Research Methods in Social Psychology Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards based on research methods, variables, study designs, and empirical experiments in social psychology.

Variable

A quality or characteristic that varies between people, over time, or between situations.

Operationalization

The process of translating a variable into something that can be directly measured or manipulated.

Empirical Methods

Scientific approaches to gathering knowledge through direct observations or measurements.

Marshmallow Test (Original Study)

Research conducted by Mischel ($1960\text{s}$--$1990\text{s}$) measuring self-control or delayed gratification at age $4$ to predict outcomes at age $16$, such as higher S.A.T. scores, planning ahead, and coping with problems.

Environmental Reliability in Delayed Gratification

A study variation by Kidd et al. ($2013$) demonstrating that children who experienced reliable interactions waited $12\,\text{minutes and } 2\,\text{seconds}$, compared to $3\,\text{minutes and } 2\,\text{seconds}$ for those in unreliable environments.

Descriptive Research

A research design aimed at describing a psychological concept or process, often using qualitative methods such as in-depth interviews or observations to collect detailed notes.

Correlational Research

A research study aimed at investigating the relationship between two or more variables that the researcher has no direct control over.

Positive Correlation

A relationship where two variables change in the same direction, meaning that as one variable increases, the other variable also increases.

Zero Correlation

A relationship where changes in one variable show no linear association or pattern with changes in another variable.

Negative Correlation

A relationship where two variables change in opposite directions, meaning that as one variable increases, the other variable decreases.

Directionality Problem

An issue in correlational research where it cannot be determined whether variable A causes changes in variable B, or variable B causes changes in variable A.

Third Variable Problem

An issue in correlational research where an unmeasured external variable causes changes in both observed variables.

Independent Variable

The variable in an experiment that is deliberately manipulated or altered by the researcher.

Dependent Variable

The outcome variable in an experiment that is measured after the independent variable has been manipulated.