phsycology

Independent Variable (IV)

variable manipulated / changed by researcher

Dependent Variable (DV)

variable measured / recorded as outcome

Confounding Variable

uncontrolled variable, systematically affects DV, reduces validity

Matched Pairs Design

participants matched on characteristics, one per condition

Independent Measures Design

different participants in each condition

Repeated Measures Design

same participants in all conditions

Experiment

manipulation of IV, measurement of DV, cause-and-effect

Participant Variables

individual differences, e.g. age, intelligence, personality

Control Condition

baseline, no IV, comparison condition

Extraneous Variable

variable other than IV, may affect DV

Validity

study measures what it claims to measure

Reliability

consistency, repeatable results

Laboratory Experiment

controlled environment, artificial setting

Field Experiment

natural setting, IV manipulated

Natural Experiment

naturally occurring IV, not manipulated

Standardization

same procedure, same instructions

Demand Characteristics

participant guesses aim, changes behavior

Random Allocation

participants randomly assigned to conditions

Informed Consent

participants fully informed, agree

Confidentiality

data anonymous / private

Self-Report

participants report thoughts, feelings, behaviors

Questionnaire

written questions, self-report

Interview

verbal questions, spoken responses

Structured Interview

fixed questions, same order

Unstructured Interview

no set questions, flexible

Open Questions

qualitative data, own words

Closed Questions

fixed responses, quantitative data

Social Desirability Bias

socially acceptable answers, not truthful

Filler Questions

disguise aim of study

Observation

watching and recording behavior

Naturalistic Observation

natural environment, no manipulation

Controlled Observation

controlled setting

Structured Observation

predefined behavioral categories

Unstructured Observation

no behavioral categories

Participant Observation

observer joins group

Non-Participant Observation

observer does not join group

Overt Observation

participants aware

Covert Observation

participants unaware

Behavioral Categories

clearly defined, observable behaviors

Inter-Observer Reliability

agreement between observers

Case Study

in-depth, one individual / small group

Triangulation

multiple methods, improve validity

Correlation

relationship, no cause

Positive Correlation

variables increase together

Negative Correlation

one increases, other decreases

Hypothesis

testable prediction

Directional Hypothesis

predicts direction

Non-Directional Hypothesis

predicts relationship, no direction

Null Hypothesis

states no relationship

Aim

general purpose of study

Causal Relationship

one variable causes change

Falsifiable

can be tested and disproven

Operationalize

define variables, measurable terms

Population

target group

Sample

subset of population

Volunteer Sampling

participants self-select

Opportunity Sampling

participants available at time

Random Sampling

equal chance of selection

Situational Variable

environmental factor

Pilot Study

small-scale trial run

Qualitative Data

descriptive, non-numerical

Quantitative Data

numerical data

Mean

average

Median

middle value

Mode

most frequent

Range

highest
– lowest

Standard Deviation

spread around mean

Bar Chart

discrete data

Histogram

continuous data, frequency

Scatter Graph

correlation shown

Normal Distribution

symmetrical, bell-shaped

Presumptive Consent

consent from similar group

Privacy

respect personal space / data

Right to Withdraw

leave at any time

Protection of Participants

prevent harm

Debriefing

full explanation after study

Deception

misleading participants

Ecological Validity

real-life relevance

Generalizability

findings apply to others

Test-Retest Reliability

same test, different times