Flashcards: Research Methods
About these flashcards
Created by:
nfenton on November 22, 2008
Subjects:
Description:
Research Methods and Statistics
Groups:
Weger's AP Psych Exam Review, FSU Psychology Major, Patriot AP Psych
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Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 hindsight bias | tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it. |
| theory | set of assumptions used to explain phenomena & offered for scientific study |
| hypothesis | testable and falsifiable prediction, often implied by a theory |
| operational definition | statement of procedures used to explain research variables in enough detail to allow for replication |
| replication | repeating of research study to determine if its finding extends to other participants and circumstances |
| case study | descriptive research technique in which one person or a small group is studied in depth in hope of revealing universal principles |
| survey | research method in which info is obtained by asking many individuals a fixed set of questions |
| false consensus effect | tendency to overestimate extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors |
| population | all cases in a group, from which samples may be drawn for a study |
| random sample | sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion. |
| naturalistic observation | descriptive research that involves observing and recording behavior without trying to manipulate and control the situation. |
| correlation | measure of the extent to which two factors vary together which can be positive or negative or non |
| scatterplot | graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables. The slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between the two variables. |
| illusory correlation | perception of a correlation between variables where none exists. |
| experiment | research method in which investigator manipulates one or more factors (IV) to observe effect on some behavior or mental process (DV) |
| control condition | condition of experiment that contrasts with experimental condition and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment. |
| double-blind procedure | experimental procedure in which both research participants and research staff are ignorant about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. |
| experimental condition | condition of experiment that exposes participants to treatment, that is, to one version of the IV |
| placebo effect | experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which is assumed to be an active agent. |
| dependent variable | variable that may change in response to manipulations of the IV (what is measured) |
| independent variable | experimental factor that is manipulated; variable whose effect is being studied. |
| mean | arithmetic average of a distribution, |
| median | middle score in a distribution; half scores are above it and half are below it. |
| mode | most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution. |
| range | difference between highest and lowest scores in a distribution. |
| standard deviation | computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score. |
| statistical significance | indication of how likely a result obtained occurred by chance - expressed as p or sig. |
| null hypothesis | Hypothesis that predicts NO relationship between variables. The aim of research is to reject this hypothesis |
| single-blind procedure | procedure in which info that could introduce bias the result is withheld from participants, but experimenter will be in full possession of facts |
| extraneous variables | Variable not relevant to what you are studying that has unplanned effect on DV. It may influence results, but all conditions are effected so it does not create bias. |
| confounding of variables | Variables other than IV that participants in one group have that makes them different from the other group. Two variables linked together in a way that makes it difficult to sort out their specific effects. |
| quasi-experiment | researchers takes subjects & conditions as they naturally occur, with little if any control over what happens. no random assignment so no cause and effect can be determined |
| cross-sectional research | people of different ages are compared to one another at a single point in time |
| longitudinal research | research in which the same people are re-studied and re-tested over a long period |
| reliability | extent to which a test yields consistent results - a measure is repeatable |
| validity | extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to - test accuracy |
| test-retest reliability | if you take the same test 2x's & you get the same results it shows ______ reliability |
| alternate form reliability | A type of reliability, where different versions of same instrument are used and scores are compared |
| split half reliability | A test is divided into 2 halves and scores on the halves are compared to see if test is consistent within itself. Ex. compare odds & evens |
| inter-rater reliability | More than one individual scores same test, regardless of who rates test - scores should be the same for _____ reliability |
| construct validity | Extent to which scores suggest that a test is actually measuring an ABSTRACT theoretical idea (such as anxiety, personality, introversion, etc.). |
| content validity | degree to which test is representative of total domain its supposed to cover. |
| criterion validity | form of validity in which a psychological measure is able to predict some future behavior or is meaningfully related to some other measure |
| face validity | measures whether a test looks like it tests what it is supposed to test as determined by a quick look or evaluation by a non expert |
| nominal data | data of categories only. Data cannot be arranged in an ordering scheme. (Gender, Race, Religion) |
