Chapter 3. Research Methods

Question 1

Affective bias

Answer 1

A form of wishful thinking in which our perceptions are influenced by our desires, motives, and emotions

Question 2

Attrition

Answer 2

A threat to a study’s internal validity caused by the loss of participants over the course of the study

Question 3

Beneficence

Answer 3

An ethical principle that involves balancing the benefits of one’s actions against the risks or costs involved

Question 4

Case study

Answer 4

A research design that provides a detailed description of a person, group, or phenomenon

Question 5

Confirmatory bias

Answer 5

A form of selective thinking in which our perceptions are influenced by our beliefs, thoughts, and expectations

Question 6

Correlation coefficient (r)

Answer 6

A statistical measure of the strength and direction of the linear relationship between two variables

Question 7

Correlational study

Answer 7

A research design that examines the relationships between variables

Question 8

Critical thinking

Answer 8

A tendency to be skeptical and seek plausible alternative explanations for phenomena rather than rely on others’ beliefs or opinions

Question 9

Cross-sectional study

Answer 9

A type of research design that examines the association between variables at the same point in time

Question 10

Debriefing

Answer 10

A feature of a study in which researchers describe the nature, results, and conclusions of the study and answer questions about the study that participants might have

Question 11

Deception (in research)

Answer 11

A feature of a study in which researchers deliberately provide false or incomplete information to participants in order to mislead them; can only be used under limited conditions

Question 12

Double-blind study

Answer 12

A research design in which neither participants nor researchers know which participants are receiving treatment and which are serving as controls

Question 13

Effect size

Answer 13

In meta-analysis, a number that reflects the weighted mean difference between treatment and control groups at the end of a treatment outcome study

Question 14

Empirical data

Answer 14

Information acquired through our senses, especially direct observation and careful measurement

Question 15

Experiment

Answer 15

A research design that allows researchers to conclude causal relationships between variables; essential features include random assignment, the systematic manipulation of one variable, and holding all extraneous factors constant

Question 16

External validity

Answer 16

The degree to which the results of a study generalize to other people and situations

Question 17

Falsifiability

Answer 17

The capacity for an idea to be proven wrong; an essential feature of all scientific hypotheses

Question 18

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Answer 18

A neuroimaging method that measures brain activity by detecting blood oxygen concentrations during a mental task

Question 19

Hypothesis

Answer 19

A specific, falsifiable prediction about the relationship between two or more variables

Question 20

Idiographic assessment

Answer 20

Data collection that evaluates a person’s unique abilities, experiences, and behaviors

Question 21

Informed consent (in research)

Answer 21

An ethical requirement for all research studies; involves making sure that participants are aware of the purpose and nature of the study, agree to participate freely, and know that they can withdraw at any time

Question 22

Internal validity

Answer 22

The degree to which we can conclude that the manipulation of the independent variable in a study (e.g., treatment) caused a corresponding change in the dependent variable (e.g., outcome)

Question 23

Longitudinal study

Answer 23

A type of research design that examines the association between variables at different points in time; specifies the temporal relationship between the variables

Question 24

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Answer 24

A neuroimaging method in which a strong magnetic field is used to create a static, detailed image of the body

Question 25

Mediator (variable)

Answer 25

A variable that can help explain how two other variables are related; usually a continuous variable

Question 26

Meta-analysis

Answer 26

A statistical technique that is used to combine the results of multiple research studies into a single, overall numerical result called an effect size

Question 27

Moderator (variable)

Answer 27

A variable that affects the direction or strength of two other variables; usually a categorical variable

Question 28

Nomothetic assessment

Answer 28

Data collection that evaluates how groups of people typically think, feel, or act

Question 29

Nonequivalent groups study

Answer 29

A type of quasi-experimental study in which researchers compare treatment and control groups, but participants are not randomly assigned to these groups

Question 30

Nonmaleficence

Answer 30

An ethical principle that means avoiding harm or inflicting the least discomfort possible to reach a beneficial outcome

Question 31

Open-label study

Answer 31

A research design in which participants and researchers know which participants are receiving treatment and which are serving as controls

Question 32

Operational definition

Answer 32

A precise description of how a variable in a research study will be measured

Question 33

Parsimony

Answer 33

A scientific principle that dictates that simpler explanations should be selected over more complex explanations

Question 34

Placebo effect

Answer 34

People’s tendency to alter their behavior simply because they know they are receiving treatment; a threat to the internal validity of a study

Question 35

Precision

Answer 35

Care in the manner in which scientists collect data and draw conclusions from their observations

Question 36

Pretest-posttest study

Answer 36

A type of quasi-experimental study in which the same group of participants is assessed before and after treatment

Question 37

Pseudoscience

Answer 37

Statements, beliefs, and practices that people claim to be evidence based but are incompatible with scientific thinking; based largely on biases, opinions, and appeals to authority

Question 38

Quasi-experimental research

Answer 38

A research design that involves the manipulation of an independent variable without the random assignment of participants to groups

Question 39

Random assignment

Answer 39

A research method in which each participant has an equal chance of being part of each experimental condition; an essential feature of an experiment

Question 40

Random selection

Answer 40

A manner of recruiting participants for a research study in which each person in a given population has an equal chance of being included

Question 41

Randomized controlled trial

Answer 41

A special type of experiment used to test the efficacy of treatment; participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups

Question 42

Replication crisis

Answer 42

Refers to the finding that the results of many scientific studies are difficult or impossible to reproduce

Question 43

Reproducibility

Answer 43

Scientific principle that the results of research studies must be replicated before they are accepted

Question 44

Science

Answer 44

A set of principles and procedures that are used to guard against biased thinking; relies on the careful, systematic collection of data to understand ourselves and the world

Question 45

Selection bias

Answer 45

A systematic difference between participants in the treatment and control groups that can emerge when participants are not randomly assigned; a problem often seen in nonequivalent group studies

Question 46

Single subject study

Answer 46

A type of quasi-experimental study in which one participant’s behavior is assessed over time, usually with and without treatment

Question 47

Theory

Answer 47

An integrated set of ideas that explain and predict broad aspects of behavior or development

Question 48

Threats to internal validity

Answer 48

Characteristics of research studies that limit our ability to make causal inferences: maturation, environmental factors, repeated testing, attrition, and selection bias

Question 49

Treatment as usual (TAU)

Answer 49

The most stringent type of control group in which participants are referred to practitioners in the community and receive whatever treatment they provide