Research Ideas and Measurement

Question 1

what are the primary ways to come up with a research topic

Answer 1

1. personal interests and curiosities
2. casual observation of behaviour and stuff
3. reports of other’s observations
4. practical problems or questions
5. finding a gap in already existing research

Question 2

involves studies that are intended to solve theoretical issues

Answer 2

basic research

Question 3

directed toward solving practical problems

Answer 3

applied research

Question 4

integrates basic and applied research to test and develop treatments and interventions

Answer 4

translational research

Question 5

behavioural theories

Answer 5

testing predictions that are part of a theory

Question 6

the mass of published information worldwide

Answer 6

the literature

Question 7

what are the two basic goals of a literature search

Answer 7

1. gaining general familiarity with the current research
2. finding a small set of studies to serve as the basis for your idea

Question 8

firsthand reports in which the authors describe their own observations

Answer 8

primary sources

Question 9

secondhand reports in which the authors discuss someone else’s observations

Answer 9

secondary sources

Question 10

A set of statements that describe general principles about how variables relate

Answer 10

theory

Question 11

______ guides systematic steps of thinking and solving a problem

Answer 11

theory

Question 12

a good hypothesis is:

Answer 12

1. logical
2. testable
3. refutable
4. positive

Question 13

what does it mean that a good hypothesis must be positive

Answer 13

nothing exists until proven that it does. it must make a positive statement about the existence of something

Question 14

textbooks are an example of what kind of source

Answer 14

secondary sources

Question 15

Hypothetical entities created from theory and speculation

Answer 15

constructs

Question 16

what are operational definitions

Answer 16

methods of defining and measuring constructs -> variables that cannot be observed or measured directly

Question 17

true or false: an operational definition cannot be the construct

Answer 17

true it cant be the construct itself

Question 18

what is face validity

Answer 18

whether a measure appears superficially to measure what it claims to

Question 19

what is concurrent validity

Answer 19

scores obtained from a new measure

Question 20

Scores obtained from a measure accurately predict behavior according to a theory

Answer 20

predictive validity

Question 21

Scores obtained from a measurement behave exactly the same as the variable itself

Answer 21

construct validity

Question 22

what is convergent validity

Answer 22

strong relationship between scores obtained from two or more different methods of measuring the same construct

Question 23

Showing little or no relationship between the measurements of two different constructs

Answer 23

divergent validity

Question 24

The individual who makes the measurements can introduce simple human error

Answer 24

observer error

Question 25

compares scores of two successive measurements of the same individuals and correlates the scores

Answer 25

test-retest reliability

Question 26

agreement between two observers who simultaneously record measurements of the behaviors

Answer 26

inter-rater reliability

Question 27

splits the test in half, computing a separate score for each half, and then calculates the degree of consistency between the two scores for a group of participants

Answer 27

split half reliability

Question 28

The process of assigning values meaningfully to behaviour, people, attributes, etc.

Answer 28

measurement

Question 29

each number has a unique meaning

Answer 29

identity

Question 30

numbers have inherent order

Answer 30

magnitude

Question 31

difference between units is the same anywhere on the scale

Answer 31

equal intervals

Question 32

zero on the scale is actually zero

Answer 32

true zero

Question 33

whats the difference between nominal and ordinal

Answer 33

nominal = categories, ordinal = numbers (in a ranking)

Question 34

Involves having people tell you about themselves

Answer 34

self report

Question 35

Involves the direct observation of behavior

Answer 35

observational measures

Question 36

Involves measuring a bodily process

Answer 36

physiological measures

Question 37

a hypothetical entity that exist from theory and speculation

Answer 37

constructs

Question 38

what are operational definitons

Answer 38

definitions that exist for the operation that is ongoing

Question 39

what causes environmental error

Answer 39

you can't attain the perfect circumstances

Question 40

participant error

Answer 40

the participant may change

Question 41

a measurement that is not sensitive enough to detect a difference

Answer 41

range effect

Question 42

what is the ceiling effect

Answer 42

clustering of scores at the high end of a measurement scale

Question 43

what is the floor effect

Answer 43

clustering of scores at the low end of a measurement scale

Question 44

a nonnatural feature accidentally introduced into something being observed

Answer 44

artifact

Question 45

The research study is conducted on a participant who does not know the expected results

Answer 45

single blind study

Question 46

Neither the experimenter nor the participants know the expected results of the study

Answer 46

double blind procedure

Question 47

what are demand characteristics

Answer 47

any of the potential cues or features of a study that: – suggest to the participants the purpose and hypothesis of the study, and – influence the participants to respond or behave in a certain way

Question 48

Participants modify their natural behavior in response to knowing they are in a study

Answer 48

reactivity

Question 49

what is the good subject role

Answer 49

supports the experimenters hypothesis

Question 50

what is the negativistic subject role

Answer 50

acts contrary to the hypothesis

Question 51

presents self in a "good light" as a participant

Answer 51

apprehensive subject role

Question 52

the ideal participant who follows instructions to the letter

Answer 52

faithful subject role