Research Methods (P1) Flashcards
What is the ‘Scientific Method’?
Set of principles about the appropriate relationship between ideas using empirical evidence
What is ‘Empiricism’?
The belief that accurate knowledge can be acquired through observation
How do we study social psychology?
- Hypothesis
- Variables
- Correlational Research
- Experimental Research
What is ‘Theory’?
Hypothetical explanation of a natural phenomena
What is ‘Rule of Parsimony’?
The simplest theory that explains all the evidence is the best one
What is ‘Hypothesis’?
- Testable prediction made by a theory
- Answers a research question
- Statement about how two or more variables are thought to relate to one another
What is a ‘Casual Hypothesis’?
A statement about how one variable is expected to affect a second variable
What is the ‘Independent variable (IV)’?
The presumed cause (in a causal hypothesis)
What is the ‘Dependent variable (DV)’?
The presumed effect (in a causal hypothesis)
What are ‘Demand Characteristics’?
Aspects of an observational setting that cause people to behave as they think someone else wants or expects
What is the problem with demand characteristics?
Makes it hard to measure behaviour as it typically unfolds
How do psychologists avoid demand characteristics?
They observe people without their knowledge (Naturalistic Observation)
What are descriptive statistics?
Brief summary statements about essential info from a frequency distribution
In descriptive statistics, what is the range?
Value of the largest measurement - Value of the smallest measurement
In a Frequency Distribution
In descriptive statistics, what is the standard deviation?
The average difference between the measurements in frequency distribution and the mean of that distribution
