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PSYC 104 - Introductory Psychology I > Chapter 2 - Research Methods > Flashcards

Chapter 2 - Research Methods Flashcards

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1
Q

Why we need good research methods?

A

-protect against bias to ensure results are accurate and conclusions are true
-avoid errors

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2
Q

Prefrontal Lobotomy

A

-surgical procedure that severs fibres connecting the frontal lobe of the brain with the thalamus
-used to treat schizophrenia
-results based only on subjective clinical results
-didn’t conduct systematic research and assumed their observations were enough to verify their results

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3
Q

System 1 Thinking

A

-intuitive
-fast
-relies on feelings and gut reactions
-may be an assumption
-relies on heuristics
-prone to error

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4
Q

Heuristic

A

-mental shortcut or rule of thumb that helps us to streamline our thinking and make sense of our world
-based on past history

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5
Q

System 2 Thinking

A

-analytical
-slow
-relies on careful evaluation of evidence
-reflective

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6
Q

Scientific Method

A

-not a singular way of doing things
-it is a toolbox of skills that can be applied in specific ways
-permit us to test hypotheses

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7
Q

Surveys

A

-used to measure peoples opinions and attitudes
-a self-report measure

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8
Q

Questionnaire

A

-a self-report measure
-assess personality traits, mental illnesses, interests

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9
Q

Self-Report Measure Advantages

A

-easy to administer and gather large amount of data
-cost effective
-allows assessment of internal processes, thoughts, feelings that outside observers are not typically aware

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10
Q

Self-Report Measure Disadvantages

A

-the wording of the question can lead to different results
-assumes respondents have enough knowledge to report accurately
-assumes participants are honest

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11
Q

Response Sets

A

-tendency of research participants to distort their responses to questionnaire items

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12
Q

Malingering

A

-tendency to make ourselves appear psychologically disturbed
-aim of achieving a clear-cut personal goal
-may be trying to obtain financial compensation or escape military duty

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13
Q

Rating Data

A

-a self-report measure
-someone else is asked to comment on a person’s behaviour
-it is assumed they know the person well

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14
Q

Rating Data Advantages

A

-gets around malingering and response set bias

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15
Q

Rating Data Disadvantages

A

-halo effect
-horns effect
-susceptible to stereotypes

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16
Q

Halo Effect

A

the tendency for a high rating in one positive characteristic to spill over and enhance the ratings of other characteristics

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17
Q

Horns Effect

A

the tendency for a high rating in one negative characteristic to spill over and lower ratings of other characteristics

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18
Q

Random Selection

A

-procedure that ensures that every person in a population has an equal chance of being chosen to participate
-allows us to generalize our results
-studying fewer people broadly is better than studying more people narrowly

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19
Q

Generalizability

A

-a measure of how useful the results of a study are for a broader group of people or situations
-ie. if the study results are applicable to many people or situations = good generalizability

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20
Q

Reliability

A

-an evaluating measure
-the consistency of a measurement
-the study will measure the same way over and over again

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21
Q

Test-Retest Reliability

A

-reliable questionnaire yields same scores over time
-consistent results
-ie. stepping on a scale and measuring the same weight multiple times

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22
Q

Interrater Reliability

A

-the extent to which different people who conduct an interview or make observations agree on the characteristics they are measuring

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23
Q

Validity

A

-the extent to which a measure assesses what it purports to measure
-ie. lie detector polygraph is not valid

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24
Q

Reliability + Validity

A

-reliability is necessary for validity
-validity is not necessary for reliability

