PSYC 70 Lecture Outlines - Psychology Research Methods

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the PSYC 70 Lecture Outlines on Psychology as a Science, Experimental Methods, Measurement, Sampling, and Research Ethics.

Epistemology

The philosophical study of the origins and sources of knowledge.

Rationalism

A method of knowing based on logic and reasoning.

Empiricism

A method of knowing based on systematic observation and sensory experience.

Availability heuristic

A mental shortcut that leads people to base judgments on information that is easiest to recall.

Hindsight bias

The tendency for people to overestimate their ability to have predicted an outcome that could not possibly have been predicted.

Confirmation bias

Sensory bias where one selectively looks for information that supports their existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence.

Falsifiable

A feature of a good scientific theory stating it must be possible to collect data that would prove the theory wrong.

Parsimonious

A feature of a good scientific theory stating that the simplest explanation is generally preferred over complex ones.

Operational definition

The specific way a researcher decides to measure or manipulate a conceptual variable in a study.

External validity

The extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other populations, settings, or time periods.

Internal validity

The degree to which a study can rule out alternative explanations and establish a causal relationship between variables.

Directionality problem

The problem in correlational research where it is unclear if variable A causes variable B or if variable B causes variable A.

Third variable problem

The situation where an unmeasured factor may be responsible for the observed relationship between two variables.

Independent variable (IV)

The variable that is manipulated by the researcher in an experiment.

Dependent variable (DV)

The variable that is measured by the researcher to see if it is affected by changes in the independent variable.

Design confound

A threat to internal validity in which a second variable happens to vary systematically along with the intended independent variable.

Selection effects

A threat to internal validity that occurs when participants at one level of the independent variable are systematically different from those at another level.

Matched groups

An experimental technique where participants are grouped into sets based on a specific variable and then randomly assigned to conditions to ensure equivalent groups.

Between-subjects design

A research design where different groups of participants are exposed to different levels of the independent variable.

Within-subjects design

A research design where each participant is exposed to all levels of the independent variable.

Counterbalancing

A technique used in within-subjects designs where different participants receive levels of the IV in different orders to cancel out potential order effects.

Maturation

A threat to internal validity where observed changes occur naturally over time rather than because of the experimental treatment.

Regression to the mean

A statistical phenomenon where an extreme score at one point in time is likely to be closer to the average when measured a second time.

Demand characteristics

Cues in an experiment that lead participants to guess the hypothesis and change their behavior accordingly.

Nominal scale

A scale of measurement that uses categories or names without any quantitative order.

Ordinal scale

A scale of measurement where categories have a meaningful rank or order, but the distance between ranks is not equal.

Interval scale

A scale of measurement where the distance between values is equal, but there is no true zero point.

Ratio scale

A scale of measurement with equal intervals and a true zero point, representing a complete absence of the property.

Criterion validity

The extent to which a measure is associated with a concrete behavioral outcome it should theoretically be related to.

Stratified random sampling

A probability sampling method where the researcher identifies specific demographic categories (strata) and then randomly selects individuals from each category to ensure proportionality.

Sampling error

The natural discrepancy between a sample statistic and the true population parameter.

Factorial design

An experimental setup with two or more independent variables where every level of one variable is combined with every level of the others.

Main effect

The overall effect of one independent variable on the dependent variable, averaging across the levels of the other independent variable.

Interaction

Occurs when the effect of one independent variable on the dependent variable changes depending on the level of another independent variable.

Nonequivalent control group design

A quasi-experimental design that compares two or more groups that were not created through random assignment.

Cross-sectional developmental design

A research design that compares groups of people of different ages at the same point in time.

Double-barreled question

A survey question wording error where two separate questions are asked in one item, making it difficult to answer clearly.

Fence-sitting

A response set in which survey participants consistently choose the neutral or middle option to avoid taking a stand.

Belmont Report

The fundamental document outlining ethical principles for human subjects research: Respect for Persons, Beneficence, and Justice.

P-hacking

The unethical practice of manipulating data or statistical analyses until they produce a statistically significant result.