Psychology Research Methods: Scientific Method, Design, Measurement, and Ethics

What characteristic means a theory must be testable and capable of being proven wrong?

Falsifiable

What are the five characteristics of science?

Deterministic, empirical, falsifiable, provisional, public

What kind of evidence is 'The Earth is flat because my senses tell me so'?

Anecdotal (pseudoscience)

What does pseudoscience rely on?

Consensus-based claims, anecdotal evidence, unfalsifiable claims. It lacks peer review and self-correction.

What is a construct?

A hypothetical variable that can't be directly observed (e.g., happiness, intelligence)

What is an operational definition?

The procedures or tests by which a construct is observed or measured

What is construct validity?

The degree to which the operational definition measures the construct of interest

What is face validity?

The measure appears, on its surface, appropriate for measuring the construct

What are participant variables?

Pre-existing individual differences (age, gender, race). They are measured, not manipulated.

What is the predictor variable that is manipulated?

Independent variable

What is the outcome variable in an experiment?

Dependent variable. Outcomes in correlational studies are not called dependent variables.

What does descriptive design claim?

Frequency/value (one variable)

What does correlational design claim?

Association (two or more measured variables)

What does experimental design claim?

Causal ('no causation without manipulation')

In the kissing study, what is the predictor and outcome?

Predictor = kiss frequency, outcome = microbiota dissimilarity (correlational, association claim)

What is method match?

Actions = observation, ideas = self-report, physical state = monitoring

What type of test is a memory test scored with an answer key?

Observation (not self-report, because there is a correct answer)

What is cortisol level?

Physiological monitoring

What is the difference between categorical and continuous?

Categorical = groups or words that vary in kind. Continuous = meaningful numbers on a scale (at least 6 values) that vary in amount.

What is reliability?

Consistency: do you get the same result if you repeat it?

What is validity?

Accuracy: does the measure 'hit' the construct?

What does it mean if there are consistent scores but poor validity?

Good reliability, poor validity

What does it mean when a new test is compared with an established test?

Validity

What does it mean if the same test is given again a month later?

Reliability

Which validity is a priority for all three claims?

Construct validity

What is external validity?

Whether results generalize to other people, settings, and times

What is internal validity?

Whether a causal conclusion is justified (no confounds)

What is statistical validity?

Whether the statistical conclusions are accurate and reasonable

What was Tuskegee's major moral problem?

Men with syphilis weren't treated with penicillin after it became standard (mid-1940s). The study ran 1932-1972.

What were the outcomes of the Tuskegee timeline?

1972 news story, then a commission, the 1978 Belmont Report, and the 1997 presidential apology

What does respect for persons mean?

Acknowledge autonomy and protect those with diminished autonomy

What is beneficence?

Do no harm, and maximize benefits and minimize harms (good risk-benefit ratio)

What is the role of deception and debriefing in research?

Deception is allowed only when needed. Participants must be told the truth at the end.

Why does replication matter?

It confirms findings are real rather than chance, error, or fraud, and it strengthens theories

What is the difference between direct and conceptual replication?

Direct recreates the original methods as closely as possible. Conceptual tests the same idea with different methods, stimuli, or samples.

What was the result of Hyndman & Bisin (2026)?

No significant effect of deadline condition (about 124 participants vs. the original's 60). The original article was retracted.