Unit 0: Research Terminology Flashcards
Hindsight bias
” I know it all along” phenomenon; tendency to perceive events as being extremely predictable
Overconfidence
idea that people are more confident in their knowledge/abilities than they should be as this faulty thinking can lead to more mistakes in judgement
Theory
a statement that can be supported by data from research that answers. question, thought, or phenomena (ex. humidity predicts aggression)
Falsifiability
the principle that a proposition or theory could only be considered scientific if in principle it was possible to establish it as false. (ex. Freuds theory of the unconscious mind lacks falsifiability
Hypothesis
a testable prediction often implied by a theory
Operational Definition
(know this guaranteed to be on the AAQ) a statement of the procedure used to specifically define research variables (specific measurement; using numbers) used for replication (each step os clearly stated in order to replicate)
Independent Variable
the experimental factor that is manipulated; that is the variable being studied
Dependent Variable
the experimental facto that is being measured; this may change depending on the manipulation in the independent variable
Confounding Variables
any difference between the control condition and the experimental condition other than the independent variable that affects the result
Quantitative Measures
using statistics such as the Likert Scale (survey ratings in a scale of 1-5 or 1-10) or answers from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree:”
Qualitative Measures
allows the researcher to describe traits or characteristics in depth such as structured interview and/or case studies
Sample (Qualitative Measures)
the group that the researcher actually studies, usually smaller than the population
Population (Qualitative Measures-Sample)
the group that the researcher wants to know about
Random Selection (Qualitative Measures-Sample)
process of choosing a sample that guarantees every member of a population has an equal chance of being picked to participate, results in a random sample
Representative Sample (Qualitative Measures-Sample)
a sample that matches the larger population in terms of ethnicity, gender, race, etc.” found using random selection
Sampling Bias (Qualitative Measures-Sample)
when a sample does not represent the overall population, giving an unreliable result
Convenience Sample (Qualitative Measures-Sample)
when a researcher picks participants based on ease of accessibility to finding them (ex. surveying only people that live in your neighborhood)
Survey (Qualitative Measures)
obtaining self reported attitudes and behaviors by asking questions
Social Desirability Bias (Qualitative Measures-Survey)
people lie to look good when asked things about themselves or their beliefs
Self Report Bias (Qualitative Measures-Survey)
people may misreport their own behavior, thoughts or feelings perhaps because they don’t know or don’t remember the accurate answer
Framing (Qualitative Measures-Survey)
how you frame the question can impact others answers (ex. are you in favor of socialized medicine or free healthcare for all?)
Naturalistic Observation (Qualitative Measures)
research conducted in the natural setting of animals or humans; no interaction is done with the subjects
Case Study (Qualitative Measures)
study one person/group in depth in hopes to reveal things true of us all. (ex. Phineas Gage.) Disadvantage is that you may be able to generalize to larger population
Correlational Study (Qualitative Measures)
measures the relationship between two variables WITHOUT manipulating a variable
Correlation (Correlational Study)
measures the relationship between two variables (CORRELATING DOES NOT SHOW CAUSATION)
Positive Correlation (Correlational Study)
both variables increase or decrease together
Negative Correlation (Correlational Study)
as one variable increases the other decreases
Illusionary Correlations (Correlational Study)
the perception of a relationship between variables where none exist
3rd Variable Problem (Correlational Study)
a 3rd factor that can be the real relationship (ex. heat and shark attacks)
Directionality Problem (Correlational Study)
it can be difficult to know which variable is the cause and which is the effect in a correlational study (ex. stress and mental health)
Experiment
a research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors (IV) to observe/measure the effect on some behavior or mental process (DV). Seeks to identify cause and effect relationships. Disadvantage is that it can be hard to generalize tot he real world.
Experimental Condition/Group (Experiment)
exposes a participant to treatment
Control Condition/Group (Experiment)
contrast to the experimental conditions; acts as a comparison because participant does not receive treatment OR receive a placebo
Random Assignment (Experiment)
(ONLY USED IN EXPERIMENTAL METHOD) the process in which subjects are placed into a experimental or control group without bias
Placebo Effect (Experiment)
results caused by expectations alone; you think that you will experience an effect, therefore you perceive that there is an effect
Single Blind (Experiment)
only researchers (not participants) know who is in the placebo and treatment group
Double Blind (Experiment)
participants and research staff are ignorant about the treatment/placebo group given to each subject, used so researchers’ expectations can’t influence the result
Peer Review
evaluating the quality of research by one’s peers int he scientific community
Replication
repeating an experiment or study to see if a similar result happens again
Meta-Analysis
systematic review of multiple, already published/completed studies
