Research Methods Flashcards
What is the hindsight bias
after learning an outcome, you think you would’ve foreseen it (ex. given an outcome before the question, and thinking the answer was obvious when it really wasn’t)
What phenomenon is the hindsight bias related to
I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon
We become __________ in our power of deduction based on the hindsight bias
overconfident
What is the order of the scientific method
observations, development of theory, generate a hypothesis, collect evidence/test, draw conclusions, revise findings, and regenerate new hypotheses (now a cycle)
What makes up a theory
set of principles that explain, organize, and predict events
What is the theory of catharsis
- negative feelings build up and create pressure if not vented
- if this tension Is not broken, people will ‘explode’
- releasing emotions decreases the pressure
What is an example of a hypothesis for the theory of catharsis
people who express their anger will behave less aggressively than those who do not express their anger
What are operational definitions
a clear statement of procedures used to define research variables
What is an example of operational variables used in relation to the theory of catharsis
variable: expressing anger
operational definition: punching a punching bag
variable: aggression
operational definition: intensity of noise blasts given to people they hate
What is correlational research
studying how 2 variables correlate to one another or predict one another
Correlation is not causation, why?
two things predicting one another does not necessarily mean one CAUSED the other
What does the correlation coefficient tell us
strength of relationship and direction of relationship (range between +1 and -1)
What are the three possibilities in correlative research
x causes y
y causes x
an external variable, like z, causes both x and y
What is experimental research
variable suspected to cause an event is manipulated to see if the variable is in fact the causal factor
What is an independent variable
factor we think causes an event, that is manipulated in experiment
What is a dependant variable
an outcome that we think depends on the level of the independent variable, that is measured
Which type of research is the gold standard for determining information
experimental research
Why might experimental research not be possible
it’s not possible to assign certain things (like race or gender), and it’s ethically not right to manipulate certain things (like asking someone to smoke and see if they get cancer)
What are the 5 components of “good” research
objective measurement, generalizable, unbiased, made public, & replicated
What is test-retest reliability
when something is tested, time passes, and it is tested again to determine the reliability
What is interrater reliability
two different subjects tested using the same coding system
- results should align if the coding system is reliable
What are the two components of objective measurement
reliability and validity
What are the two components of generalizable research
relates to the population and research is relevant outside of the study
What are the two components of unbiased research
researchers and participants respectively, don’t influence the results of the study
What are the components of made-public research
methods and results are disseminated and peer reviewed
What are the two components of replicable research
studies are repeated and results are consistent
