Research Methods Flashcards

1
Q

basic research

A

driven by curiosity; for the sake of science

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2
Q

examples of basic research

A

neuroscience, cognitive, developmental, social

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3
Q

applied research

A

has a clear purpose

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4
Q

examples of applied research

A

clinical, educational, forensic

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5
Q

Why is psychological research important?

A
  • reduces bias
  • systematic
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6
Q

scientific method

A
  • theory
  • hypothesis
  • research
  • support/refute theory
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7
Q

What makes a good theory?

A

falsifiable: there is evidence to either support or refute the theory

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8
Q

What makes a good hypothesis?

A

specific and testable

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9
Q

population

A

everyone in the group that the experimenter is interested in

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10
Q

sample

A

a subset of a population

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11
Q

random assignment

A

assigning participants randomly to experimental conditions

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12
Q

random sampling

A

every person in the population has an equal chance of being selected

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13
Q

Why is random sampling important?

A
  • eliminates the chance of third variables
  • allows for generalization
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14
Q

convenience sampling

A

consists of people who are conveniently available for the study

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15
Q

correlational research design

A

measures how closely two factors/variables vary together

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16
Q

variable

A

a property whose value can vary at any given time

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17
Q

positive correlation

A

↑↑

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18
Q

negative correlation

A

↑↓ or ↓↑

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19
Q

zero correlation

A

one variable not predictably related to the other

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20
Q

What is the range of correlational coefficients?

A

-1 to +1

21
Q

perfect negative correlation

A

-1

22
Q

perfect positive correlation

A

+1

23
Q

limitations of correlational studies

A

correlation ≠ causation

24
Q

benefits of correlational studies

A
  • more ethical
  • leads to more experiments
25
Q

experimental research design

A

an independent variable is systematically manipulated under controlled conditions and resulting changes in a dependent variable is observed

26
Q

independent variable (IV)

A

factor that is varied or manipulated

27
Q

dependent variable (DV)

A

the behavior that is measured and expected to change as a function of change in the IV

28
Q

control variables

A

variables that are kept the same across the two conditions

29
Q

experimental group

A

receives the treatment

30
Q

control group

A

does not receive the treatment

31
Q

limitations of experimental studies

A
  • impractical or unethical
  • highly controlled lab settings make generalization difficult
32
Q

benefits of experimental studies

A
  • can infer causation
  • precise control over variables
33
Q

quasi-experimental research design

A

a research design that is similar to experimental design but relies on existing group membership and not random assignment

34
Q

What is the IV and DV in quasi-experimental designs?

A

IV: group membership
DV: performance in a cooperative situation

35
Q

example of a correlational design

A

non-academic Internet use vs. class performance

36
Q

How were the variables in the internet use vs. class performance study operationalized?

A

hours of Internet use and grades on final exam

37
Q

What were the experimental and control groups in Albert Bandura’s bobo doll experiment?

A

experimental: watched an experimenter beat up a bobo doll
control: did not watch an experimenter beat up a bobo doll

38
Q

What were the IV and DV in Albert Bandura’s bobo doll experiment?

A

IV: non-aggressive or aggressive model
DV: number of aggressive behaviors

39
Q

What theory resulted from the bobo doll experiment?

A

Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory: we mimic the behaviors we observe

40
Q

What was the IV and DV in the House Fire Study?

A

IV: nationality
DV: who the person chose to save

41
Q

placebo effect

A

when receiving special treatment or something new leads to expectations that affect human behavior

42
Q

experimenter bias

A

when an experimenter’s expectations influence the outcome of the study

43
Q

What two ways can experimenter bias manifest itself?

A
  1. experimenters “see” what they want to see
  2. experimenters behave or treat participants differently
44
Q

demand characteristics

A

when participants behave differently in a lab setting because they know they’re being watched and change their behavior to fit the experiment’s purpose

45
Q

What was the IV and DV in the elderly priming experiment?

A

IV: whether participants received a word scramble related to the elderly or not
DV: timed to how fast they walked down the hall

46
Q

What were the biases in the original elderly priming experiment?

A
  • experimenter bias
  • demand characteristics
47
Q

Are biases fatal in experiments?

A

No, because published work attempts to mitigate for these factors

48
Q

converging operations

A

a research strategy in which a variety of research techniques are used to investigate a research result