Ch. 2 - Research Methods

Question 1

Hypothesis

Answer 1

An explicit, testable prediction about the conditions under which an event will occur

Question 2

Theory

Answer 2

A theory must be proposed based on several tested and proven hypotheses. It is an organized set of principles used to explain observed phenomena.
- Potentially provides an important contribution to a field even if it turns out to be wrong

Question 3

Basic Research

Answer 3

Seeks to increase our understanding of human behaviour
- Often designed to test a specific hypothesis from a theory

Question 4

Applied Research

Answer 4

creates practical applications to the world and contributes to solving social problems

Question 5

Construct Validity

Answer 5

• how well the experiment manipulates the variables intended &
• How well the measurements accurately represent the intended conceptual variables

Question 6

Conceptual variable

Answer 6

abstract form of a variable that is under examination
- what an operational definition is indicative of

Question 7

Self Reports

Answer 7

Can be a series of questions, where a participant gives the answers
- least accurate method of testing

Question 8

Interval-contingent self reports

Answer 8

Respondents report experiences at regular intervals, usually once a day

Question 9

Signal-contingent self reports

Answer 9

Respondents report ASAP after being signaled, usually by a notification from the experimenters

Question 10

Bogus Pipeline technique

Answer 10

The belief that the experimenters can tell when they’re lying leads to more honest results

Question 11

Event-contingent self reports

Answer 11

Respondents report on a designated set of events ASAP after they occur

Question 12

Interrater reliability

Answer 12

There must be agreement among multiple observers, then the more nuanced data can be trusted
- helps avoid the inaccuracies of self-rating, but increases the observer’s paradox

Question 13

Archival studies

Answer 13

studies examining existing records and other studies

Question 14

Random Sampling

Answer 14

A method of selecting participants for a study so that everyone in a population has an equal chance of being in the study

Question 15

Experiments

Answer 15

• Experimenter always has full control over the variables
• participants are randomly assigned to the manipulated conditions

Question 15

Correlation Coefficient

Answer 15

Statistical measure of the strength of the relation between two variables
Ranges from -1.0 to +1.0
- Positivity or negativity shows the direction of the relation, and the closer it is to either - or + 1.0 shows more correlation
- e.g. college entrance exam correlates positively with grades, and the number of missed classes correlates negatively with grades

Question 16

Random assignment

Answer 16

how people in the study are assigned to different conditions

Question 17

Independent Variables

Answer 17

Manipulated by the experimenters

Question 18

Dependent Variables

Answer 18

Potentially affected by the independent variable

Question 19

Subject Variables

Answer 19

• Preexisting differences among participants in the experiment
• Race, gender, etc.

Question 20

Statistical significance

Answer 20

• If the results could have been chance less than 5/100 times, then it’s statistically significant
• Doesn’t mean certainty, which is why we need Replication

Question 21

Mundane realism

Answer 21

how much the experimental setting resembles the real world

Question 22

External Validity

Answer 22

Would the same results occur in different circumstances

Question 23

Experimental realism

Answer 23

how much the experimental setting and procedures are real and involving to the participant

Question 24

Deception

Answer 24

False information in an experiment

Question 25

Confederates

Answer 25

actors pretending to be in the experiment but are actually working for the experimenters

Question 26

Informed consent

Answer 26

- Participants must be given enough information to make an informed decision - Extremely important

Question 27

Debriefing

Answer 27

Discloses the nature of the research, and resolves any negative feelings surrounding it - Important end of experiment practice

Question 28

Preregistration

Answer 28

When scientists report their predictions and plans for analyses before the data are collected

Question 29

Confirmation Bias

Answer 29

Taking in supporting data and ignoring refuting data - Often the correct approach is to take new data lightly in comparison with previous beliefs, which is why confirmation bias is so harmful

Question 30

four factors in changing beliefs

Answer 30

Old belief Confidence in old belief New data Confidence in new data - The more confidence in an old belief, the less likely one is to believe the new data

Question 31

When does Fear work in affecting action?

Answer 31

- When someone is already stressed out - When you're getting someone not to do something - Hope and positive feedback are better at provoking action

Question 32

The Equality Heuristic

Answer 32

A mental shortcut which assigns equal weight to everyone's opinion - counterproductive at times, since it's better to put more weight on people with expertise

Question 33

Surprisingly popular vote

Answer 33

ask people a question, and then what they think the most popular answer will be, if there is a difference in how people answer, it marks them as being more knowledgeable

Question 34

two human brains' activities synchronize when someone is telling a story, making them more easily influenced by the storyteller

Answer 34

the listener is more receptive to new ideas when they have more faith in the speaker, basically improves the security of the new data