Psychology VCE Key Science Skills Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, research methods, ethics, and data analysis from the VCE Psychology curriculum.

Scientific ideas

Objective and evidenced-based ideas.

Non-scientific ideas

Non-objective and not evidenced-based ideas, or where evidence is superficial.

Theory

A proposition or set of principles used to explain something or make predictions about cause and effect.

Main function of a Theory

To explain and predict

Model

A representation of a concept, process, or behavior, often made to simplify or make something easier to understand.

Main function of a Model

To simplify and represent

Aim

Statement of research intention, to find out the effect of the IV on the DV

Independent Variable (IV)

The variable that is manipulated to measure effects.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The variable that is observed or measured that results from the manipulation of the IV.

Research hypothesis

A specific prediction that guides the collection, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of data used to test it.

Theory

A body of interrelated concepts that explain a set of observations.

Psychological model

Used to represent how behavior or mental processes can occur or to make predictions.

Experiment

An independent variable is systematically manipulated to determine its effect on the dependent variable under controlled conditions.

Extraneous variables

All of the conditions affecting an experiment.

Research hypothesis

A testable prediction about the relationship between two variables, including the population, levels of the IV, the DV, and a specific prediction.

Controlled variable

Is not actually part of the experiment in itself. Nor is it a variable of interest in the investigation. It is controlled because it could influence the outcome of the experiment.

Operationalising the independent variable

Giving specific details, including the different levels (conditions) of the IV.

Operationalising the dependant variable

Giving specific details about how you will measure the effect of the IV.

Scientific Investigation methodologies

Specific techniques used to collect and analyse data in an investigation.

Case study

An investigation of a particular activity, behaviour, event or problem that contains a real or hypothetical situation and includes the complexities that would be encountered in the real world. Case studies can take various forms: historical, involving the analysis of causes and consequences, and discussion of knowledge learned from the situation; a real situation or a role-play of an imagined situation, where plausible recommendations are to be made; or problem-solving, where developing a new design, methodology or method is required.

Classification

The arrangement of phenomena, objects or events into manageable sets.

Identification

A process of recognition of phenomena as belonging to particular sets or possibly being part of a new or unique set.

Controlled experiment

An experimental investigation of the relationship between one or more independent variables and a dependent variable, controlling all other variables. This may include the use of control groups.

Correlational study

Planned observation and recording of events and behaviours that have not been manipulated or controlled to understand the relationships/associations that exist between variables, to identify which factors may be of greater importance and to make predictions.

Fieldwork

Based on inquiry or the investigation of an issue, fieldwork involves observing and interacting with a selected environment beyond the classroom, usually to determine correlation, rather than a causal relationship. It may be conducted through a range of methods, including direct qualitative and/or quantitative observations and sampling, participant observation, qualitative interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, and yarning circles.

Literature review

Involves the collation and analysis of secondary data related to other people's scientific findings and/or viewpoints. Their purpose is to answer a question or provide background information to help explain observed events, or as preparation for an investigation to generate primary data.

Modelling

Involves the construction and/or manipulation of either a physical model or a conceptual model that represents a system involving concepts that help people understand or simulate the system.

Product, process or system development

Design or evaluation of an artefact, process or system to meet a human need, which may involve technological applications in addition to scientific knowledge and procedures.

Simulation

A process of using a model to study the behaviour of a real or theoretical system.

Population

The group of people or test subjects of interest to the study.

Sample

A smaller group of people meant to represent the population.

Representative Sample

A sample that is approximately the same as the population in relation to every important participant variable.

Sampling Procedures

How participants are chosen for research.

Allocation Procedures

How participants are then selected into control or experimental conditions.

Random sampling

A sampling procedure that ensures every member of the population of research interest has an equal chance of being selected to be part of the sample.

Stratified sampling

Involves dividing the population into different subgroups, or strata, then selecting a separate sample from each subgroup in the same proportions as they occur in the population of interest.

Random allocation

A procedure used to place participants into different experimental groups so that they are equally as likely to be in one group as any other.

Controlled experiment

An experimental investigation of the relationship between one or more IV’s and a DV, controlling all other variables.

Control group

The group that does not receive any different treatment; it is used for comparison against the experimental group.

Random allocation

Participants have an equal chance of being put into the control or one of the experimental groups.

Between Subjects Design

Each participant is randomly allocated to one of the groups within the experiment; the same test subject can only be used once.

Within subjects design

Each participant is allocated to both the experimental and the control conditions; each test subject is used multiple times.

Mixed Design

Combines the features of both a between subjects design and a within subjects design.

Laboratory experiment

Psychological experiments can be conducted in a laboratory setting

Field experiment

Psychological experiments can be conducted outside the laboratory in a field setting (in a real-life type situation)

Natural experiment

Takes advantage of a naturally occurring event, where the IV is naturally occurring and not manipulated by the experimenter.

Correlational study

Investigates the relationship that exists between variables without any control over the setting in which the relationship occurs or any manipulation by the researcher.

Positive correlation

Two variables change in the same direction — as one variable increases, the other variable tends to increase (and vice versa).

Negative correlation

Two variables change in opposite directions — as one variable increases, the other variable tends to decrease (and vice versa).

