Research Methods

Question 1

What is a frequency claim? What validity does it have?

Answer 1

What percentage/how many people do this - external

Question 2

What is an association claim? What validity does it have?

Answer 2

What extent are 2 variables correlated - external

Question 3

What is a causal claim? What validity does it have?

Answer 3

What is the direction of the relationship - internal

Question 4

What is internal validity?

Answer 4

How scientific it is

Question 5

What is external validity?

Answer 5

How generalizable to real life it is

Question 6

What is observational study? What are the three types?

Answer 6

Type of correlational study; scientific people watching
1. naturalistic - observe behaviour in natural environment
2. participant - join group and observe from within (group can know you’re researcher or not)
3. structured - bring into lab and watch reactions

Question 7

What are the pros and cons of observational studies?

Answer 7

Pro - very externally valid
Con - NOT internally valid (therefore can not make causal claim)

Question 8

What does correlational studies (e.g. observational) question?

Answer 8

If two variables have a relationship/are related

Question 9

What are problems with correlational studies?

Answer 9

Directionality problem - don’t know which caused which
Third variable problem - could have secret 3rd variable causing other 2

Question 10

What is a quasi-experiment? When is it used?

Answer 10

Semi-experiment; used for subject variables (e.g. age, gender, race, etc)

Question 11

Why can you not make causal claims with quasi-experiments?

Answer 11

Groups can not be randomly assigned

Question 12

What is a field experiment? What type of validity does it have?

Answer 12

Experiments done outside of lab; higher internal validity than correlational but lower than lab experiments

Question 13

What is a lab experiment? What type of validity does it have?

Answer 13

Random assignment to conditions ensures DV is result of IV; internal

Question 14

What is self selection bias? How do you reduce it?

Answer 14

Subjects not representative of general pop because get to choose to participate in experiment; give vague info about experiment

Question 15

What is self presentation bias? How do you reduce it?

Answer 15

Subjects present socially correct (not authentic) self; give anonymity, increase engagement and replicate experiments

Question 16

What is experimental demand?

Answer 16

Participants behave in the way they think the experimenter wants

Question 17

What are important aspects of research ethics?

Answer 17

Informed consent and thorough debriefs (especially if cover story)

Question 18

What is the replication crisis? Why is it happening? What are solutions?

Answer 18

Failure to replicate findings; high pressure to publicize causes people not to check other experiment’s findings; preregistering and open materials/data