Chapter 1 (Reaserch in psychology)

Question 1

Define psychology

Answer 1

Psychology is the scientific study of mental processes and behavior and how these are affected by internal processes and the environment.

Question 2

Pop psych

Answer 2

term used for a wide range of popularized psychological theories and concepts that may or may not have a basis in psychology

oversimplified accounts of psychological issues based on anecdotal evidence and popular beliefs

Question 3

neuroeconomics

Answer 3

combines neuroscience, economics, and psychology to investigate how people make choices in economics.

Looking at the brain when people evaluate decisions.

Question 4

biological level

Answer 4

focuses on psychology and genetics

Question 5

cognitive level

Answer 5

focuses on mental processes like memory, thinking, perception, and attention

Question 6

sociocultural level

Answer 6

focuses on how environmental and culture affect behavior or thinking

Question 7

social cognition

Answer 7

refers to how we process, store, and use information about other people.

Question 8

epistemology

Answer 8

ways of knowing

Question 9

target population

Answer 9

the group whose behavior the researcher wishes to investigate

Question 10

sample

Answer 10

the nature of the group of participants

Question 11

representative sample

Answer 11

when researchers try to obtain a sample that represents a population

Question 12

self-selected samples

Answer 12

sampling method which is made up of volunteers.

Question 13

snowball sampling

Answer 13

when participants recruit other participants from among their friends and acquaintances

(sample grows like a snowball rolling downhill)

Question 14

participant variability

Answer 14

the extent to which the participants may share common set of traits that can bias the outcome of the study

Question 15

random sampling

Answer 15

one in which every member of the target population has an equal chance of being selected.

Question 16

stratified sample

Answer 16

attempts to overcome a problem by drawing random samples from each subpopulation within the target population.

Question 17

informed consent

Answer 17

participants must be informed about the nature of study and agree to participate

Question 18

deception

Answer 18

sometimes the researchers does not want the participants to know the exact aim of a study because it could affect the results. Deception should generally not be used; however, slight deception - which does not cause any stress to the participant - may be used in some cases. At the end of the study, any deception must be explained to the participants

Question 19

debriefing

Answer 19

At the end of all studies; the true aims and purpose of the research must be revealed to the participants. Any deception must be revealed and justified. All participants should leave the study without undue stress.

Question 20

Withdrawal from a study

Answer 20

at the beginning of a study, participants should be told that they have the right to leave the study at any time, and that they can withdraw their data at the end of the study if they wish..

Question 21

Confidentiality

Answer 21

all the information that is obtained in a study must be confidential

Question 22

protection from physical or mental harm

Answer 22

It’s important to make sure that no harm is done to participants. It is not permitted to humiliate a participant or force them to reveal private information

Question 23

Application

Answer 23

how a theory or empirical study is used

Question 24

ecological validity

Answer 24

study represents what happens in real life

Question 25

cross-cultural validity

Answer 25

research is relevant to other cultures

Question 26

ethnocentric

Answer 26

based on values and beliefs of one culture

Question 27

reliable

Answer 27

results can be replicated

Question 28

independent variable

Answer 28

researcher deliberately manipulates, while trying to keep all other variables constant.

Question 29

dependent variable

Answer 29

the variable that is measured after the manipulation of the independent variable

Question 30

operationalized

Answer 30

variables need to be written in such a way that it is clear WHAT is being measured

Question 31

experimental hypothesis

Answer 31

predicts the relationship between the IV and the DV - that is, what we expect will come out of the manipulation of the independent variable.

Question 32

field experiment

Answer 32

the experiment takes place in a natural environment, but the researchers still manipulate variables

Question 33

natural experiment

Answer 33

experiment where the researchers have no control over the variables (naturally occurring)

Question 34

Confounding variables

Answer 34

undesirable variables that influence the relationship between the independent and dependent variables

Question 35

demand characteristics

Answer 35

This is when participants act differently simply because they know that they are in an experiment. They may try to guess the aims of the study and act accordingly. Hawthorne effect.

Question 36

single blind control

Answer 36

participants do not know what the study is about

Question 37

researcher bias

Answer 37

when experimenter sees what he or she is looking for

Question 38

participant variabilitiy

Answer 38

characteristics of the sample affect the dependent variable.

Question 39

artificiality

Answer 39

situation is created so unlikely to occur that one has to wonder if there is any validity in the findings.

Question 40

positive correlation

Answer 40

both variables are affected in the same way

Question 41

negative correlation

Answer 41

one variable increases, the other decreases

Question 42

triangulation

Answer 42

when researchers combine different research methods in a study in order to collect richer data

Question 43

deductive approach

Answer 43

when we consider experiments, a hypothesis is a claim that is tested against empirical evidence so that it can be either accepted or rejected

Question 44

structured inteview

Answer 44

the interview schedule may state exactly what questions should be asked, as well as the order of the questions

Question 45

unstructured interview

Answer 45

the interview schedule only specifies the topic and the available time

Question 46

semi-structured interviews

Answer 46

looks like an informal conversation, but the interview does follow a schedule

Question 47

naturalistic observations

Answer 47

observations in a natural setting

Question 48

researcher bias

Answer 48

the observation should not be affected by what the researcher expects to find

Question 49

inter-observer reliability

Answer 49

to make sure that what they observed actually happened

Question 50

reactivity

Answer 50

when humans and animals change their behavior when they are observed

Question 51

covert observation

Answer 51

they don't know they are observed

Question 52

over observation

Answer 52

the participants know that the observer is a researcher