Research Methods Flashcards
Dependent
measure. dependent on the independent variable
what variables hold unwanted influences
confounding variables
problems with experiments
Experimenter and sample bias
Solutions to bias in experiments
Random assignment
Placebo
Single-blind study
Double-Blind Study
Advantages of Experiments
Identify cause and effect relationships
distinguish between real and placebo effects
Disadvantages of experiments
artificial lab conditions
confounding variables
bias
raises ethical concerns
entire group that a researcher wants to study
population
Every Person in the population as an equal chance of participating
random sample
social desirability bias
survey respondents often report that they are healthier, happier, and less prejudice than would be expected based upon the results of other types of research
Naturalistic observation
observe behavior in a real social setting. descriptive but do not explain behavior
Case studies
in-depth. Single research participant. cannot be used to establish cause and effect. susceptible to inaccurate reporting and the subjects biased views
longitudinal method
single person or group of individuals over an extended period of time. provide in depth info but can be expensive and time consuming
Cross-sectional method
individuals of various ages at one point in time. Info about age differences
correlation coefficient
indicates the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables
range
the highest score in a distribution minus the lowest score
standard deviation
a standard measurement of how much the scores in a distribution deviate from the mean
Inferential statistics are used to determine how likely it is that a
study’s outcome is due to chance and whether the outcome can be legitimately generalized to the larger population from which the sample was selected
p-value
probability of concluding that a difference exists when in fact the difference does not exist. the smaller the p value the more significant th results. can never equal zero
Human research studies must include
informed consent voluntary participation Deception confidentiality Alternative activities
Animal research must have
clear scientific purpose
humane living conditions
legally get the animals
lest amount of suffering
Independent variable
Manipulated or controlled by the experimenter
