Psych Research Methods exam 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Three methods we answer questions

A

Intuition
Authority
Science

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2
Q

Method of Intuition

A

Draws conclusions on the basis of personal experience and judgment

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3
Q

Method of authority

A

adopts conclusions of trusted sources such as expert, friend, doctrine

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4
Q

Method of science

A

Draws conclusions on the basis of systematic observation

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5
Q

Why statistics are needed

A

Helps us make analyze (makes sense of) lots of information

Allows us to make conclusions about our selected population based on data from a small portion of it

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6
Q

Four goals for understanding behavior

A
  1. Describing behavior
  2. Predicting behavior
  3. Explaining behavior: Causes of behavior and why it works
  4. Influencing behavior: Control or change
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7
Q

Research Process

A
  1. Generate Research Question by observing the world
  2. Consult Theory
  3. Generate Hypothesis
  4. Generate Prediction by identifying variables
  5. Collect Data to Test Prediction by measuring variables
  6. Analyze Data by graph data/model
  7. Generalize results
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8
Q

Mertonian norms

A

Four norms of good scientific research were introduced by Robert K. Merton.

Describe what constitutes the ethos of modern science

Communism, Universalism, disinterestedness, and organized skepticism

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9
Q

Communism

A

Expresses the shared ownership of scientific discoveries and the need for scientists to share their discoveries publicly

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10
Q

Universalism

A

Idea anyone can do science regardless of race, nationality and gender

Everyone’s scientific claims should be scrutinized equally without discrimination

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11
Q

Disinterestedness

A

Expresses the idea that scientists should only work for the benefit of science

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12
Q

Organized scepticism

A

Expresses the idea that the acceptance of scientific work depends on assessments of the scientific contribution, objectivity and rigor

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13
Q

National Research Act

A

Passed in 1974

Established a commission to regulate human-subjects research

Required all research institutions that receive federal funding to establish Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to supervise human-subject research

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14
Q

Belmont Report

A

Passed in 1979

Establishes ethical guidelines for human-subjects research

Guidelines integrated into the APA ethics code

The 3 principles of the Belmont Report is the
Beneficence
Justice
Respect for Persons

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15
Q

Institutional Review Boards (IRB)

A

Committees that evaluate the ethics of all research conducted at an institution

Researchers must obtain permission before beginning any study-even one with no risk to participants

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16
Q

Three key principles of Belmont Report

A

Beneficence
Justice
Respect for Persons

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17
Q

Justice

A

Benefits and risks should be distributed fairly

It is unfair when an individual or group carry a large share of risks of research without getting a proportionate share of the benefits

Formulations
(1) to each person an equal share
(2) to each person according to individual need
(3) to each person according to individual effort
(4) to each person according to societal contribution
(5) to each person according to merit

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18
Q

Beneficence

A

Persons are to be treated in a ethical manner not only be respecting their decisions and protecting them from harm, but also by making effort to secure well-being

  1. Do not harm
  2. Maximize benefits and minimize risks

Has the interests of research participants in mind

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19
Q

Respect for Persons

A

Should be treated as autonomous agents
Participants without full autonomy should be protected

Requires participants to be allowed to choose what shall or shall not happen to them. They should receive informed consent

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20
Q

Benefits of beneficence

A

Direct payment or other compensation
Education or learning
treatment or intervention benefits
Application of findings

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21
Q

Risks of beneficence

A

Physical discomfort or pain
Psychological stress
Loss of privacy

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22
Q

Confidential data in research

A

research can connect identities with data, but the public cannot

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22
Q

Beneficence: Researchers Responsibility

A

Assure no permanent physical damage or psychological harm

Protect privacy through anonymity or confidentiality

Make sure benefits outweigh risks

Repair any actual harm

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23
Q

Anonymous data in research

A

When researchers cannot connect participants identities with their data

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24
Q

Respect for persons: Informed consent

A

To fulfill Respect for Persons, obtain informed consent by providing all relevant information to each participant before they agree to participate

Relevant information includes:
General purpose, procedure, duration
Risks, benefits, and incentives
Assurance and limits of confidentiality
Right to decline or withdraw at any time
Address any immediate questions or concern
Researchers contact information

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25
Q

Justice: Participant selection

A

Should be guided by scientific consideration and concern for fairness

Should not concentrate on benefits on advantaged populations or risks on disadvantaged populations

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26
Q

Protected populations in research

A

Children and minors
People with psychological disorders or mental handicaps
Students and employees/subordinates
Prisoners

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27
Q

What to be mindful of when using protected populations in studies

A
  1. Be careful about risks
  2. If the participant is not fully capable of consent, obtain their consent, plus consent from a parent, guardian, or spouse
  3. Be careful to avoid coercion
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28
Q

Exemptions from Informed Consent

A

IRB can decide that studies don’t require informed consent if

  1. No more than minimal risks to participants
  2. Educational practice or assessment
  3. Job or organizational effectiveness
  4. Anonymous surveys, naturalistic observations, or archival research
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29
Q

Debriefing

A

Providing additional information to each participant after they complete study

Specific purpose, expected results
Address questions, concerns
Repair any damage psychologically or physically
How to learn about the results or conclusions

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30
Q

Deception

A

Involves withholding some information about a study’s purpose or procedure, or misleading participants

Throughly debrief participants, especially after deception

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31
Q

When is deception considered acceptable

A

Researchers fully disclose any greater-than-minimal risks

Researcher debriefs participants after deception

There is not a feasible alternative

32
Q

Adam Frank’s 3 S’s of science

A

Spitballs
Supertankers
Stadiums

33
Q

Spitballs

A

Individual research papers are spitballs

It basically means they’re not the last word on anything

34
Q

Supertanker

A

Basically is the state of the study, all the spitballs have to line up on the same side to stop the supertanker and create a new scientific consensus

If individual research studies are on different sides of the supertanker, no consensus is going to be reached

35
Q

Stadium

A

It refers to the community of people who interpret, process and decide on directions of the general scientific consensus and its studies that lead up to it

36
Q

Peer review articles

A

Articles are written by experts and are reviewed by several other experts in the field before the article is published in the journal in order to ensure the article’s quality.

