Chapter 2

Question 1

What makes psychological research scientific?

Answer 1

precision, 
scepticism, 
reliance on empirical evidence, 
willingness to make "risky predictions", 
openness

Question 2

Define theory

Answer 2

Organized system of assumptions & principles that purports to explain phenomena and how they are related

Question 3

Define hypothesis

Answer 3

Statement that attempts to predict or account for a set of phenomena; specifies relationships; empirically tested

Question 4

What is an operational definition?

Answer 4

Define terms in a hypotheses by specifying the operations for observing & measuring the process or phenomenon

Question 5

Define principle of falsifiability

Answer 5

• A scientific theory must make predictions that are specific enough to disconfirm the theory
• Predicts not only what will happen but also what will not happen

Question 6

Define confirmation bias

Answer 6

Tendency to seek and accept evidence that supports our theories & ignore evidence that contradicts beliefs

Question 7

descriptive methods

Answer 7

Goal to describe and predict behaviour but does not allow causal explanations

Question 8

case study

Answer 8

A detailed description of a particular individual being studied or treated

Question 9

observational study

Answer 9

Method where researchers systematically observe & record behaviour without interference

Question 10

psychological tests

Answer 10

Procedures used to measure and evaluate personality traits, emotional states, aptitudes, interests, abilities, and values

Question 11

standardized

Answer 11

when uniform procedures for giving & scoring test exist

Question 12

norms

Answer 12

established standards of performance

Question 13

reliability

Answer 13

the consistency of scores derived from a test from one time and place to the next or across scorers

Question 14

validity

Answer 14

the ability of a test to measure what it was designed to measure

Question 15

surveys

Answer 15

questionnaires & interviews that ask people about experiences, attitudes, or opinions

Question 16

correlational study

Answer 16

a type of descriptive study that looks for a relationship between two phenomena

Question 17

correlations

Answer 17

Measure of how strongly two quantifiable characteristics of behaviour (variables) are related to one another

Question 18

positive correlation

Answer 18

An association between increases in one variable and increases in another

Question 19

negative correlation

Answer 19

An association between increases in one variable and decreases in another

Question 20

experiment

Answer 20

A controlled test of a hypothesis in which the researcher manipulates one variable to discover its effect on another

Question 21

independent variable

Answer 21

Variable that experimenter manipulates

Question 22

descriptive statistics

Answer 22

Statistical procedures that organize and summarize research data

Question 23

inferential statistics

Answer 23

Statistical procedures that allow researchers to draw inferences about how statistically meaningful a study’s results are

Question 24

cross-sectional studies

Answer 24

participants of different ages compared at a given time (diff. groups compared at one time)

Question 25

longitudinal studies

Answer 25

participants periodically reassessed over a period of time (same groups compared at diff. times)

Question 26

effect size

Answer 26

a measure of how much variability among scores is accounted for by the independent variable

Question 27

meta-analysis

Answer 27

combines data from many studies; how much variance in scores across all studies is accounted for by a particular variable

Question 28

eight major ethical principles

Answer 28

1. Respect for human dignity 2. Respect for free & informed consent 3. Respect for vulnerable persons 4. Respect for privacy & confidentiality 5. Respect for justice & inclusiveness 6. Balancing harms and benefits 7. Minimizing harm 8. Maximizing benefit

Question 29

ethics of studying humans

Answer 29

* Must provide informed consent * Freedom to withdraw at any time * Minimize discomfort * Keep data confidential * If deception is necessary, must provide debriefing about true nature of study after