Research Methods

Question 1

Hindsight Bias

Answer 1

The tendency for people to exaggerate how much they could have predicted an outcome after knowing that it occurred

Question 2

Observational method

Answer 2

when a researcher observes people and systematically records measurements or impressions of their behavior

Question 3

Ethnography

Answer 3

The attempt to understand a group or culture by observing it from the inside without imposing preconceived notions they might have.

Question 4

Interjudge/Interrater Reliability

Answer 4

The level of agreement between two or more people who independently observe and code (organize) a set of data (observational method)

Question 5

Archival Analysis

Answer 5

Observational method in which the researcher examines accumulated documents (archives). This includes diaries, magazines, and/or newspapers.

Question 6

Surveys

Answer 6

Research in which a representative sample of people are asked questions about their attributes or behavior

Question 7

Random Selection

Answer 7

A way of ensuring a sample of people is representative of a population by giving everyone in the population an equal change of being selected for the sample.

Question 8

Primary Research Designs

Answer 8

Correlational design, Experimental design, Meta-analysis

Question 9

Correlational Method

Answer 9

when two or more variables are measured and the relationship between them (i.e. how much can be predicted from the other) is assessed

Question 10

Positive correlation

Answer 10

the increased value of one variable is associated with the increases in the value of another variable

Question 11

Negative correlation

Answer 11

Increases in the value of one variable is associated with the decrease in value of the other variable.

Question 12

Experimental Method

Answer 12

When the researcher randomly assigns participants to different conditions and ensures these conditions are identical except for the independent variable.

Question 13

Deterministic Causation

Answer 13

If A then always B

Question 14

Probabilistic causation

Answer 14

If A then more likely B
(smoking makes lung cancer more likely)

Question 15

Independent Variable

Answer 15

the variable researchers vary to see if it has a causal effect

Question 16

Dependent Variable

Answer 16

the variable researcher measure to see if it is affected by the independent variable

Question 17

Internal Validity

Answer 17

Making sure nothing besides the independent variable can affect the dependent variable. (Accomplished by controlling all extraneous variable and by randomly assigning people to different experimental conditions)

Question 18

Random Assignment

Answer 18

A process ensuring all participants have an equal change of taking part in any condition

Question 19

External Validity

Answer 19

The extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other situations and to other people

Question 20

Mundane Realisim

Answer 20

The extent to which an experiment is similar to real-life situations

Question 21

Psychological Realism

Answer 21

The extent to which the psychological processes triggered in an experiment are similar to the psychological processes that occur in everyday life

Question 22

Replication

Answer 22

Repeating a study, often with different subject populations or in different settings.

Question 23

Meta-Analysis

Answer 23

A statistical technique that averages the results of two or more studies to see if the effect of an independent variable is reliable

Question 24

Field experiments

Answer 24

same design as a laboratory experiment except it is conducted in real-life settings (external validity of such experiments is high)

Question 25

Deception

Answer 25

Misleading participants about the true purpose of a study or the events that will actually traspire