Identifying Research Methods for AP Psychology Exam

Flashcards for reviewing research methods in psychology, focusing on experimental and non-experimental designs, and longitudinal/cross-sectional studies.

Experiment

A systematic approach under controlled conditions to test a hypothesis and establish a causal relationship between independent and dependent variables.

Independent Variable

The variable that is manipulated or controlled by the researcher (the cause).

Dependent Variable

The outcome that is measured in a study (the effect).

Experimental Group

The group in an experiment that receives the independent variable.

Control Group

The group that receives the placebo, which is similar to the independent variable but lacks its key component.

Placebo

A substance or treatment with no active therapeutic effect, used as a control in experiments.

Random Assignment

Participants are randomly assigned to either the control or experimental group.

Reliability

The extent to which a test or experiment yields consistent results.

Validity

The extent to which a test or experiment measures what it claims to measure.

Operational Definitions

Clear and detailed descriptions of how variables are measured in a study, facilitating replication.

Non-experimental Methodologies

Research methods that describe behavior without manipulating variables; cannot establish causal relationships.

Third Variable Problem

When an outside variable impacts the study, leading to a false or misleading relationship in correlational studies.

Confounding Variable

A variable that interferes with an experiment's dependent variable.

Case Study

An in-depth examination of an individual, group, event, or situation providing detailed information and insight.

Correlational Study

A research method that examines the relationship between two variables without manipulating them.

Positive Correlation

When both variables increase or decrease together, with an R value between 0 and 1.

Negative Correlation

When one variable increases as the other decreases, with an R value between -1 and 0.

Meta Analysis

A statistical technique that combines the results of multiple studies on the same topic to reach a conclusion.

Naturalistic Observation

A method where the researcher observes individuals in a real-world setting to gather authentic data.

Cross-Sectional Study

Research that compares different groups of people at one single point in time.

Longitudinal Study

Research that studies the same group of people over a longer period of time, observing how the group changes.