Untitled Flashcards Set

archival research

Method of research using past records or data sets to answer various research questions or to search for interesting patterns or relationships.

attrition

Reduction in number of research participants as some drop out of the study over time.

cause-and-effect relationship

Changes in one variable cause the changes in the other variable; can be determined only through an experimental research design.

clinical or case study

Observational research study focusing on one or a few people.

confirmation bias

Tendency to ignore evidence that disproves ideas or beliefs.

confounding variable

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.

control group

A group that serves as a basis for comparison and controls for chance factors that might influence the results of the study.

correlation

Relationship between two or more variables; when two variables are correlated, one variable changes as the other does.

correlation coefficient

A number from -1 to +1, indicating the strength and direction of the relationship between variables.

cross-sectional research

Research that compares multiple segments of a population at a single time.

debriefing

The process of informing participants about the purpose of the study after it has concluded.

deception

Purposely misleading experiment participants to maintain the integrity of the experiment.

deductive reasoning

Reasoning from general premises to arrive at specific conclusions.

dependent variable

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

double-blind study

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

empirical

Grounded in objective, tangible evidence that can be observed repeatedly.

experimental group

The group designed to answer the research question with experimental manipulation as the only difference from the control group.

experimenter bias

When researcher expectations skew the results of the study.

fact

An objective and verifiable observation established using evidence collected through empirical research.

falsifiable

Describing a hypothesis that can be disproven by experimental results.

generalize

Inferring that results for a sample apply to a larger population.

hypothesis

A testable prediction about how the world will behave if an idea is correct.

illusory correlation

The perception of a relationship between two variables when no such relationship exists.

independent variable

The variable that is influenced or controlled by the experimenter.

inductive reasoning

Reasoning in which conclusions are drawn from observations.

informed consent

The process of informing a participant about what to expect in an experiment and acquiring their consent.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

A committee that reviews proposals for research involving non-human animals.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

A committee that reviews proposals for research involving human participants.

inter-rater reliability

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

longitudinal research

Research studies in which the same group of individuals is surveyed or measured repeatedly over time.

naturalistic observation

The observation of behavior in its natural setting.

negative correlation

A relationship where two variables change in opposite directions.

observer bias

When observations are skewed to align with observer expectations.

operational definition

A description of how variables will be measured and manipulated in a study.

opinion

Personal judgments, conclusions, or attitudes that may not be accurate.

participants

Subjects of psychological research.

peer-reviewed journal article

An article reviewed by experts in the field before publication.

placebo effect

Changes in participants' experience based solely on their expectations.

population

The overall group of individuals the researchers are interested in studying.

positive correlation

A relationship where two variables change in the same direction.

random assignment

A method ensuring all participants have an equal chance of being assigned to any group.

random sample

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

reliability

The consistency and reproducibility of a given result.

replicate

To repeat an experiment using different samples to determine reliability.

sample

A subset of individuals selected from a larger population.

single-blind study

An experiment where the researcher knows the participants' assignments but the participants do not.

statistical analysis

The process of determining how likely differences between experimental groups are due to chance.

survey

A list of questions answered by research participants for data collection.

theory

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

validity

The accuracy of a given result in measuring what it was designed to measure.