| ordinal data | data exists in categories that are ordered but differences cannot be determined or they are meaningless. (Example: 1st, 2nd, 3rd) |
| interval data | differences between values can be found, but is NO absolute ZERO. Examples: temperature F, time |
| ratio data | data with an absolute 0. Ratios are meaningful. (Length, Width, Weight, Distance) |
| Hawthorne Effect | change in subject's behavior caused simply by awareness of being studied |
| positive correlation | correlation where as one variable increases, the other also increases, or as one decreases so does the other. Both variables move in same direction. |
| negative correlation | association between increases in one variable and decreases in another |
| correlational study | research project designed to discover degree to which two variables are related to each other |
| z score | in a normal distribution it tells you how far a number is above or below mean in terms of standard deviations. |
| positive (right) skew | skewed distribution where data has many more scores toward the lower end of the distribution |
| negative (left) skew | skewed distribution with many more scores on the higher end of the distribution |
| operational definition | statement that describes how to measure a particular variable or define a particular term specifically in a study |
| social desirability bias | tendency to give socially approved answers to questions about oneself. |
| random assignment | Assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to different groups. |
| stratified sample | sample drawn in such a way that known subgroups within a population are represented in proportion to their numbers in general population |
| experimenter bias | expectations by researcher that might influence results of experiment or its interpretation |
| frequency histogram | bar graph that shows frequency distributions |
| frequency polygon | type of line graph that shows frequency distributions |
| ANOVA | statistical method for making simultaneous comparisons between two or more means |
| correlation coefficient | statistical measure of strength of association between two variables ranging from -1.0 to 1.0 |
| illusory correlation | perception of relationship where none exists. |
| r | Symbol used for Pearson Correlation Coefficient ranges from -1.0 to +1.0 |
| cohort effects | Effects of being born and raised in a particular time or situation where all other members of your group has similar experiences makes your group unique from others |
| debriefing | giving participants in a research study a complete explanation of the study after the study is completed needed for deception |
| deception | method by which participants are misinformed or misled about study's methods and purposes - must be told truth about this in debriefing |
| confederates | "fake subjects" that look & behave like real subjects in study. |
| n | Symbol used to represent the total number of subjects in a research study |
| p<.05 | results of experiment are SIGNIFICANT - they are not likely caused by chance |
| percentile rank | Percentage of scores falling at or below a specific score. |
| normal distribution | bell-shaped curve that results when values of a trait in a population are plotted against their frequency |
| empiricism | view that science flourishes through observation and experiment. |
| scientific method | series of steps followed to solve problems including collecting data, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and stating conclusions |
| overconfidence effect | we overestimate our accuracy and our changes of success and ability to predict and explain |
| random selection | procedure that ensures every person in a population has an equal chance of being chosen to participate |
| wording effects | when a specific word used in a question affects how respondents answer the question or the order of the questions |
| meta analysis | procedure for statistically combining results of many different research studies |
| quasi experiment | a research method that looks like an experiment BUT subjects are not randomly assigned to control and experimental groups (no cause and effect can be drawn) |
| random assignment | assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups |
| case study | in-depth, intensive investigation of individual or small group of people which involves interviews and personal interpretations by researcher. It may also be supplemented with psychological or medical tests |
| psychological test | measuring device or procedure designed to measure psychology-related variables. A measurement that results in a score or result that is standardized |
| wording effects | occur when the questions asked on a sample survey are confusing or leading |
| controls | factors in an experiment that are unchanged for both the control group and the experimental group |
| positive correlation | relationship between variables in which as one variable increases, the other also increases, OR as one decreases so does the other. Both variables move in the same direction. |
| negative correlation | relationship that exists when one set of data values increases while the other decreases |
| random sample | subset of a population in which every element in the population has an equal chance of being selected |
| sampling bias | any selection method that results in subset of the population (sample) that is not representative, and/or not random |
| type one error | rejecting null hypothesis when it is actually true - a false positive |
| type two error | NOT rejecting null hypothesis when in fact we should have rejected it - a false negative |
| Hawthorne Effect | the tendency for people to behave differently when they know they are being studied |
| generalizability | extent to which the findings from one group (or sample) can be generalized or applied to other groups (or population |
| p value | The probability level which forms basis for deciding if results are statistically significant (not due to chance). |