Research Foundations in Pyschology Flashcards by JONELLE JAMES

What are the three umbrella terms for research study types?

Prospective - a study looking for outcomes for the future
Retrospective - a study looking into the past
Snap-shot/Cross-sectional - present time experiment not over a long period of time

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What is the independent variable?

What axis is it found on?

The variable that is being controlled by the researcher

The “cause” of the experiment

Independent variable is found on the x-axis

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What is the dependent variable?

What axis is it on?

The variable in which the effect or the outcome that is being measured.

On the y-axis

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Describe qualitative data.

What are examples of qualitative data?

Data that is driven by verbal processes and observations, this data is categorical

Ex: Interviews, surveys on happiness by rating, descriptions

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Describe Quantitative Data and provide examples.

Data that uses numerical analysis

Examples: drug dose, scores on an exam, temperature, weight

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Define population and give an example.

An entire group of people that you are interested in learning about

Example:

Intrest = depression

Population = would be every single person in the world has depression

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Define what a sample is ?

Example?

The population of subjects in your study

Ex: A sample of 30 participants that have depression

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What makes a good sample, “good”?

A random sample is a good sample

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What is Power?

Power refers to the # of people in your study, this must represent the population you want to study & say something about

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What is the Experimental Group?

Is the group that receives the intervention/treatment/diseases (the outcome of interest)

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What is the control group?

The group that receives no intervention.

Usually receives the gold standard of care.

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What is another word for validity?

Truth

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Does the experiment actually test what it is supposed to test is testing _______ validity?

Construct validity

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Asking did we carry out this study correctly based on design test ______ validity? And what factors do you consider?

Internal Validity

Factors to consider: How did they conduct the experiment?

Is the sample size reflective of the population?

Confounding variables.

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The ability of the results being able to be generalized test _____ validity

External Validity

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What may make experimental results not generalizable?

If a study had strict exclusion criteria it cannot be generalizable

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Looking at how a study design reflects real-life setting test _____ validity

Ecological validity

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Looking at if an experiment can be repeated successfully is ______ validity

Reliability validity

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Can an experiment be reliable but not valid?

Yes a experiment can be reliable but not valid

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The independent variable leading to the dependent variable is _______.

Causality

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What experimental design do we use to prove Causality?

Random Controlled trail aka a Double-Blind Study

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_______, _______, and _______ in a experiment prove causality.

Temporality, Plausibility and Mechanism

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_______ is a adequate amount of time of IV causing DV

Temporality

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What is plausibility in an experiment?

How much does the experiment “make sense” or is believable

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\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ in an experiment clearly shows how A leads to B.

Mechanism

\_\_\_\_\_\_ is the relation between IV to the DV. List the 3 examples of this What is the shorthand for this?

Correlation r= correlation Positive correlation r= + Negative correlation r = - No correlation r = 0 (IV and DV are not related to each other)

What is a within-subjects study design?

A study in which all participants are exposed to each of the independent variables (treatment or condition).

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ study design use subjects initial baseline scores and compare back to each other participants baseline scores.

Within Subjects

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ study design in which subjects of an experiment are assigned to different conditions, with each subject only experiencing one of the experimental conditions.

Between-Subjects

In an in-between experimental design, this design requires a ______ group and a ____ group, with subjects randomly assigned to one or two conditions.

A treatment group and a control group

A false positive is a ________ error. An example of this is?

Type 1 error Ex: My drug is working but in reality, it does not work

A False-negative is a _____ error. And a example of this is?

Type 2 error My drug is not working but in reality, it does work

The statement that the IV has no effect on the DV is the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.

Null hypothesis

When you reject the null hypothesis you are saying that the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.

The IV indeed does have an effect on the DV.

Define what a bias or a fallacy is?

A Bias/ Fallacy is an interference from the truth or a deviation in results.

When you tend to ignore the overall base rate of the situation in favor of one piece of information, this is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.

Base rate Fallacy

What does it mean to blind a study?

When participants and/or researchers don't know who is assigned to what group of the study.

