Research Designs in Psychology

These flashcards cover key concepts about research designs in psychology, focusing on their definitions, characteristics, and differences.

Experimental Research

A research design that determines if one variable causes a change in another, allowing for causal inferences.

Correlational Research

A research design that measures the degree of association between two variables without manipulating them.

Independent Variable (IV)

The variable that is manipulated or controlled by the researcher.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The variable that is measured by the researcher and is expected to depend on the independent variable.

Random Assignment

The process of assigning participants to different conditions by chance to ensure groups are similar.

Confounds

Factors that could undermine the ability to draw causal conclusions in an experiment.

Placebo Effect

A change in behavior or perception caused by the expectation of receiving special treatment.

Participant Demand

When participants guess the hypothesis and alter their behavior to align with what they think the experimenter expects.

Experimenter Expectations

When the experimenter's expectations unintentionally influence the outcomes of the study.

Double-Blind Procedure

An experimental procedure where neither the participant nor the experimenter knows the condition of the participant to prevent bias.

Quasi-Experimental Design

An experiment that lacks random assignment, used when the independent variable cannot be ethically or practically manipulated.

Longitudinal Study

A study that tracks the same group of individuals over an extended period, providing data on changes and development.

Surveys

A method of gathering information from a large number of participants using questionnaires, often for correlational data.

Correlation

A measure of the association between two variables.

Operational Definitions

Specific measures of abstract concepts that researchers define in concrete, measurable terms.

Causality

The relationship between cause and effect, which is demonstrated by true experiments.