Research Methods

Question 1

hindsight bias

Answer 1

the feeling of “i knew it all along”

Question 2

theory

Answer 2

well established principle with a lot of evidence

Question 3

hypothesis

Answer 3

specific, testable prediction that can be tested

Question 4

operational definition

Answer 4

all parts of experiment must be well-defined

Question 5

replication

Answer 5

to report the results

Question 6

case study

Answer 6

• in-depth focus on one individual
• helps with new or unknown disorders
• suggests further study

Question 7

weaknesses of case studies

Answer 7

• cannot generalize the results
• fewer controls to eliminate bias

Question 8

naturalistic observation

Answer 8

• describes observation
• can be used with small children or animals

Question 9

surveys

Answer 9

• look at many cases at once
• inexpensive + quick
• sees relationships between variables

Question 10

weaknesses of surveys

Answer 10

• anyone can participate
• random vs representative sampling

Question 11

the wording effect

Answer 11

certain parts of a question prompt certain parts of an answer

Question 12

choice order

Answer 12

if we like something, we put it last in a list

Question 13

population

Answer 13

all the individuals who could potentially participate in the study

Question 14

random sample

Answer 14

each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected

Question 15

representative sample

Answer 15

looks like the population is being studied

Question 16

random sampling

Answer 16

leads to a representative sample

Question 17

correlational studies

Answer 17

• A and B predict each other
• allow researchers to account for ethics
• determines relationship between variables

Question 18

weaknesses of correlational studies

Answer 18

• cannot tell which variable is affecting which
• do NOT determine cause and effect

Question 19

correlation coefficient (r)

Answer 19

• positive or negative
• between -1.0 and +1.0
• r = 0 means no correlation

Question 20

illusory correlation

Answer 20

• perceived non-existent correlation
• random coincidence

Question 21

experiments

Answer 21

seek to demonstrate cause and effect

Question 22

independent variable

Answer 22

what is being manipulated

Question 23

dependent variable

Answer 23

what is being measured

Question 24

confounding/extraneous variable

Answer 24

affects the variables being studied

Question 25

experimental group

Answer 25

receives treatment

Question 26

control group

Answer 26

does NOT receive treatment (placebo)

Question 27

why are control groups needed ?

Answer 27

to determine the significance of the independent variable

Question 28

operational definition

Answer 28

• statement of procedure
• definition of boundaries
• measurable; provide clarity

Question 29

random assignment

Answer 29

• participants are randomly assigned to either experimental or control group
• needed to demonstrate cause and effect

Question 30

single blind procedure

Answer 30

• eliminates the placebo effect
• participants don’t know which group they are in

Question 31

double blind procedure

Answer 31

• eliminates experimental bias
• participants AND experimenter don’t know which group is which

Question 32

weakness of experimentation

Answer 32

might not reflect in real life as procedure is done in a controlled environment

Question 33

longitudinal study

Answer 33

follows people through an extended period in their life

Question 34

weaknesses of longitudinal studies

Answer 34

• expensive
• time-consuming
• response bias

Question 35

cross-sectional study

Answer 35

people of different groups are compared to one another

Question 36

weaknesses of cross sectional studies

Answer 36

results may be less reliable than a longitudinal study as no particular individual is “followed”

Question 37

descriptive statistics

Answer 37

• describe a given sample
• summarize a set of research data

Question 38

inferential statistics

Answer 38

generalize conclusions about a larger population

Question 39

measures of central tendency

Answer 39

mean, median, mode, and range

Question 40

measures of variability

Answer 40

range, variance, standard deviation