Observer bias is eliminated by a \_\_\_\_\_\_.

Double-Blind Study

A _________ variable is a variable that changes the strength or direction of an effect between the independent and dependent variable. Provide an example? This variable can be ______ or \_\_\_\_\_\_\_.

Moderator Variable Example: The amount of money given $100 vs $10 giving to do homework Can be Qualitative (sex, race, class) or Quantitative (drug dose)

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ variable is a variable that links the independent and dependent variables, its existence explains the relationship btw the two variables. What is an example of this?

Mediator Variable Example: Bullying leads to lower test score

The effect of the Independent Variable will go away if you take the ________ away.

Mediator variable

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is a mechanism through which the independent variable produces the dependent variable. (the explanation)

Mediator Variable

A _________ variable is a variable that may change the outcome of the desired results.

A Confounding variable

How do scientists control for confounding variables?

Scientists control for confounding variables in experiments by statistical analysis/results to isolate the real cause-effect relationship. The statistic analysis eliminates the noise

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is a technique used to get rid of the order effect.

Counterbalancing

Why is the order effect problematic in an experiment?

Because you want the IV to have an intended impact on the DV b/c of the actual variation not because of the order you presented the stimulus. The order is switched in the experiments to avoid effect and avoiding fatigue.

Define accuracy.

How close are your results to the truth (validity).

Define Precision.

How close are your results to each other (reliability).

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is a study where researchers observe the effect of a risk factor, diagnostic test, treatment, or intervention w/o changing who is or isn't exposed to it in real-life situations.

Observational Studies

What are the strengths and weaknesses of an Observational Study?

Strengths: descriptive data is very generalizable Weakness: no manipulation so loss of experimental control

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ study is a study that uses statistical processes looking for themes/commonalities by combining all or some current research.

Meta-Analysis Study

What is an example of a Meta-Analysis experiment?

Eysenck claimed there was no benefit of psychotherapy But, Gene V. Glass collected 375 studies and did a meta-analysis

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is a study in which researchers analyze Literature that was already published and write a summary

Systematic Review or Analysis OR Literature review

What questions are a researcher trying to answer during a lit review?

Where does the research stand on this today? How can we use this in the future?

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is considered the goal standard for research design, a design you use to prove causality where subjects are randomized into different groups.

Randomized Control Trial (RCT)

What are the three components of causality?

Timing, Mechanism, and Plausibility

Which questions, which examples are correlation vs causation? 1. Gun control laws have reduced violent crime. 2. Smoking causes lung cancer

1. Correlation 2. Causation

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ are individuals who are "in" on the experiment, they play the role of participant and bystander.

Confederates in research

What is the purpose of confederates in research?

Used when experimenter wants to control outside influence and explore their participant’s behaviors.

What was the Solomon Ash experiment? What is it an example of?

Example of an experiment with confederates in research. Conforming study where the more people giving the obviously incorrect answer the more people were persuaded to say the obviously wrong answer.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is a study that uses medical anthropology that tells a patient story. These studies are helpful in tailoring interventions and procedures to be more patient-friendly. Study is subjective and experiential

Narratives/ Ethnographies Study

A __________ study is an intensive investigation of the behavior and mental processes associated with a person or situations. This study may not generalizable.

A Case study

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is a prospective/longitudinal study that follows a group of people forward in time. Compares an intervention or disease/outcome with others who have not been affected. There is only one difference between the groups.

Cohort Study

What is an example of the Cohort Study?

Framingham Heart Study (Smokers/NonSmokers → Heart Disease/Stroke)

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ or ______ assess the independent variable and dependent variable at the same time. Helpful in generating more questions and a starting point for social science researchers.

Cross-sectional or snapshot study

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is an experimental study but the Independent variable is not randomly assigned, there is no control group. This is also known as a ______ experiment.

Quasi-experiment Fake experiment

What is an example of a quasi-experiment?

Ex: a research study was held to examine students' attitudes about the president. Pre-test post-test. All students watched the video