Lecture Notes Review: Research Methods and Intuition

This set of flashcards covers key concepts from the lecture notes on understanding why personal experience and intuition can be biased, the advantages of research, how to find and interpret research-based information, and distinguishing credible sources from disinformation.

Why are beliefs based on personal experiences often inaccurate?

Because there is nothing to compare what would happen with and without the thing the belief was based off, making it usually confounded due to a lack of controlling factors.

What are two ways intuition can be biased?

People are likely to accept an explanation that makes intuitive sense, and they are most likely to overestimate the occurrence of something if easily accessible information is present.

What is the availability heuristic?

The overestimation of an occurrence of something if easily accessible information is present.

Define present/present bias.

In testing relationships, it fails to look for absences and easily accepts what is present.

What is confirmation bias?

The tendency to seek out evidence that confirms initial beliefs and ideals while failing to find evidence that disconfirms them.

Define bias blind-spot.

The belief that we are less biased than everyone else.

Why is it important to be skeptical about accepting the conclusions of authority figures that are not based on research?

Their claims could be biased due to personal experience or incite disinformation to encourage trends, products, or politics, and should be verified with well-conducted studies.

What is a key advantage of research over intuition and experience regarding variables?

Research uses systematic comparison to control confounding variables.

What does it mean that research findings are probabilistic?

Findings are not expected to explain all cases all the time, but rather explain certain proportions of possible cases.

How do experience and intuition differ from research findings in terms of reliability?

Experience often differs from what usually happens, and intuition is just a hunch based on personal logic without concrete evidence, unlike research.

How should one find research-based information on databases like PsycINFO?

Look for peer-reviewed journal articles from a credible source.

What is characteristic of empirical journal articles?

They describe original research that has occurred, are peer-reviewed by credible sources, and are aimed at an academic-based audience.

What is the purpose of review journal articles?

They summarize and integrate all published studies done in one specific research area.

How do books and chapters in edited books contribute to research-based information?

They are based on empirical research to add new knowledge in a specific field, undergo peer-review for credibility, and may include case studies, data analysis, and theories.

What section of an empirical journal article provides a summary of its content and claims?

The Abstract.

What is the purpose of the Introduction section in an empirical journal article?

To lay the groundwork for the research.

In which section of an empirical journal article would you find information about who/what was measured and how the study was conducted?

The Method section.

What information is discussed in the Results section of an empirical journal article?

What was found and whether it supported the researcher4s hypothesis.

What is the primary role of the Discussion section in an empirical journal article?

To address any limitations or suggest further investigation based on the study4s conclusions and findings.

Why is the References section important in an empirical journal article?

The researcher cites all the information used in the study.

How can one distinguish between legitimate journalism and disinformation in popular media?

Compare popular media sources and books to original empirical articles to verify information, and view claims with organized skepticism.

What is disinformation?

Deliberately created false information.