Research methods Flashcards
Hindsight bias
“I knew it all along” phenomenon
Strength in Numbers Bias
When everyone around you believes something so you will too
Regression to the Mean
tendency for extreme performance to become more average over time
Independent Variable IV
variable assumed to influence changes in another variable
Dependent Variable DV
Variable which is influenced by the independent
Null Hypothesis
no relationship between variables
Alternative Hypothesis
There is a relationship between the variables
Correlation v Causation
Correlation: Variable X and Y change together
Causation: Changes in Variable X cause Variable Y to change
Spurious Relationship
When Z changes X and Y
How to establish causation? 3 things
1) x must be before Y
2) Correlation must occur
3) non-spurious (no Z can be added which changes X and Y)
Types of Research Methods
Experiments, Surveys, Participation Observations,
Hallmarks of Experiments
researcher manipulates IV to observe the DV
Internal Validity
Whether we are measuring what we think we are measuring
External Validity
How well the study generalizes to other people, places and things
Mundane Realism
Does it look like the real world?
