Research Methods

Question 1

What is an observational study?

Answer 1

It’s a study in which individuals are observed or certain outcomes are measured. NO attempt is made to affect the outcome, so it’s not a “controlled” study

Question 2

What is the main characteristic of a cross-secitonal study?

Answer 2

It’s just one point in time

Question 3

What is the pro and con of a cross sectional study?

Answer 3

pro - cost effective and easiest to do

con - doesn’t capture time

Question 4

What is required for a study to be longitudinal?

Answer 4

two or more time periods

Question 5

What is the pro and con of a longitudinal study?

Answer 5

pro - more powerful because it captures change and aims for causality

con - more expensive and complex

Question 6

What are the 3 types of longitudinal studies?

Answer 6

trend

cohort

panel

Question 7

What does a trend longitudinal study look at?

Answer 7

It measures changes in a whole population over time

Question 8

What does a cohort longitudinal study look at?

Answer 8

It measures changes and follows a articular population over time, but it samples DIFFERENT students within ONE particular population

(so different people are tested in subsequent trials)

Question 9

How does a panel study work and how does it differ from a cohort study?

Answer 9

A panel study looks at the SAME people within a particular population every time

Question 10

What are the benefits to observational studies?

Answer 10

• incorporate probability smapling for generalizability
• build knowledge base and explore new topics
• may allow us to answer questions that controlled studies cannot due to ethical reasons

Question 11

WHat are the 3 main issues with observational studies?

Answer 11

validity of measures across cultures can be an issue if using surveys

findings are associations or correlations, no causality

often rely on self report which can be biased

Question 12

Which have higher validity?

qualitative or quantitative data?

Answer 12

qualitative are more valid

quantitative are more reliable

Question 13

What does nomothetic causation mean? What are the 3 criterion?

Answer 13

nomothetic causation is broad causation - in general we can assume that one thing causes another with the understanding that it doesn’t have to cause it every single time.

1. correlation/association
2. temporal order…A before B
3. NOn-spuriousness

Question 14

In addition to the correlation, temporal order and non-spuriousness criteria for nomothetic causation, what are two other criteria that are sometimes applied?

Answer 14

plausible and reproducible

Question 15

What are the three main parts to the classical experiment?

Answer 15

1. IV and DV
2. Pretesting and post-testing
3. Control and Experimental groups

Question 16

What is the Hawthorne effect?

Answer 16

Just being observed affects behavior

Question 17

What are the 4 stages of the clinical trial?

Answer 17

phase 1 - safety and side effects in healthy individuals

phase 2 - ideal dosing

phase 3 - experimental treatment vs. controls

phase 4 - continued evaluation of FDA approved therapy

Question 18

What are the three potential pre-experiemental designs that are sometimes necessary but preferrably not used?

Answer 18

one shot case study - apply stimulus and measure DV afterwards

one-group pretest-posttest - measure DV, apply stimulus, measure DV

static group compartison - two groups, only one gets the stimulus, no pre-test

Question 19

Controlled studies have excellent ___ validity but issues with ____ validity.

Answer 19

excellent internal validity - good at controlling just about everything

often has issues with external invalidity - can it be generalizable to the real world after they lose control?

Question 20

What are some potential sources of internal invalidity?

Answer 20

history - current events

maturation - improve with aging

testing - learn to test better just through repetition

instrumentation changes

statistical regression

selection bias

experimental mortality

diffusion of treatment - contamination of control group

compensation incentive bias

compensatory rivalry (control group tries to make up for it)

demoraliation (control group discouraged)