These are the most scientifically valid articles

37
Q

Timely peer reviewed article

A

Addresses current or pressing issue in fields, provides up to date information or research findings significant to the scientific community

38
Q

Time bound article

A

schedule or timeline associated with the publication process and ensures that the article can be published at a reasonable time-frame

39
Q

Levels of measurement

A

1.Categorical
2. Continuous

40
Q

Categorical variable and types

A

Entities are divided into distinct categories

Binary variable
Nominal variable
Ordinal variable

41
Q

Binary variable

A

Only two categories
e.g. dead or alive

42
Q

Nominal variable

A

More than two categories
e.g. whether someone is an omnivore, vegetarian, vegan, fruitarian

Order does not matter

43
Q

Ordinal variable

A

The same as a nominal variable but categories have logical order
e.g. whether people got a fail, a pass, a merit, or distinction on their exam

Order matters but not difference between values

44
Q

Continuous variables

A

entities get a distinct score

Scale variables

45
Q

Scale variables

A

a measurement variable — a variable that has a numeric value

Broken down into ratio variables and interval variables

46
Q

Ratio variables

A

Have an absolute, true “zero” point
e.g. height weight

Makes it possible to compare measurements in terms of ratio
e.g had 2 cups of cereal while my wife had 1 cup

47
Q

Interval variables

A

The value of “zero” does not indicate a total absence of the variable being measured

Difference between values are meaningful

48
Q

Cohort study

A

a type of longitudinal study—an approach that follows research participants over a period of time (often many years)

Specifically recruits and follows participants who share similar characteristics like occupation or demography

49
Q

Case-control studies

A

A study that compares two groups of people: those with the disease or condition under study (cases) and a very similar group of people who do not have the disease or condition (controls).

50
Q

Relationships between variables

A

Describing relationships
Using relationships to predict behavior
Testing causal relationships
Using relationships to influence behavior

51
Q

research designs used to test relationships between variables

A
  1. Experimental designs
  2. Correlational designs
52
Q

Experimental design

A

Researcher directly manipulates one or more independent variables than observes effects on one or more dependent variables

Ex. Anxiety and test performance

53
Q

Control group

A

Group of participants in the experimental design that is not manipulated

54
Q

manipulation check

A

any means by which an experimenter evaluates the efficacy of an experimental variable,

verifies that the experimental variable is done as presented

55
Q

Correlational design

A

Researcher measures two or more variables, but does not directly manipulate any of them

ex. Anxiety and test performance
Anxiety is the predictor variable
Test performance is the outcome variable

56
Q

Casual relationship

A

Implies direct cause and effect relationship between the independent and dependent variable

The requirements are
Covariation
Temporal precedence
Alternative explanations

Easier for experimental studies to meet these requirements

57
Q

Covariation

A

a statistical association between the cause and the effect.

58
Q

Temporal precedence

A

Cause must occur before the effect

59
Q

Alternative explanations

A

All plausible alternative explanations for covariation must be eliminated

60
Q

Correlation Coefficient

A

Varies between -1 and +1

0 = no relationship
+-.1 = small effect
+- .3 = medium effect
+-.5 = large effect

in social studies

61
Q

Confounding variable

A

Provides alternative explanation for a possible casual relationship

62
Q

Benefits of correlational studies

A
  1. Easier to do
  2. Easier to observe behavior naturalistically, rather than needing to use an artificial lab setting
  3. Can study variables that are impossible or unethical to manipulate
63
Q

What makes a good research study

A

High construct validity
High external validity
High internal validity

64
Q

Construct validity

A

assesses whether the variables that you are testing for behave in a way to support your theory

Pertains to the measure that you are using

65
Q

External validity

A

This means that the results of the study can be generalized to other people, settings, and operational definitions of the variables

Easier for correlational than experimental studies

66
Q

Internal validity

A

Internal validity is the extent to which a research study establishes a trustworthy cause-and-effect relationship

This type of validity depends largely on the study’s procedures and how rigorously it is performed.

Usually easier for experimental than correlational

67
Q

Ways to maximize construct validity

A

Use measures and manipulations that have been validated by previous research

68
Q

How to ensure external validity

A

Use representative sample
Observe behavior in natural settings
Use realistic manipulations
Conduct multiple studies with different methods

69
Q

John Stuart Mill

A

Created the 3 ways to identify a successful casual experiment

Covariation
Temporal Precedence
Alternative explantations

70
Q

Hawthorne effect

A

people will modify their behavior simply because they are being observed.

71
Q

Operational definition

A

The way a construct is measured in a study

ex. If you are measuring the absolute income hypothesis for money, an operational variable you’d be measuring is happiness

72
Q

Qualitative Data

A

Information that cannot be counted, measured or easily expressed using numbers.

72
Q

Quantitative data

A

data that can be counted or measured in numerical values

72
Q

Operationalization

A

The way that a particular variable is measured or manipulated in a particular study

72
Q

Two ways to quantify data

A

Categorical data
Continuous data

73
Q

Internal validity in experiments

A

Used large samples for equal groups

Treat all groups identically except for the independent variable

Don’t communicate your hypothesis to the participants

73
Q

What study design is high in internal validity

A

experimental studies

74
Q

Robert K. Merton.

A

Created the 4 Mertonian Norms