Research Methods Flashcards
What is a case study?
In depth analysis of one person or a small number of people
Correlation methods
Measure direction and strength of the relationship between two variable
An experiment design for assessing age-related changes in which data are obtained simultaneously from people of differing ages
Cross-sectional study
What is peer review?
The process through which research is scrutinized by other scientists
Allow researchers to extend conclusions from samples to populations
Inferential statistics
Variance
standard deviation and normal curve
Extend conclusions to larger populations outside your research sample
generalizations
Standard for deciding whether the observed result is due to chance
statistical significance
What you think is happening
alternative hypothesis
Science as a process
Develop a theory, generate a hypothesis, evaluate the hypothesis
Case study adv and disadv
Adv: can study rare conditions/unique characteristics
Disadv: hard to generalize population
Demonstrates the effects of the independent variable
Dependent variable
Survey adv and disadv
Adv: Quick, inexpensive, can gather large sample sizes
Disadv: self report can’t be trusted, sample bias, demand characteristics
Consistency of a measure
Reliability (precision)
What is naturalistic observation?
Study of phenomenon in its natural setting
Variables that are irrelevant to the hypothesis being tested but can alter a researchers conclusions
Confounding variable
Combines cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches by observing a cross-section of participants over a shorter period than is used typically in longitudinal studies
Mixed longitudinal design
What is replication?
Repeating an experiment and producing the same results
A method of learning about reality through systematic observation and experimentation
Science
Each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to either group
Random assignment
Naturalistic observation adv and disadv
Adv: can observe individuals in their natural everyday lives
Disadv: people may act differently when they’re being observed
What is a theory?
Sets of facts or relationships that can be used to explain and predict phenomena
Not exposed to independent variable
Control group
Exposed to independent variable
Experimental group
Not a difference
Null hypothesis
An experiment design for assessing age related changes in which data are obtained from the same individuals at intervals over a long period of time
Longitudinal study
How tightly clustered the scores are around this central number. Lower the more clustered it is
standard deviation
Variable not responsible for a correlation observed between two other variables of interest
Third variable
Organize your data into more meaningful patterns and summaries
Descriptive statistics. Mean, median, mode
The entire group of interest
Population
What is survey?
Useful when you want to collect a large amount of data fairly quickly
People growing up different. Like young people using tech more
Cohort effect
Frequency distribution in which most measures are concentrated around the middle
normal curve
Quality of a measure
Validity (accuracy)
Controlled and manipulated by the experimenter
Independent variable
Three descriptive methods
Case study, naturalistic observation, and survey
A subset of the population being studied
Sample
What is a hypothesis?
Proposed explanation for a phenomenon
