Chapter 2: Psychological Research

Flashcards covering key vocabulary from Chapter 2: Psychological Research, including research importance, approaches, analysis of findings, and ethics.

Psychology

The scientific study of the mind and behavior.

Scientific research

Grounded in objective, tangible evidence that can be observed time and time again, regardless of who is observing.

Theory

A well-developed set of ideas that propose an explanation for observed phenomena.

Hypothesis

A tentative and testable statement (prediction) about the relationship between two or more variables.

Falsifiable

Capable of being shown to be incorrect.

Case Study

A study of an individual in great detail, typically in a unique psychological circumstance or rare characteristic that differentiates them from the general public.

Naturalistic Observation

Observation of behavior in a normal environment.

Observer bias

The tendency of observers to see what they expect/want to see.

Blind observers

People who do not know what the research question is, used to minimize observer bias.

Laboratory Observation

Observing behavior in a laboratory setting.

Surveys

A technique for identifying the attitudes, opinions, or behaviors of people through a series of questions.

Archival Research

The use of past records to answer various research questions, or to search for interesting patterns or relationships.

Cross-Sectional Research

A method to compare multiple segments of a population at a single time (such as different age groups).

Longitudinal Research

A study that involves observing the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time.

Correlation

A relationship between two or more variables, where when one variable changes, so does the other.

Correlation Coefficient (r)

A numerical value that ranges from -1 to +1 and indicates the strength and direction of the relationship between variables.

Positive Correlation

A relationship where two variables change in the same direction, both becoming either larger or smaller.

Negative Correlation

A relationship where two variables change in opposite directions, with one becoming larger as the other becomes smaller.

No Correlation / Zero Correlation

A situation where changes in two variables are not related to each other.

Cause-and-effect relationship

A relationship where changes in one variable cause the changes in the other variable, determinable only through an experimental research design.

Confounding variable

An unanticipated outside factor that affects both variables of interest, often giving the false impression that changes in one variable cause changes in the other variable.

Illusory Correlations

False correlations that occur when people believe a relationship exists when it does not.

Confirmation bias

The tendency to notice, seek out, and interpret information in a way consistent with or that confirms your own prior beliefs.

Experiment

A research method where a researcher manipulates one variable and measures the effect of the manipulation on another to determine causality between the two variables.

Independent Variable (IV)

The variable that is manipulated or controlled by the experimenter.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The variable that the researcher measures to see how much effect the independent variable had.

Experimental Group

The participants that experience the manipulated variable in an experiment.

Control Group

The participants that do not experience the manipulated variable, serving as a basis for comparison and controlling for chance factors.

Population

The entire group of individuals that the researcher is interested in.

Sample

A subset of individuals selected from the larger population.

Random sample

A subset of a larger population in which every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected.

Random assignment

A method of experimental group assignment in which all participants have an equal chance of being assigned to either the experimental or control group.

Operational definition

A precise definition/description of what actions and operations will be used to measure the dependent variables and manipulate the independent variables.

Confound

An extraneous variable that affects the variables you are interested in studying.

Experimenter bias

When researcher expectations skew the results of the study.

Participant bias

When participant expectations skew the results of the study.

Single-blind study

An experiment in which the experimenter knows which participants are in the experimental group and which are in the control group, but the participants do not.

Double-blind Study

An experiment in which both the experimenter and the participants are blind to group assignments.

Placebo effect

A phenomenon where people’s expectations or beliefs influence or determine their experience, regardless of the actual treatment.

Reliability

The consistency and reproducibility of a given result.

Inter-rater reliability

A measure of agreement among observers on how they record and classify a particular event.

Validity

The extent to which a given instrument/tool accurately measures what it is designed to measure.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

A committee of administrators, scientists, and community members that reviews proposals for research involving human participants and approves research before it can proceed.

Informed consent

The process of informing a research participant about what to expect during an experiment and then obtaining the person’s consent to participate.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

A committee of administrators, scientists, veterinarians, and community members that reviews proposals for research involving non-human animals.