Zero correlation

There is no relationship between two variables.

Self Report

Participants' written or spoken responses to questions, statements, or instructions in the form of questionnaires, interviews, and rating scales.

Free - response questions

Allow participants to answer entirely as they want to; answers are often difficult to summarise or score.

Fixed-response questions

Present a number of ‘fixed’ alternative answers from which participants are required to choose.

Focus group

A small set of people, typically 8 to 12 in number, who share characteristics and are selected to discuss a topic of which they have personal experience.

Yarning Circle

A significantly important process that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people use to learn, share, build respectful and caring relationships, pass on cultural knowledge through narrative, and come together as a community.

Observational study

Involves collection of data by carefully watching and recording behaviour as it occurs without any intervention or manipulation of the behaviour being observed.

Case study

An intensive, in-depth investigation of some behaviour, activity, event, or problem of interest in a single individual, group, organisation, or situation.

Simulation studies

Involve reproducing situations of research interest in a realistic way to investigate the behaviour and/or mental processes of individuals in that environment.

Ethics

Standards that guide individuals to identify good, desirable, or acceptable conduct.

Beneficence

Commitment to maximising benefits and minimising the risks and harms involved.

Integrity

Commitment to searching for knowledge and understanding, and the honest reporting of all sources of information and results.

Justice

The moral obligation to ensure fair consideration of competing claims and fair distribution of benefits.

Non-maleficence

The principle of avoiding causing harm.

Respect

Consideration of the extent to which living things have an intrinsic value and giving due regard to welfare, liberty, autonomy, beliefs, perceptions, and customs.

Confidentiality

The privacy, protection, and security of a participant's personal information and anonymity of individual results.

Informed consent procedures

Ensuring participants understand the nature and purpose of the experiment, including potential risks, before agreeing to participate.

Deception

Intentionally misleading participants about the true nature of the study or procedure.

Debriefing

Ensuring that, at the end of the experiment, the participant leaves understanding the experimental aim, results, and conclusions.

Voluntary participation

Ensuring there is no coercion or pressure put on the participant to partake in an experiment, and they freely choose to be involved.

Withdrawal rights

The right of participants to be able to discontinue their involvement in an experiment at any time without penalty.

Primary data

Data collected first-hand by a researcher.

Secondary data

Data sourced from others’ prior research, not collected directly by the current researcher.

Quantitative data

Data that is expressed numerically, such as test scores or measurements of weight.

Qualitative data

Data that is expressed non-numerically; for example, a participant’s verbal description of how they are feeling.

Subjective data

Data that relies on personal opinion or self-report and often cannot be verified by the researcher.

Objective data

Data that can be observed or measured by multiple people and obtain the same results.

Conclusion

A decision about what the results obtained from a research investigation mean (whether the hypothesis is supported on the basis of the results obtained).

Generalisation

A decision about how widely the results of an investigation can be applied, particularly to members of the population from which the sample was drawn.

Opinion

A point of view that is not necessarily based on verifiable evidence and is disputable.

Anecdote

An informal verbal report of an event that has been casually observed or often directly experienced.

Random errors

Errors due to some chance factor or chance variation in a measurement.

Systematic errors

Errors produced by some factor that consistently favours one condition rather than another.

Personal errors

Faults entirely sourced with the researcher.

Extraneous Variable

Any variable other than the IV that can cause a change in the DV and therefore affect the results in an unwanted way.

Confounding Variable

A variable other than the IV that has had an unwanted effect on the DV but has affected the control and experimental groups differently.

Participant variables

These may be biological, psychological and/or social in nature. This includes characteristics like participants’ age, intelligence, andsocioeconomic status

Situational Variables

This refers to environmental factor that may affect the dependent variable

Order effects

this refers to the tendency for the order in which participants complete experimental conditions to have an effect on their behaviour

Counterbalancing

This involves systematically changing the order of treatments or tasks for participants in a ‘balanced’ way to ‘counter’ the unwanted effects on

Demand Characteristics

refer to cues in an experiment that may signal to a participant the intention of the study and influence their behaviour

Experimenter Effects

refers to any influence the experimenter may have on the results of their investigation

Single-blind procedure

the participants are not aware of the condition to which they have been allocated (real vs placebo)

Double blind procedure

neither the participants or the experimenter are aware to which groups they have been allocated

Placebo

a fake treatment that is like the IV treatment used in the experimental group but which is actually neutral or has no known effect

Placebo Effect

occurs when there is a change in a participant’s behaviour due to their belief that they are receiving some kind of experimental treatment and they respond in accordance with that belief, rather than to the effect of the IV.

Table (in research)

These should have an individual title. The title should be a clear statement which explains what the table is about without being too long

Frequency Distribution

A is a way of organising data to show how often (‘frequently’) a value or measure (such as a score) occurs in a set of data.

Graphs used in research

when constructing a graph for experimental research data. IV is represented on the horizontal (x) axis and the DV is represented on the vertical (y) axis

Line graph

This is used for continuous data sets!

Scatterplots

The spred of the dots gives an idea of the strength of the correlation — the extent to which the two variables are related