Psychology Research Methods and Social Experiments

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts in psychological research methodologies, experimental design, ethics, and classic conformity experiments.

Hypothesis

An educated guess made in research that states a testable relationship between variables.

Inter-rater Reliability

A statistical reliability check where multiple independent researchers score the same sample files or data to ensure consistency and eliminate individual scoring bias.

Archival Data

Pre-existing information or previously collected records analyzed by researchers to test a new hypothesis.

Replicability

The degree to which a study's methodology can be copied and repeated to yield consistent results, indicating greater research reliability.

Predictive Hypothesis

An educated guess regarding the specific relationships or associations between variables.

Causal Hypothesis

A hypothesis designed to explore and determine how one specific variable directly affects another.

Naturalistic Observation

A research approach in which subjects are observed in their most natural environment without interference.

Case Study

An in-depth investigation of a single subject, family, or rare phenomenon where the occurrence rate in the broader population is extremely low.

Sample of Convenience

A study sample selected primarily because the subjects are easily accessible to the researcher.

Reactivity

The change in behavior that occurs when subjects are aware that they are being observed by researchers.

MMPI

A robust clinical assessment containing over 400 questions designed to evaluate personality traits while testing for test fatigue and response truthfulness.

Correlation

A statistical measure that determines whether a relationship exists between two variables, without proving direct causation.

Solomon Asch's Conformity Experiment

A 1951 social psychology study on visual judgment conducted with 123 white male college students to measure how peer pressure influences individual conformity.

Confederate

An actor who participates in an experiment under the direction of the researcher while pretending to be a regular subject.

Critical Trials

The 12 specific rounds in Solomon Asch's conformity experiment during which all confederates intentionally gave an obviously wrong answer.

Double-Blind Study

An experimental setup where neither the participants nor the experimenters interacting with them know the true conditions or underlying research goals.

Confounding Variables

Uncontrolled external factors that may inadvertently influence the results of an experiment.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

An administrative body established to review research proposals and ensure that all experimental procedures are ethically sound and safe.

Random Assignment

The technique of allocating participants to experimental or control groups purely by chance to eliminate systematic group differences.

Generalizability

The extent to which findings from a specific research sample can be applied to explain behavior in the larger general population.

Quasi-Experiment

A research study structure where participants are not randomly assigned to different conditions due to pre-existing group characteristics.

Informed Consent

An ethical agreement where subjects voluntarily choose to join a study after being informed of its parameters, retaining the right to withdraw at any point.

Debriefing

The post-experimental procedure where researchers explain the true purpose, setup, and findings of the study to the participants.