Research Methods

Why is effective measurement important in psychology?

Because all psychological research depends on accurately measuring abstract concepts like behavior, thoughts, and emotions.

Why is measurement more difficult in psychology than in physical sciences?

Psychological concepts like stress or intelligence are abstract and harder to define and quantify than physical properties like weight or temperature.

What is a variable in psychological research?

Anything that varies and is measured or manipulated in a study.

What does it mean to define a variable operationally?

Defining a variable in terms of how it is measured or observed in a specific study.

What did the facial recognition study reveal about ability and age?

Facial recognition ability peaks around age 30, which is later than most cognitive abilities.

Why is replication important in psychological science?

It ensures that findings are reliable and not due to chance or flawed methods.

What did Brian Nosek’s replication project find?

A large percentage of psychological studies failed to replicate, and effects were often weaker than originally reported.

How has psychology responded to the replication crisis?

Researchers now often preregister methods before conducting studies to increase transparency and reliability.

Why is replicability a concern in neuroimaging studies?

Many findings may not reproduce due to complex data analysis and methodological variability.

What did the age and face memory replication study show?

When using names instead of faces, peak performance occurred earlier, showing results depend on the type of task.

What is an observational study?

A study where researchers observe behavior without manipulating variables.

What is the difference between longitudinal and cross-sectional studies?

Longitudinal studies follow the same individuals over time, while cross-sectional studies compare different groups at one point in time.

What is a correlational study?

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

How is correlation measured?

With a coefficient ranging from -1.0 to +1.0 indicating strength and direction of a relationship.

Why does correlation not imply causation?

Because a third variable or coincidence may explain the relationship between two variables.

How do twin studies demonstrate heritability?

Greater similarity in identical twins than fraternal twins suggests a genetic influence.

What is a case study?

An in-depth investigation of a single individual or small group, often with unique characteristics.

Why are case studies important in neuroscience?

They provide early evidence about how specific brain regions relate to cognitive functions.

What did HM’s case reveal?

The role of the hippocampus in forming new episodic memories.

What did patient GY’s case reveal?

Evidence for blindsight and unconscious visual processing.

What did Tan’s case reveal?

The importance of specific brain areas for language production.

What did Phineas Gage’s case reveal?

The role of the frontal lobe in personality and emotional regulation.

What did the case of RFS demonstrate about number recognition?

Number recognition can be selectively impaired, suggesting specialized and partly unconscious processing systems.

What does RFS’s ability to do arithmetic despite recognition deficits suggest?

Some numerical processing occurs unconsciously and is separate from visual recognition.

What is an experimental study?

A study where researchers manipulate an independent variable to determine its causal effect on a dependent variable.

What is an independent variable?

The variable that is manipulated in an experiment.

What is a dependent variable?

The variable that is measured to assess the effect of the independent variable.

What is a control condition?

A baseline condition used for comparison that does not receive the experimental treatment.

What did Eysenck’s study on psychotherapy show?

Patients improved at similar rates with or without therapy, suggesting spontaneous recovery.

What is reliability in psychological measurement?

The consistency and stability of a measure across repeated tests.

What is validity in psychological measurement?

The extent to which a measure accurately captures the concept it is intended to measure.

What is convergent validity?

When a measure correlates positively with other measures of the same construct.

What is divergent validity?

When a measure does not correlate with measures of different constructs.

Who conducts psychological research?

Professors, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students.