Psychology Research Methods and Bias Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts of bias, research design, reductionism, determinism, sampling methods, and psychological research procedures.

Bias

A systematic error that distorts research by affecting data collection, analysis, or interpretation, leading to inaccurate conclusions and limiting generalizability.

Objective Data

Data that is observable and measurable, remaining the same regardless of who is collecting it (e.g., sleep hours, reaction time, cortisol levels).

Subjective Data

Data based on personal experience, interpretation, and meaning (e.g., self-report measures, rating scales, and interviews).

Reductionism

The practice of breaking down complex psychological phenomena into smaller, simpler components—such as a single biological, cognitive, or sociocultural factor—instead of accounting for all of them.

Biological Determinism

The view suggesting that behavior is mainly governed by genetics or biology, assuming actions and thoughts are strongly influenced by inherited traits or brain chemistry.

Environmental Determinism

The assertion that behavior is primarily shaped by external factors such as culture, upbringing, and environment.

Determinism

The belief that behavior is the result of prior causes (genes, brain chemistry, past experiences, environment) rather than a person freely choosing to act that way.

Holism

An approach in psychology that examines entire systems and the interactions between different elements to gain a comprehensive understanding by considering the full context.

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts used to make quick decisions, which can lead to biased thinking.

Cognitive Overload

A state where having too much information makes accurate processing difficult, encouraging the use of cognitive shortcuts.

Social Desirability Bias

A participant bias where individuals provide responses they believe are socially acceptable or favorable rather than being truthful.

Demand Characteristics

A participant bias occurring when participants pick up on cues in the research setting about the study's purpose and adjust their behavior to confirm or contradict the hypothesis.

Hawthorne Effect

A participant bias where individuals change their behavior simply because they know they are being observed.

Response Bias

A participant bias where individuals develop a consistent pattern of answering questions regardless of content, such as always agreeing or selecting middle options.

Recall Bias

A participant bias where individuals inaccurately remember past events or experiences in self-report and retrospective studies.

Placebo Effect

A phenomenon where participants show improvement or change simply because they believe they are receiving a treatment.

Observer Bias

A researcher bias occurring when a researcher's expectations influence how they interpret or record participant behavior.

Confirmation Bias

A researcher bias where a researcher unconsciously favors information supporting their hypothesis while overlooking contradicting evidence.

Experimenter Effect

A researcher bias occurring when the researcher's presence, tone, or behavior unintentionally influences participant responses.

Publication Bias

The tendency of researchers and journals to publish studies with significant or positive findings over null or negative results.

Sampling Bias

A bias occurring when certain members of a population are more likely to be selected in a sample than others, creating an unrepresentative sample.

Self-selection Bias

A single-study sampling bias where participants who opt in or drop out differ systematically from those who do not.

WEIRD Bias

A discipline-wide sampling bias where psychological research predominantly samples Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic populations.

Triangulation

The use of multiple data sources or research methods to confirm results and increase research credibility.

Double-blind Study

A study design where neither participants nor researchers know who receives the active treatment, reducing expectations and experimenter effects.

Standardized Protocols

The consistent use of uniform methods and procedures to ensure research reliability and repeatability.

Inter-rater Reliability

The involvement of multiple researchers independently assessing and comparing observations to minimize personal biases.

Reflexivity

The practice of researchers critically examining their own beliefs, assumptions, and potential biases throughout the research process.

Cross-cultural Research

The study of diverse cultural groups to identify and minimize cultural biases while increasing the generalizability of findings.

What are some ways bias can show up in research, and how could it affect results?

A systematic error in research that leads to incorrect conclusions.

Why is using objective data important, and how can personal views change results?

Data that can be observed and measured without bias.

How can reductionism make our understanding of human behavior too simple, and what are better approaches?

Breaking down complex behavior into simpler parts without considering the whole.

How does social desirability bias affect the truthfulness of self-reported data in research?

A bias where people answer questions in a way they think is acceptable instead of being honest.

How can the placebo effect help in clinical trials, and what does it teach us about treatments?

An improvement that happens because people believe they are receiving treatment, even if it’s not real.