Module 2 - Methods

Question 1

The belief or theory that reason is the key source of knowledge

Answer 1

Rationalism

Question 2

Facts or information collected, examined, and considered for decision-making processes.

Answer 2

Data

Question 3

Rational explanations to describe and predict future behavior.

Answer 3

Scientific theories

Question 4

A six-step method of acquiring knowledge and methodologically answering questions.

Answer 4

Scientific method

Question 5

A term referring to a ‘do-over’ of a study using the same methods, but different subjects and investigators

Answer 5

Replication

Question 6

Any means to capture, record, or otherwise, describe a group. These methods are concerned with identifying ‘what is’ rather than ‘why it is.’

Answer 6

Descriptive methods

Question 7

A research method in which a researcher becomes part of the group under investigation.

Answer 7

Participant observation

Question 8

Observation of behavior as it happens, without an attempt to manipulate or control the subjects’ natural environment

Answer 8

Naturalistic observation

Question 9

An experiment that takes place in ‘real-world’ settings in which a researcher manipulates and controls the conditions of the behavior under observation.

Answer 9

Field experiments

Question 10

An in-depth analysis of a unique circumstance or individual.

Answer 10

Case study

Question 11

A medical procedure to remove or otherwise destroy tissue.

Answer 11

Ablation

Question 12

A part of the cerebral cortex known to play a role in the transference of certain types of memories into long-term memory stores.

Answer 12

Hippocampus

Question 13

A part of the cerebral cortex found on the ventral part of the temporal lobes and known to play a role in behavior and memory.

Answer 13

Entorhinal cortex

Question 14

Memories whose contents pertain to how something is done, such as the motor skills involved in walking and riding a bicycle.

Answer 14

Procedural memories

Question 15

A method using questions to collect information on how people think or act.

Answer 15

Survey

Question 16

All members of a group.

Answer 16

Population

Question 17

A subset (or portion) of a population.

Answer 17

Sample

Question 18

A sample that deviates from a true representation of a population.

Answer 18

Sampling error

Question 19

An unfair or unequal representation of a person or thing

Answer 19

Bias

Question 20

The influence of language, or wording, on people’s responses to survey questions

Answer 20

Wording effects

Question 21

The tendency for people to answer the question the way they feel they are expected to answer or in systematic ways that are otherwise inaccurate.

Answer 21

Response bias

Question 22

The tendency for participants to agree or respond “yes” to all questions regardless of their actual opinions

Answer 22

Acquiescent response bias

Question 23

Participants respond to questions in ways that would be seen as acceptable by others.

Answer 23

Socially desirable bias

Question 24

The tendency to describe our own behavior as better than average

Answer 24

Illusory superiority

Question 25

A bias whereby only a motivated fraction of a population respond to a survey or participate in research

Answer 25

Volunteer bias

Question 26

A set of principles or standards of behavior for psychologists to follow in research.

Answer 26

Research ethics

Question 27

A concept of research ethics whereby researchers strive to do 'good' in a research study.

Answer 27

Beneficence

Question 28

The act of doing harm

Answer 28

Maleficence

Question 29

The ethical principle of developing trusting relationships between researchers and participants.

Answer 29

Fidelity

Question 30

An ethical principle that psychologists should engage in accurate, honest, and unbiased practices in the science, teaching, and practice of psychology.

Answer 30

Integrity

Question 31

An ethical principle in research whereby those people who participate in the research process should also be the same people who stand to benefit from the research outcomes.

Answer 31

Justice

Question 32

The extent to which research findings in the lab can be generalized to the real world.

Answer 32

ecological validity

Question 33

An attribute of participants that is necessary to be a part of a research study.

Answer 33

Inclusion criterion

Question 34

An attribute of a person that would prevent them from participating in research study.

Answer 34

Exclusion criteria

Question 35

The combination of inclusion and exclusion criteria to create a set of characteristics shared by all participants that ensure that those participating will meaningfully help to address the research question.