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25
Replicability Crisis
-open and transparent science is needed to ensure findings are replicable and reproducible -sparked the open science movement
26
Post Data Publicly
-a response to the replicability crisis -data needs to be public to be replicated and peer reviewed
27
Conduct Replications
-a response to the replicability crisis -replications of own and others work needs to be available
28
Preregister Research
-a response to the replicability crisis -prevents forged numbers -when you provide a blueprint it is unchangeable
29
Publish ALL Sound Science
-a response to the replicability crisis -journals only publish fancy findings to gain interest -publish all works including replications -scientists want to be published and wont replicate if they know they won't be selected
30
Less Emphasis on Single Study Findings
-a response to the replicability crisis -more emphasis on replicated studies
31
3 Types of Research Methods
-descriptive -correlational -experimental
32
Naturalistic Observation
-descriptive research method -observe behaviour naturally without trying to manipulate it -ie. observing in the wild
33
Natural Observation Advantages
-high in external validity -captures natural behaviour
34
Naturalistic Observation Disadvantages
-low internal validity -doesn't allow us to infer causation -possible reactivity (people know they are being studied) -possible observer bias -no control over other variables
35
External Validity
-extent to which we can generalize findings to real-world settings
36
Internal Validity
-extent to which we can draw cause-and-effect inferences from a study
37
Case Studies
-descriptive research method -an in depth analysis on an individual, group, or event over an extended time period
38
Existence Proof
-demonstration that a given psychological phenomenon can occur
39
Case Study Advantages
-can provide existence proofs -allows study of rare phenomena -good for hypotheses generation -offers insights for later testing
40
Case Study Disadvantages
-typically anecdotal -don't allow us to infer causation -generalization may be an issue -possible observer bias
41
Correlational Designs
-research design that examines the extent to which to variables are associated/related -allow us to generate predictions about the future
42
Correlate
-two things that relate to each other statistically rather than interpersonally
43
Advantages of Correlational Designs
-flexible and easier to conduct than experiments
44
Disadvantages
-cannot explain causation
45
Positive Correlation
-as the value of one variable changes, the other goes in the same direction - + = perfect positive correlation
46
Zero Correlation
-the variables don't go together at all
47
Negative Correlation
-as the value of one variable change, the other goes in the opposite direction - -1.0 = perfect negative correlation
48
Third-Variable Problem
-the reason correlational research doesn't show causation -while x and y might show correlation, there could be a third z variable that affects the two
49
Correlation Coefficient
-measures the strength of a correlation -scale from -1.0 (negative) to + 1.0 (positive)
50
Scatterplot
-grouping of point on a two-dimensional graph (x, y) in which each dot represents a single person's data
51
Scatterplot Negative Correlation
-the plot goes in a downward slope -if the correlation isn't a perfect negative (-1.0) that means that some students still did well and some students who drank non still did poorly -ie. shows the more beers drank the worse students do on an exam
52
Scatterplot Zero Correlation
-no definite pointing up or down -no association
53
Scatterplot Positive Correlation
-dots point in an upward slope -ie. more psych classes attended, the better they do on their exam
54
Illusory Correlation
-perception of a statistical association between two variables where none exists
55
Experimental Design
-a research design characterized by random assignment of participants to conditions -involves the manipulation of at least one variable -allows researchers to establish as causal relationship between variables
56
Components of an Experiment
1. Random assignment of a participants to conditions 2. Manipulation of an independent variable
57
Random Assignment
-randomly sorting participants into groups -cancels out preexisting differences between the two groups -ensures the participant has an equal chance of being sorted into one of the two groups
58
Experimental Group
-in an experiment, the group of participants that receives the manipulation
59
Control Group
-in an experiment, the group of participants that doesn't receive the manipulation
60
Independent Variable
-variable that an experimenter manipulates
61
Dependent Variable
-variable that an experimenter measures to see whether the manipulation has an effect
62
Between-subjects Design
-in an experiment, researchers assign different groups to the control or experimental condition -group A gets drug, group B doesn't
63
Within-subjects Design
-in an experiment, each participant acts as his or her own control -they measure a behaviour before a variable is manipulated, and then after
64
Operational Definition
-a working definition of what a researcher is measuring
65
Confounds (extraneous/confounding variables)
-any variable that differs between experimental and control group -may be responsible for the observed difference between the groups after manipulation -researcher trie to control things that could affect the results that weren't accounted for -ensures there is only one manipulated variable -ie. was the result do to the drug or financial status
66
Experimental Design Example
-Hypothesis: drug will increase a participants mood -Independent variable: whether a subject gets the drug -Dependent variable: mood of the participant
67
Placebo Effect
-improvement resulting from the mere expectation of improvement
68
Blind
-a way to control the placebo effect -unaware of whether one is in the experimental or control group
69
Nocebo Effect
-harm resulting from the mere expectation of harm -ie. voodoo dolls
70
Experimenter Expectancy Effect
-phenomenon in which researchers hypotheses lead them to unintentionally bias the outcome of a study -usually in line with their expected hypothesis -driven by confirmation bias
71
Double-Blind
-a way to protect against experimenter expectancy effect -neither researcher nor participants are aware of who's in the experimental or control group
72
Demand Characteristics
-cues that participants pick up from a study that allow them to generate guesses regarding the researchers hypotheses -changes how they act based on their assumptions
73
Preventing Demand Characteristics
-researchers often disguise the true purpose of a study until after the study has been completed
74
Hawthorne Effect
-people's knowledge that they are being studied changes their behaviour
75
Tuskegee Study
-an unethical study -for 40 years (from 1932-1972) the US Public Health Service diagnosed black men in a poor community in Alabama with Syphilis -They had no idea they had it and infected women and children -Eventually died -Treatment was available at the time
76
Belmont Report
-1979 -in response to Tuskegee study -made guidelines about ethical research
77
Findings of Belmont Report
Research should be: -allow people to make decisions about themselves -be beneficent -distribute benefits and risks equally to all participants
78
Informed Consent
-informing research participants of what is involved in a study before asking them to participate
79
Educating Participants
-protect them from harm -know what they are getting into -non-technical language
80
Freedom from Coercion
-you can't bribe/coerce people to participate in a study -especially if it's harmful
81
Risk-benefit analysis
-determine the risks and benefits -is it worth it? -are the risks too high?
82
Statistics
-application of mathematic to describing and analyzing data
83
Descriptive Statistics
-numerical characterization that describe data
84
Central Tendency
-measure of the "central" scores in a data set -where the group tends to cluster
85
Variability
-measure of how loosely or tightly bunched scores are
86
Mean
-average -add up all numbers, divide by how many there are
87
Median
-middle score in a data set -measure of central tendency
88
Mode
-most frequent score in a data set -measure of central tendency
89
Range
-a measure of variability -difference between the highest and lowest scores
90
Standard Deviation
-measure of variability -average amount that an individual data point differs from the mean
91
Inferential Statistics
-mathematical methods that allow us to determine whether we can generalize findings from our sample to the full population -allows to determine if results are likely to occur due to chance
92
Statistical Significance
-the probability that the findings are due to chance -if they are statistically significant that means the results are unlikely to occur due to chance
93
Practical Significance
-determination of whether the finding has any real world importance
94
Peer Review
-process of quality control for research before it is published in an academic journal -reviewers identify flaws that undermine the findings of a study

PSYC 104 - Introductory Psychology I (12 decks)

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