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Psych research methods > Psych Research Methods exam 1 > Flashcards

Psych Research Methods exam 1 Flashcards

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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
Respect for persons: Informed consent
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
25
Justice: Participant selection
Should be guided by scientific consideration and concern for fairness Should not concentrate on benefits on advantaged populations or risks on disadvantaged populations
26
Protected populations in research
Children and minors People with psychological disorders or mental handicaps Students and employees/subordinates Prisoners
27
What to be mindful of when using protected populations in studies
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
28
Exemptions from Informed Consent
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
29
Debriefing
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
30
Deception
Involves withholding some information about a study's purpose or procedure, or misleading participants Throughly debrief participants, especially after deception
31
When is deception considered acceptable
Researchers fully disclose any greater-than-minimal risks Researcher debriefs participants after deception There is not a feasible alternative
32
Adam Frank's 3 S's of science
Spitballs Supertankers Stadiums
33
Spitballs
Individual research papers are spitballs It basically means they're not the last word on anything
34
Supertanker
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
Stadium
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
Peer review articles
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
Timely peer reviewed article
Addresses current or pressing issue in fields, provides up to date information or research findings significant to the scientific community
38
Time bound article
schedule or timeline associated with the publication process and ensures that the article can be published at a reasonable time-frame
39
Levels of measurement
1.Categorical 2. Continuous
40
Categorical variable and types
Entities are divided into distinct categories Binary variable Nominal variable Ordinal variable
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Binary variable
Only two categories e.g. dead or alive
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Nominal variable
More than two categories e.g. whether someone is an omnivore, vegetarian, vegan, fruitarian Order does not matter
43
Ordinal variable
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
Continuous variables
entities get a distinct score Scale variables
45
Scale variables
a measurement variable — a variable that has a numeric value Broken down into ratio variables and interval variables
46
Ratio variables
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
Interval variables
The value of "zero" does not indicate a total absence of the variable being measured Difference between values are meaningful
48
Cohort study
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
Case-control studies
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
Relationships between variables
Describing relationships Using relationships to predict behavior Testing causal relationships Using relationships to influence behavior
51
research designs used to test relationships between variables
1. Experimental designs 2. Correlational designs
52
Experimental design
Researcher directly manipulates one or more independent variables than observes effects on one or more dependent variables Ex. Anxiety and test performance
53
Control group
Group of participants in the experimental design that is not manipulated
54
manipulation check
any means by which an experimenter evaluates the efficacy of an experimental variable, verifies that the experimental variable is done as presented
55
Correlational design
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
Casual relationship
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
Covariation
a statistical association between the cause and the effect.
58
Temporal precedence
Cause must occur before the effect
59
Alternative explanations
All plausible alternative explanations for covariation must be eliminated
60
Correlation Coefficient
Varies between -1 and +1 0 = no relationship +-.1 = small effect +- .3 = medium effect +-.5 = large effect in social studies
61
Confounding variable
Provides alternative explanation for a possible casual relationship
62
Benefits of correlational studies
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
What makes a good research study
High construct validity High external validity High internal validity
64
Construct validity
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
External validity
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
Internal validity
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
Ways to maximize construct validity
Use measures and manipulations that have been validated by previous research
68
How to ensure external validity
Use representative sample Observe behavior in natural settings Use realistic manipulations Conduct multiple studies with different methods
69
John Stuart Mill
Created the 3 ways to identify a successful casual experiment Covariation Temporal Precedence Alternative explantations
70
Hawthorne effect
people will modify their behavior simply because they are being observed.
71
Operational definition
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
Qualitative Data
Information that cannot be counted, measured or easily expressed using numbers.
72
Quantitative data
data that can be counted or measured in numerical values
72
Operationalization
The way that a particular variable is measured or manipulated in a particular study
72
Two ways to quantify data
Categorical data Continuous data
73
Internal validity in experiments
Used large samples for equal groups Treat all groups identically except for the independent variable Don't communicate your hypothesis to the participants
73
What study design is high in internal validity
experimental studies
74
Robert K. Merton.
Created the 4 Mertonian Norms

Psych research methods (2 decks)

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