Research methods

Question 1

What is a theory

Answer 1

a general set of ideas about the way the world works

Question 2

7 steps in the The Scientific Method

Answer 2

1. Construct a theory
2. Generate a hypothesis
3. Chose research method
4. Collect data
5. Analyze data
6. Report the findings
7. Revise existing theories

Question 3

What is a Hypothesis:

Answer 3

a testable statement guided by theories that make specific

- predictions about the relationship between variables

Question 4

What is a research Method:

Answer 4

the way in which the hypothesis will be

tested

Question 5

Whats it mean to collect Data

Answer 5

to take measurements of the outcomes of the test

Question 6

Whats it mean to Analyze Data

Answer 6

to understand the data and discover trends or relationships between the variables

Question 7

Whats it mean to Revise Theories

Answer 7

to incorporate new information into our understanding of the world

Question 8

Paradigm Shift:

Answer 8

a dramatic shift in our way of thinking

Question 9

What is a paradigm shift associated with

Answer 9

Revising the theory

Question 10

What is Anecdotal Evidence:

Answer 10

evidence gathered from others or self experience

Question 11

What is an independent Variable

Answer 11

variable manipulated by the scientist

Question 12

What is a Dependent Variable:

Answer 12

variable being observed by the scientist

Question 13

What is an experimental Group:

Answer 13

participants will receive a manipulation of the - independent variable

Question 14

What is a control group

Answer 14

Receives no manipulation

Question 15

People in control/experimental groups should….

Answer 15

should be as similar as possible minimizing the differences between them prior to the experiment

Question 16

What is a Within Subject Design

Answer 16

manipulating the independent variable within each participant to minimize the effect of external variables on the dependent variable

• all the participants are exposed to every condition, control and experimental

Question 17

What are negative effects of the within subject design

Answer 17

Improved performance over the course of an experiment due to becoming more experienced

Question 18

Between Subject Design

Answer 18

Only one groups acts as the control and a different group as the experimental group

Question 19

What is a confounding variable?

Answer 19

a variable other than then independent variable that has an effect on the results

Question 20

What is a population when selecting participants

Answer 20

The general group of people you are trying to learn about

Question 21

What is a sample when selecting participants?

Answer 21

elected people in the population to participate in the experiments and who we collect data from

Question 22

why must the sample be from the population?

Answer 22

so the data can be generalized

Question 23

What is a random sample:

Answer 23

choosing a sample at random from the entire population -

Question 24

Why is it important to use random sampling

Answer 24

it reduces the chance that the selection might be biased towards a
specific group

Question 25

Random Assignment:

Answer 25

assigning subjects to either the experimental or control group at random avoid any biases that may cause differences between the groups of subjects

Question 26

Placebo Effect:

Answer 26

effects that occurs when an individual exhibits a response to a treatment that has no related therapeutic effect

Question 27

Participant Bias

Answer 27

When a participants’s actions in an experiments influence the results outside the manipulation of the experimenter

Question 28

Blinding:

Answer 28

When participants do not know whether they belong to the experimental or control group, or which treatment they are receiving

Question 29

Experimenter Bias

Answer 29

Actions made by the experimenter, intentionally to not, to promote the result they hope to achieve

Question 30

Double Blind Studies:

Answer 30

Experiments in which neither the experimenter nor the participants know which group each participant belongs to