Answer 35

Eligibility criteria

Question 36

A committee of independent people who review and assess whether a research project will be carried out in a way that is consistent with general ethical principles.

Answer 36

Institutional Review Board

Question 37

The process by which research participants learn about and understand the purpose, benefits, and potential risks of participating in a research study.

Answer 37

Informed consent

Question 38

Any group of individuals who may not be able to provide free and informed consent to participate in research

Answer 38

Vulnerable populations

Question 39

Instances that diminish a potential participant's capacity to provide informed consent

Answer 39

Decisional impairment

Question 40

When the freedom of 'choice' to participate in research is compromised as a result of undue influence from another source.

Answer 40

Situational vulnerability

Question 41

A person's affirmative permission to take part in a research study. In cases of decisional impairment, assent must be obtained in addition to informed consent

Answer 41

Assent

Question 42

The act of withholding information about the purpose and procedures of the study during the informed consent process

Answer 42

Deception

Question 43

A person who is acting as a participant, but in reality, is another researcher.

Answer 43

Confederate

Question 44

A measure (denoted as r) that captures the direction and strength of a relationship between variables

Answer 44

Correlation

Question 45

A type of graph that has one variable on the x-axis (the horizontal axis) and the other variable on the y-axis (the vertical axis) and provides a visual representation of relationships between variables

Answer 45

Scatterplot

Question 46

When variables change in the same direction; as one variable increases, the other variable increases, or as one variable decreases, the other variable decreases.

Answer 46

Positive correlation

Question 47

Variables that change in the opposite direction. An increase in one variable leads to a decrease in the other

Answer 47

Negative correlation

Question 48

Two variables that exhibit no apparent relationship

Answer 48

Zero correlation

Question 49

A straight line on a scatterplot showing the general relationship of data points

Answer 49

Line of best fit

Question 50

A numerical representation of the strength of the relationship between variables (denoted as r)

Answer 50

Correlation coefficient

Question 51

Other variables that may influence one or both variables that we are measuring, thereby influencing the correlation coefficient.

Answer 51

Confounding variable

Question 52

An educated prediction about the outcome of an experiment.

Answer 52

Hypothesis

Question 53

How a researcher decides to measure a variable.

Answer 53

Operational definition

Question 54

What we expect to find if this idea is correct

Answer 54

Experimental hypothesis

Question 55

The variable that the experimenter will manipulate, and it must contain at least two levels.

Answer 55

Independent variable

Question 56

The variable(s) the experimenter counts or measures.

Answer 56

Dependent variable

Question 57

Any variable that is not the focus of study, but may influence the outcome of research if not controlled.

Answer 57

Extraneous variables

Question 58

Every individual in the population has an equal chance of participating

Answer 58

Simple random sample

Question 59

two or more identifiable subgroups in the population, divides the population first by subgroups, and then randomly takes samples in proportion to the population of interest

Answer 59

Stratified random sample

Question 60

not all individuals are equally likely to participate.

Answer 60

Non-random sample

Question 61

A group of individuals that are only selected because of a pre-existing condition, convenience, or easy access to participation.

Answer 61

Convenience sample

Question 62

the group that receives the treatment/drug of interest.

Answer 62

Experimental group

Question 63

the group that does not receive the treatment/drug of interest

Answer 63

Control group

Question 64

The thought of taking a drug that enhances our memory may lead to subtle psychological effects that make us pay closer attention to what we are memorizing.

Answer 64

Placebo effect

Question 65

The degree to which results may be attributable to the independent variable rather than some other effect of our experiment. (was the experiment done right?)

Answer 65

Internal validity

Question 66

The degree to which a result can be applied beyond the scope of the experiment.

Answer 66

External validity

Question 67

The external validity of how the results from an experiment can apply to other settings

Answer 67

Generalization

Question 68

Information provided to participants about what the researcher was investigating and how their participation will contribute to the research question.

Answer 68

debriefing

Question 69

Memories whose contents relate to specific facts and pieces of meaningful information not based on personal experience.

Answer 69

Semantic Memories