, is that researchers can rarely, if ever, find the one ‘perfect’ situation that captures the range of situations of interest or the ideal complement of samples that will define the degree to which an effect generalizes to different people

Answer 20

TRUE EXPERIMENTS: MAXIMIZING PRECISION MINIMIZING DISADVANTAGE

Question 21

: there are multiple ways of interpreting the realism of a laboratory experiment.

Answer 21

Aronson and Carlsmith (1968)

Question 22

● The physical setting of the study is like the real-world setting in which the phenomenon of interest typically occurs.
● style that focuses on the ordinary, everyday aspects of life. It avoids grand narratives of heroic deeds, instead delving into the minutiae of daily existence.

Answer 22

Mundane Realism

Question 23

● by asking if it ‘feels’ realistic on psychological dimensions.
● style that delves into the inner thoughts, feelings, and motivations of characters. It aims to provide a deep understanding of their psychology, often exploring their subconscious minds and the complexities of their personalities

Answer 23

Psychological Reaction

Question 24

investigates the relationship between different measured variables, typically with an interest in determining how these variables interrelate in naturally occurring situations.

Answer 24

Correlational Research

Question 25

What are the features of Correlational Research?

Answer 25

FEATURES
⌘ Researchers must generate a fixed set of observations about a group of people.
⌘ Correlational research takes a more passive approach to studying variability.

Question 26

Behaviors of interest can be measured within natural settings, thereby increasing the chances that the research findings are representative of what occurs naturally in the ‘real world’.

Answer 26

Advantages

Question 27

ranges from–1 to +1. The absolute numerical value indicates the magnitude of the relation, with higher numbers showing a stronger connection between the variables. The sign indicates the direction of the relationship.

Answer 27

Correlation Coefficient

Question 28

indicates that as the value of one variable increases, so does the other variable.

Answer 28

Positive Correlation

Question 29

indicates that as the value of one variable increases, the other variable decreases.

Answer 29

Negative Correlation

Question 30

In order to increase generalizability to situations
Correlational research forfeits measurement
precision.
✧ Inability to infer causality
✧ Reverse causality
✧ Third variable problem

Answer 30

Disadvantages of Correlational Research

Question 31

an independent variable that can influence the outcome of a given statistical trial, but which is not of direct interest.

Answer 31

Covariates

Question 32

used in correlational studies whenever reverse causality offers a plausible alternative explanation.

Answer 32

Longitudinal Designs

Question 33

research method that resembles a true
experiment but lacks one or more of the
essential
elements,
such as random
assignment of participants to experimental
and control groups.

Answer 33

Quasi-experimental Design

Question 34

In this design, one of the independent variables is manipulated (treatment variable) and one is measured (person variable).

Answer 34

Person-by-treatment quasi-experiment

Question 35

(by using laboratory methods) are more likely to suffer from artificiality.

Answer 35

Closely resemble true experiments

Question 36

(by going into the field) are more likely to suffer from the influence of confounds and noise.

Answer 36

Resemble correlational studies

Question 37

• selects participants
  from the larger population in a random fashion

Answer 37

Random Sampling

Question 38

• population list of locations rather than people

Answer 38

Cluster Sampling

Question 39

• discrepancy between the results obtained in a representative sample and the results one would have obtained if everyone in the population of interest had been studied.

Answer 39

Sampling Error

Question 40

Formula of SE

Answer 40

Z*(σ/√n)

Question 41

is the z-score corresponding to the desired level of confidence

Answer 41

Z

Question 42

is the population standard deviation.

Answer 42

σ

Question 43

is the sample size.

Answer 43

n

Question 44

The best way to minimize the disadvantages of survey research is to:

Answer 44

pair a sampling procedure with either a true experimental or a correlational design.