Test 1 Flashcards
Encoding
Getting information into your brain. Not in brain not in encoded
Storage
How your brain holds onto the encoded information
1. Sensory memory: first type of storage our memory performs, lasting for less than a second
Retrieval
Get the information when you need it. Getting your stuff out of your storage is a problem
Interleaved Practice
Mix up the way you practise learning related content.
Elaborative Interrogation
Attempting to figure out the reasoning behind some stated fact, or asking “why”
Self-explanation
Focuses more on explaining the concept to yourself to ensure that you fully understand it
Highlighting
Highlighting the most important information that a student deems rememberable, but if a student has highlighted too much on a page it can seem as if you need to know everything and not the most important aspects
Rereading
Problem is simply rereading the material over and over again is passive. If you aren’t processing the material you read it won’t sick.
Summarization
Summarizing material you need to learn is not always the best strategy. Not effective when you have a lot of material to learn.
Good for short quiz on a few main points
Managing Time
Buy a planner, make list, use apps. Create a schedule.
Don’t be a hero take a break
Eat your frogs for breakfast
Seeking Help
On Campus:
- Your friends
- Academic Advisors
- Study groups
- counselling or wellness centre
- Prof
- writing centre
Authority
A way that we’ve come to learn is through someone else telling us. Useful and time-Saving way to learn
Tradition
We know things simply because we have always seem to know then or facts that have been passed from generation to generation
Common sense
Many things that make sense are actually true but don’t assume everything that makes sense yo you is actually true
Determinism
The assumption that all events or phenomena have causes; things happen for a reason. Important in science if we didn’t believe that events were determined. If we believe things had no underlying cause then we couldn’t study or predict them
Empiricism
The idea of learning things by observing them. Observations need to be systematic
Parsimony
The law that the best explanation is the simplest one. Applies to whether you are developing a theory or trying to determine the best-fitting theory.
Testability
The ability to determine whether the theory actually explains the phenomenon
Operationalization
The process of specifying how a variable is measured
Paradigms
Ways of looking at the world. A frame of reference, or a worldview, without which you would not be able to organize and make sense of the things you see around you.
Positivist Paradigm
Believe social behaviour can be measured and interpreted using the same techniques used to measure and interpret the natural world.
Interpretive Paradigm
Builds upon the philosophical foundations of post-structuralism and postmodernism. Concentrate on the study of meanings created by groups and individuals.
Critical Paradigms
Does not merely seek to develop theories to explain social realities. Goal-oriented paradigm that seeks “ human emancipation from slavery… to create a world which satisfies the needs and power.”
Theories (in social science)
A statement of suspected relationship between and among variables. Anytime you see something happening that doesn’t appear to have a clear cause explanation, you probably develop a theory about why it happened.
Deductive & inductive approach
Inductive: Observation - hypothesis - theory
Deductive: Theory - hypothesis - observation
Steps in Research Process
- Select a topic
- Develop research question
- Design the study
- Collect the data
- Analyze the data
- Give meaning to the findings
- Inform others
Qualitative Research
Aims for an in-depth understanding of various aspects of human condition, focusing on the words people say, the gestures they make or photos they take, among other things.
Interview
Most common qualitative methods. Involves a researcher asking a responder a question and then documenting the answers (wither by recording or taking notes)
Quantitative Research
Aims to learn more about phenomena n=by measuring them with as much accuracy as possible using numbers
Independent & dependant variable
Independent: researcher manipulates the variable to see what effect is has. The variable being manipulated.
Dependant: the variable that is measured (to see if it changed)
Content Analysis
Combines elements of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Involves quantifying traditionally qualitative things, like words or images, in an attempt to identify common themes. Helps researchers compare themes over time.
Research
Exploration: starting point for when we don’t know enough about a topic to know what questions to ask
Descriptive: way to empirically ask questions regarding how often a phenomenon happens, who is involved, under what conditions it occurs and so on.
Explanation: about asking why
Programmatic: aims to first explore the phenomenon, then describe it, and then provide an explaination as to why it happens.
Basic: conducted for the purpose of understanding
Applied: purpose to address some specific problem or issue
Finding a Topic
- What interest you
- Do some reading
- Pick something doable
Idea Map
Write your topic in a large circle in the centre of the page and then write other questions or ideas related to your topic.
Research Question
- Should be debatable, meaning that the answer to the question is not so obvious that everyone knows it.
- You should choose a question you don’t know the answer to.
Biased one-sided paper will not get you a good grade and not learn anything new
Scholarly vs. Non-scholarly Sources
Scholarly: within the social sciences is an article or book written by an expert in the field, often describing original scientific research.
Non- scholarly: written by a non-scientist such as blogger, journalist, member of the general public
Primary & Secondary Source
primary: description of original research, conducted by the author. EX: experiments, surveys, interviews, content analysis.
Secondary: are a step removed from primary sources, in that they tend to summarize, describe, analyze or contextualize primary sources.
Appropriate sources
Academic Journal Articles: collections of research articles put together by publishers representing the scientific community.
- Abstract
- introduction
- method
- results
- discussion
- references/citations
Books: important sources of information for the social science researchers
Search Terms
Significant words or phrases related to a topic
APA
Critical Thinking
To not accept at face value everything you hear, read or see. Asses the merits of the arguments and conclusions that the research is making to determine whether it is appropriate for your purposes.
Generalizability
Refers to the extent to which findings are applicable to the larger group under study
GOODS
Generalizability
Old references
Overstating findings
Definition of terms
Sample size
Old References
Science is an ongoing process where mistakes are seen as valuable and informative. Make decision about which studies are too old to use as supporting references in a social science paper
Overstating the Findings
Going a-bit overboard on how important their findings are. Be cautiously skeptical when researchers claim that their study “proves” anything
Definition of Terms
Often only one definition of a concept but social sciences, where the concept can be a bit fuzzier, there can sometimes be different definition.
Sample Size
With only a sample size of two it is easy to misinterpret reality.
CRAAP
Currency
Relevance
Authority
Accuracy
Purpose
Currency
The age of information it provides is an important consideration in evaluating its usefulness
Relevance
Is the information on this website relevant to both your research question and the intended audience of your paper
Authority
Who the author of the webpage is. Is that person credible enough to be writing on this topic
Accuracy
Opinions are not necessarily undesirable in social science research they need to be supported by evidence
Purpose
Why the website was created and maintained
Research Ethics
Treating people fairly
Milgram’s Obedience Study
Shocked his victims and lied to them what the study was about
Criticism of the use of deception
- Lying is immoral
- Deception creates untrusting participants
- Study may create stress and loss of self-esteem
Tuskegee Syphilis Study
Tearoom Trade Study
Sociological study of men who have sex with other men in public washrooms.
Purpose: study who these men were and whether they fit the stereotype of gay men. Researcher acted as lookout for the men, took licence plate and tracked their home address and broke into their home
Ethic responsibilities to participants
- Purpose of research
- Potential risk
- Benefits of participating
- Procedures used
- Funding research
- Payments for research
- Participation is voluntary
- Confidentiality guaranteed
Cyril Burt
Studied genetic component of intelligence using identical twins reared apart.
Research Fraud: sample size unrealistically high
Implications: died before accusations were made
Diederik Stapel
Social psychologist who studied human behaviour and attitude
Research Fraud: made up his data - didn’t actually run experiments
Implications: tarnished the reputation of the field psychology, tarnished reputation of graduate students
Louis LaPierre
Head of New Brunswick energy institute, a key advocate of fracking.
Research fraud: claimed he had PhD in Ecology, but it was in education
Implications: misrepresented the credentials; he was not qualified to speak on the ecological effects of fracking
