Unit 0: Research Terminology

Question 1

Hindsight bias

Answer 1

” I know it all along” phenomenon; tendency to perceive events as being extremely predictable

Question 2

Overconfidence

Answer 2

idea that people are more confident in their knowledge/abilities than they should be as this faulty thinking can lead to more mistakes in judgement

Question 3

Theory

Answer 3

a statement that can be supported by data from research that answers. question, thought, or phenomena (ex. humidity predicts aggression)

Question 4

Falsifiability

Answer 4

the principle that a proposition or theory could only be considered scientific if in principle it was possible to establish it as false. (ex. Freuds theory of the unconscious mind lacks falsifiability

Question 5

Hypothesis

Answer 5

a testable prediction often implied by a theory

Question 6

Operational Definition

Answer 6

(know this guaranteed to be on the AAQ) a statement of the procedure used to specifically define research variables (specific measurement; using numbers) used for replication (each step os clearly stated in order to replicate)

Question 7

Independent Variable

Answer 7

the experimental factor that is manipulated; that is the variable being studied

Question 8

Dependent Variable

Answer 8

the experimental facto that is being measured; this may change depending on the manipulation in the independent variable

Question 9

Confounding Variables

Answer 9

any difference between the control condition and the experimental condition other than the independent variable that affects the result

Question 10

Quantitative Measures

Answer 10

using statistics such as the Likert Scale (survey ratings in a scale of 1-5 or 1-10) or answers from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree:”

Question 11

Qualitative Measures

Answer 11

allows the researcher to describe traits or characteristics in depth such as structured interview and/or case studies

Question 12

Sample (Qualitative Measures)

Answer 12

the group that the researcher actually studies, usually smaller than the population

Question 13

Population (Qualitative Measures-Sample)

Answer 13

the group that the researcher wants to know about

Question 14

Random Selection (Qualitative Measures-Sample)

Answer 14

process of choosing a sample that guarantees every member of a population has an equal chance of being picked to participate, results in a random sample

Question 15

Representative Sample (Qualitative Measures-Sample)

Answer 15

a sample that matches the larger population in terms of ethnicity, gender, race, etc.” found using random selection

Question 16

Sampling Bias (Qualitative Measures-Sample)

Answer 16

when a sample does not represent the overall population, giving an unreliable result

Question 17

Convenience Sample (Qualitative Measures-Sample)

Answer 17

when a researcher picks participants based on ease of accessibility to finding them (ex. surveying only people that live in your neighborhood)

Question 18

Survey (Qualitative Measures)

Answer 18

obtaining self reported attitudes and behaviors by asking questions

Question 19

Social Desirability Bias (Qualitative Measures-Survey)

Answer 19

people lie to look good when asked things about themselves or their beliefs

Question 20

Self Report Bias (Qualitative Measures-Survey)

Answer 20

people may misreport their own behavior, thoughts or feelings perhaps because they don’t know or don’t remember the accurate answer

Question 21

Framing (Qualitative Measures-Survey)

Answer 21

how you frame the question can impact others answers (ex. are you in favor of socialized medicine or free healthcare for all?)

Question 22

Naturalistic Observation (Qualitative Measures)

Answer 22

research conducted in the natural setting of animals or humans; no interaction is done with the subjects

Question 23

Case Study (Qualitative Measures)

Answer 23

study one person/group in depth in hopes to reveal things true of us all. (ex. Phineas Gage.) Disadvantage is that you may be able to generalize to larger population

Question 24

Correlational Study (Qualitative Measures)

Answer 24

measures the relationship between two variables WITHOUT manipulating a variable

Question 25

Correlation (Correlational Study)

Answer 25

measures the relationship between two variables (CORRELATING DOES NOT SHOW CAUSATION)

Question 26

Positive Correlation (Correlational Study)

Answer 26

both variables increase or decrease together

Question 27

Negative Correlation (Correlational Study)

Answer 27

as one variable increases the other decreases

Question 28

Illusionary Correlations (Correlational Study)

Answer 28

the perception of a relationship between variables where none exist

Question 29

3rd Variable Problem (Correlational Study)

Answer 29

a 3rd factor that can be the real relationship (ex. heat and shark attacks)

Question 30

Directionality Problem (Correlational Study)

Answer 30

it can be difficult to know which variable is the cause and which is the effect in a correlational study (ex. stress and mental health)

Question 31

Experiment

Answer 31

a research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors (IV) to observe/measure the effect on some behavior or mental process (DV). Seeks to identify cause and effect relationships. Disadvantage is that it can be hard to generalize tot he real world.

Question 32

Experimental Condition/Group (Experiment)

Answer 32

exposes a participant to treatment

Question 33

Control Condition/Group (Experiment)

Answer 33

contrast to the experimental conditions; acts as a comparison because participant does not receive treatment OR receive a placebo

Question 34

Random Assignment (Experiment)

Answer 34

(ONLY USED IN EXPERIMENTAL METHOD) the process in which subjects are placed into a experimental or control group without bias

Question 35

Placebo Effect (Experiment)

Answer 35

results caused by expectations alone; you think that you will experience an effect, therefore you perceive that there is an effect

Question 36

Single Blind (Experiment)

Answer 36

only researchers (not participants) know who is in the placebo and treatment group

Question 37

Double Blind (Experiment)

Answer 37

participants and research staff are ignorant about the treatment/placebo group given to each subject, used so researchers' expectations can't influence the result

Question 38

Peer Review

Answer 38

evaluating the quality of research by one's peers int he scientific community

Question 39

Replication

Answer 39

repeating an experiment or study to see if a similar result happens again

Question 40

Meta-Analysis

Answer 40

systematic review of multiple, already published/completed studies