Exam 1 Research Methods

Basic Research

Expanding human knowledge and how nature works without solving a real-world problem

Applied Research

Solving a specific real-world problem

Translational Research

Bridges the gap between basic and applied research - accelerating the practical benefits of science (medical and health fields)

Universalism (Merton’s Scientific Norms)

the same criteria applying to all scientists and all research, so that scientific claims are evaluated based on their merit

Communality (Merton’s Scientific Norms)

knowledge is shared and is based on the idea that findings are created by the community and for the community

Disinterestedness (Merton’s Scientific Norms)

the quest to discover the truth, no matter what the truth is for the common good (not for personal fame or profit)

Organized skepticism (Merton’s Scientific Norms)

the practice of questioning everything, including one’s own idea and widely supported ideas

Availability Heuristic

things that come to mind easily are more '“available” in memory and can guide and/or bias our thinking

Confirmation Bias

tendency to seek and accept only the evidence that supports our current beliefs

Present/present Bias

failing to look for absences in relationships by not considering appropriate comparison groups

Bias Blind Spot

belief that we are unlikely to engage in biased thinking

Probabilistic

research is not expected to explain all cases all the time. Conclusions are meant to explain some proportion of possible cases

Conceptual definition

A theoretical definition of the construct

Operational definition

How the construct is measured or manipulated in an actual study

Frequency Claim

a particular level or degree of a single variable

74% of the world smiled yesterday

41% of children worldwide experience moderate food insecurity

Association Claims

argues that one level of a variable is likely to be associated with a particular level of another variable; supported by studies that have at least two measured variables

variables that are associated are said to correlate or covary; when one variable changes, the other changes too

Causal Claims

argues that one variable causes change in the level of another variable; supported by experiments

To appear more intimidating, just tilt you head down, study suggests

vocab: affects, leads to, reduces, could, may, seem, suggest

Construct validity

how well variables in a study are measured or manipulated (operationalized)

External validity

the extent to which the results of the study generalized to a larger population or situation

top priority for applied research

Statistical validity

the extent to which the study’s statistical conclusions are precise, reasonable, and replicable

can be addressed with a/n confidence interval

Internal validity

the extent to which the causal claim in a study cannot be explained by other factors

important for causal claims

top priority for experimental research

Respect for persons (Belmont)

Individuals should be treated as autonomous agents

Beneficence (Belmont)

access potential harm to participants and potential benefits to society

Justice (Belmont)

balance between those who participate in research and those who benefit from it

Data fabrication

researchers invent data that fit their hypotheses

Data falsification

researchers selectively delete observations or influence participants to act in a particular way

Categorical Variables (nominal)

levels are distinct categories

species (rhesus, macaque, bonobo, etc.)

Quantitative Variables

levels are coded with meaningful numbers

height, weight, or scale of subject well-being

Ordinal scale

numbers represent a ranked order

first, second, third

Interval scale

numbers represent equal intervals between levels and there is no true zero

IQ score

Ratio scale

numbers represent equal intervals between levels and there is a true zero

exam score

Test-retest reliablitiy

consistency in scores each time the measure is used for the same person

measuring constructs that should be stable over time

r must be greater than or equal to .50

Interrater reliability

consistency in scores no matter who does the measuring

two or more independent observers provide consistent scores

r must be greater than or equal to .70

Internal reliability

consistency in the pattern of responses regardless of how a question or item is phrased

Cronbach’s alpha; a must be greater than or equal to .80

Construct validity

an indication of whether the operationalization is measuring what it’s supposed to measure

Face validity

subjective

It looks like what you want to measure

Content validity

subjective

the measure contains all the parts that your theory says it should contain

Criterion validity

empirical

it relates to concrete outcomes that it should relate to

Convergent validity

empirical

a measure should correlate strongly with other measures of the same construct

Discriminant validity

empirical

a measure should correlate less strongly with measures of different constructs