Research Methods Flashcards
Basic Research
research for the sake of science
Applied Research
research for a practical application
Translational Research
rewriting publications from scientific journals so they’re accessible to the general public
Hindsight Bias
belief that and outcome was foreseeable (“knew it all along” effect)
Hypothesis
a prediction based on a testable theory
Variable
any property whose values can vary across individuals or over time
Continuous Variable
a variable with a continuous numerical value
Categorical Variable
variations that can fit into categories
Operationalized
a description of a property in concrete measurable terms
Correlational Designs
going out into the world to measure how closely two variable vary together or how well you can predict a change in one variable from observing a change in another variable
*measured with a predictor and an outcome
Positive Correlation
both variables either increase or decrease together
Negative Correlation
one variable increases when the other decreases
Zero Correlation
one variable is not predictable related to the other
What does a correlation coefficient closer to 1 indicate?
a strong positive correlation
What does a correlation coefficient closer to -1 indicate?
a strong negative correlation
Correlational Design Drawbacks
-issues of directionality (does A cause B or vice versa?)
-third variable can influence results
-correlation cannot infer causation
Correlational Design Benefits
-can sometimes be more ethical
establishing relationship can inspire experiments
Experimental Designs
manipulating an X variable to show its effect on the Y variable
Random Assignment
assigning participants randomly to experimental conditions
Why is random assignment important?
increases there chance that characteristics are equally distributed across the groups
Population
everyone in the group the experimenter is interested in
Sample
a subset of the population
Convenience Sampling
the sample consists of people who are conveniently available for the study
Experimental Designs Drawbacks
-certain topics may be impractical or unethical to test
-highly controlled lab settings can make generalization of finding to the real world more difficult
Experimental Designs Benefits
-if done well, you can infer causation
-precise control over variables can eliminate alternative explantations
Experimenter Bias
the experimenters expectations influence the outcome of the study
*experimenter might see what they want to are treat participants differently
*solution: double blind, scripts
Demand Characteristics
participants form an interpretation of the experimenter’s purpose and subconsciously change their behavior to fit the interpretation
Hawthorne Effect
changing behavior when you know you’re being watched
Converging Operations
a research strategy where a variety of research strategies are used
Replication
the process of repeating a study and finding a similar outcome each time
Placebo Effect
knowledge of receiving treatment affects behavior
*solution: blind treatment
