research methods Flashcards
theory
broad area/set of closely related ideas that attempt to explain/predict observations
hypothesis
idea that is a testable prediction, often arrived at logically from a theory
AKA operational definition!
circumstance/behaviour defined in such a way that it can be objectively observed
naturalistic observation
observing and recording behaviour in naturally occurring situations without trying to control or manipulate the situation
> PROS: observations can reveal a lot about human behaviour
> CONS: these observations don’t explain human behaviour
sample
group of people chosen by researchers to participate in a study
collaboration
science is a part of a collab. effort to increase an overal body of language
no scientific finding has much impact until a community of scientists agree through PEEEER REVIEW that it’s good
APA ethical standards
- obtain potential participants informed consent
- protect them from physical or emotional harm and discomfort
- keep information about individual participants confidential
- fully debrief people by explaining the research afterward
scientific method
- conceptualize a problem
- collect research
- analyze data
- draw conclusions
operational definition
circumstance or behaviour defined in such a way that it can be objectively observed
(hypothesis)
population
the entire group
random sampling
a way to mirror the population.
- a sample in which very member of the population has an equal chance of being selected
case study
psychologists use the case study to examine one individual or group in depth in the hope of revealing things true of all of us
> PROS: case studies show us what CAN happen, and they often suggest directions for further study
> CONS: individual cases may be misleading if the individual beating studied is atypical
ethnic gloss
using an ethnic label (asian) in a superficial way that portrays the ethnic group as more homogenous than it really is
correlation
numerical index of degree of relationship
