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Psychology > Scientific Methods > Flashcards

Scientific Methods Flashcards

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1
Q

Burden of Proof

A

The obligation to present evidence to support one’s claim

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2
Q

Extrasensory Perception

A

Supporters claim that some people sometimes acquire information without receiving any energy through any sense organ

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3
Q

Falsifiable

A

The theory is stated in such clear, precise terms that we can see what evidence would count against it

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4
Q

Hypothesis

A

A supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation
It is a clear predictive statement

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5
Q

Meta-Analysis

A

It combines the results of many studies as if they were all one huge study

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6
Q

Parsimony

A

When given a choice among explanations that seem to fit the facts, we prefer the one whose assumptions are fewer, simpler, or more consistent with other well-established theories
This principle is a conservative idea: we stick to ideas that work and try as hard as we can to avoid new assumptions

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7
Q

Replicable Results

A

Those that anyone can obtain, at least approximately, by following the same procedures

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8
Q

Theory

A

It is an explanation or model that fits many observations and makes accurate predictions
It is more than a guess

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9
Q

What are the steps in a study?

A

Hypothesis, method, results, interpretation

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10
Q

Why is there scepticism about extrasensory perception?

A

Psychologists carefully scrutinize claims of extrasensory perception because the evidence reported so far has been unreplicable and because the scientific approach includes a search for parsimonious explanations.

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11
Q

95% confidence interval

A

It is the range within which the true mean lies, with 95% certainty

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12
Q

Control group

A

A set of individuals treated in the same way as the experimental group except for the procedure that the experiment is designed to test

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13
Q

Correlation Coefficient

A

A mathematical estimate of the relationship between two variables (-1 to +1)

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14
Q

Demand Characteristics

A

Cues that tell participants what is expected of them and what the experimenter hopes to find

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15
Q

Dependent variable

A

The item that an experimenter measures to determine the outcome

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16
Q

Descriptive statistics

A

It is the mathematical summaries of results

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17
Q

Experimental group

A

Receives the treatment that an experiment is designed to test

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18
Q

Experimenter bias

A

The tendency of an experimenter to influence (unintentionally,as a rule) the participants based on his or her expectations

19
Q

illusory correlation

A

An apparent relationship based on casual observations of unrelated or weakly related events

20
Q

Independent variable

A

Item that the experiment changes or controls

21
Q

Inferential statistics

A

They are statements about a large population based on inference from a small sample

22
Q

Informed consent

A

A statement that participants have been told what to expect and that they agree to continue

23
Q

Mean, median, mode

A

average, middle, most

24
Q

Normal distribution

A

symmetrical frequency

25
Q

Operational definition

A

It is a definition that specifies the operations (or procedures) used to produce or measure something, ordinarily a way to give it a numerical value → it just says how to measure something

26
Q

p<0.5

A

it indicates that the probability that randomly generated results would resemble the observed results is less than 5%

27
Q

Placebo

A

A pill with no known pharmacological effects

28
Q

Random Assignment

A

The experimenter uses a change procedure, such as drawing names, to make sure that all participants have the same probability of being assigned to a given group

29
Q

Scatter Plot

A

Each dot represents a given individual, with one measurement for that individual on the x-axis and another measurement on the y-axis

30
Q

Statistically significant/reliable results

A

They are results that chance alone would be unlikely to produce

31
Q

Why should experimenters overcome experimenter bias?

A

An experimenter’s expectations influence how the participants are treated. To ensure objectivity, researchers use blind experimenters who do not know what results are expected. In a double-blind study, neither the experimenter nor the participants know the researcher’s predictions.

32
Q

Ethics of experimentation

A

Research on human participants should not proceed until the participants have given their informed consent. Psychologists try to minimise risk to their participants, but they sometimes face difficult ethical decisions.

33
Q

single-blind study

A

researcher: aware
experimenter: unaware
participants: aware
OR
experimenter: aware
participants: unaware

34
Q

Case study

A

detailed description of single individual; suitable for studying rare conditions

35
Q

Naturalistic Observation

A

Description of behaviour under natural conditions

36
Q

Survey

A

study of attitudes, belief, or behaviours based on answers to questions

37
Q

correlation

A

description of the relationship between two variables that the investigator measures but does not control; determines whether two variables are closely related but does not address questions of cause and effect

38
Q

Experiment

A

determination of the effect of a variable controlled by the investigator on some other variable that is measured; the only method that can inform us about cause and effect

39
Q

what are the types of samples?

A

convenience, representative, random, cross-cultural

40
Q

convenience sample

A

Individuals included: anyone who is available
Advantages: easiest to get
Disadvantages: results may not generalise to the whole population

41
Q

representative sample

A

Individuals included: same percentage of male/female, white/black…as the whole population
Advantages: results are probably similar to the whole population
Disadvantages: sample may be representative in some ways but not others

42
Q

random sample

A

Individuals included: everyone in population has same chance of being chosen
Advantages: best suited for generalising to the whole population
Disadvantages: difficult to get this kind of sample

43
Q

cross-cultural

A

Individuals included: people from different cultures
Advantages: essential for studying many issues
Disadvantages: difficulties include language barriers and cooperation problems

Psychology (11 decks)

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