Research Methods

Question 1

descriptive

Answer 1

learn a lot about a single variable (measures of central tendency and disperson)

Question 2

correlational

Answer 2

learn about a relationship between variables

Question 3

experiment

Answer 3

manipulate at least one variable while strictly controlling for all other factors, allowing you to infer that observed differences in the outcome are caused by your manipulation
- requires random assignment to conditions
- observed differences must be sufficiently large relative to differences that would be expected by chance alone

Question 4

what are the research techniques?

Answer 4

think-aloud protocols, interviews (structured and unstructured), hypothetical scenarios, individual differences, physiological measures, behavior

Question 5

independent variable

Answer 5

presumed causal factor; what is being manipulated by the experiment

Question 6

dependent variable

Answer 6

outcome of interest; what is being measured by the experiment

Question 7

conceptual variable

Answer 7

the abstract psychological construct of interest

Question 8

operational variable

Answer 8

the concrete definition of the conceptual variable used in a given study

Question 9

moderator variable

Answer 9

a factor that changes the effectiveness of the IV; can be manipulated or measured

Question 10

mediator variable

Answer 10

the psychological process that explains why the IV leads to changes in the DV

Question 11

confounds

Answer 11

a variable other than the hypothesized variable that can also account for the observed results

Question 12

construct validity

Answer 12

how well does the measure or manipulation actually capture the psychological construct of interest?

Question 13

internal validity

Answer 13

is the study relatively free from confounds, and otherwise have a sound internal logic?

Question 14

external validity

Answer 14

will this study generalize to other populations and paradigms?

Question 15

ecological validity

Answer 15

how well does this study represent real-world solutions?

Question 16

direct replication

Answer 16

same study done a second time

Question 17

conceptual replication

Answer 17

testing same conceptual relationships using different operational definitions of the IV and/or DV

Question 18

type I error

Answer 18

false positive (accepting the hypothesis when it’s actually false)

Question 19

type II error

Answer 19

false negative (rejecting the hypothesis when it’s actually true)