Slides 2

Question 1

the distribution of a characteristic over the population

Answer 1

epidemiology

Question 2

what do we need in psychology in order to do research

Answer 2

reliable repeatable constructs

Question 3

why is all research based on the scientific approach

Answer 3

we need methodologies in place so we don’t end up with biased results

Question 4

what is the principal of parsimony

Answer 4

when there are competing interpretations one should adopt the simplest one that can account for the data

Question 5

what is another way of saying the principal of parsimony

Answer 5

Occam’s razor

Question 6

how can we decide between competing possible causes of a phenomenon?

Answer 6

falsification of hypothesis

Question 7

______: what results are obtained

Answer 7

findings

Question 8

_____: what is the explanation for the basis of the findings?

Answer 8

conclusions

Question 9

validity

Answer 9

the extent to which methods used in a research study measure what they are supposed to measure

Question 10

reliability

Answer 10

the consistency, or repeatability of a measure

Question 11

methodology

Answer 11

basis for accumulation of scientific knowledge

principals, procedures, practices

way of thinking about a phenomenon

permits us to draw sound or valid inferences

Question 12

what is history effects and what does it threat

Answer 12

• history - events outside of experiment

- internal validity

Question 13

what is statistical regression and what does it threat?

internal validity

Answer 13

statistical regression - tendency for extremely scores to revert to mean of distribution - just bc a pretest scoreis extreme, doesn’t mean scores will not regress in subsequent trials

Question 14

what is instrumentation a threat of ?

Answer 14

internal validity
- instrumentation
response shift -
change in insturment overtime or measuring procedure
(ex: olympic gold medalist starts competition, all after get lower score)
changes in persons internal standards of

Question 15

what is maturation and what doe sit threat

Answer 15

• maturation - changes that occur within the participants or due to passage of time
• could even be spontaneous remission
• threats internal validity

Question 16

what is attrition and what does it threat

Answer 16

loss of participants
can occur to all or select groups,
uneven dropouts are problematic- threat to internal validity

Question 17

what is selection bias and what does it threat

Answer 17

differences between groups BEFORE manipulation or intervention

• threat to internal validity

Question 18

ways to combat selection bias

Answer 18

random assignment of groups

matching- grouping subjects together based on particular characteristics

Question 19

what is diffusion/ imitation of treatment and what does it threat

Answer 19

Ex: researcher could inadvertently expose control group to aspects of therapy group: warmth, attention, someone to talk to

• threat to internal validity

Question 20

what is specifical treatment / reaction of controls and what does it threat

Answer 20

control subject may be aware they are not receiving treatment and may

1) be motivated to out-perform experimental group
2) feel demoralized and loose interest or motivation in participation

Question 21

what are sample characteristics and what do they threat

Answer 21

differences between the study sample and other samples/population you wish to generalize your finding to

• external validity threat

Question 22

what are stimulus characteristics and settings and what do they threat

Answer 22

• if results can only occur under a particular set of conditions/circumstances
• threat to external validity

Question 23

what is reactivity of experimental arrangements and what does it threat

Answer 23

• the awareness of being in a study my in itself shift behaviour or elicit certain reactions,
• ppl may have motives for participating, own theories about what is happening
• these can lead to changes that do not extend outside of the study
• threat to external validity

Question 24

what is multiple treatment interference

- what does it threat

Answer 24

subjects receives multiple interventions
- within subjects, great for internal, but not for external

• threat to external validity

Question 25

what is novelty and what does it threat

Answer 25

novelty - is the threat due to newness? treatments are often more effective is labeled new and improvement

• happened with Prozac in the 90s
• self-fulfuilling prophecy
• threat to external validity

Question 26

what is reactivity of assessment?

what does It threat?

Answer 26

similar to experimental arrangements, but focuses on awareness f what the measures are tapping into
- knowing what the researchers are getting at

ex: filling out the beck depression invensoty and they see “beck depression inventory at the top” it may alter their responses
- threat to external validity

Question 27

what is test sensitization and what does it threat

Answer 27

pre and post measures for interventions - taking a test once will impect responses for second test
- external validity threat

Question 28

what is timing of measurement and what does it threat?

Answer 28

when assessments are given could alter results

• threat to external validity
  ex: given assessment at end of therapy session versus 2 weeks after therapy session