Research Methods in Psychology – Core Vocabulary

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the essential terms and concepts related to psychological research methods, including descriptive, correlational, and experimental approaches, key statistical ideas, and threats to validity.

Goals of Psychological Research

Describe, predict, and understand/explain behaviour.

Descriptive Research

Methodological family that captures and catalogues behaviour without manipulating variables.

Correlational Research

Method that measures relationships between variables to anticipate what will happen; no manipulation involved.

Experimental Research

Method that manipulates an independent variable to uncover causal effects on a dependent variable.

Case Study

In-depth examination of a single person or small group, often used to explore rare phenomena.

Naturalistic Observation

Systematic watching and recording of behaviour in real-world settings without intervention.

Survey Research

Use of structured questionnaires or interviews to collect self-reported data from large samples.

Hawthorne (Observer) Effect

Change in participants’ behaviour simply because they know they are being observed.

Researcher (Experimenter) Bias

Tendency for observers’ expectations to influence what they record or how they interpret data.

Correlation Coefficient (r)

Statistic ranging from –1 to +1 that indicates the strength and direction of a linear relationship.

Positive Correlation

Relationship in which two variables move together (both increase or both decrease).

Negative Correlation

Relationship in which two variables move in opposite directions.

Third-Variable Problem

Possibility that an unmeasured factor causes the observed relationship between two variables.

Spurious Correlation

Apparent association between variables that is actually due to coincidence, not causation.

Independent Variable (IV)

Factor that an experimenter deliberately manipulates to observe its effect.

Dependent Variable (DV)

Outcome that is measured to assess the impact of the independent variable.

Quasi-Experimental Design

Research that compares groups defined by natural characteristics without random assignment, limiting causal inference.

Internal Validity

Degree to which a study confidently establishes a causal link between variables, free of confounds.

External Validity

Extent to which laboratory findings generalise to real-world settings.

Operationalisation

Process of converting abstract concepts into measurable variables.

Demand Characteristics

Cues that inform participants about the study’s purpose and influence their behaviour.

Placebo Effect

Change in participants’ responses due to expectations rather than the experimental manipulation.

Single-Blind Design

Procedure in which participants do not know which condition they are in, reducing expectancy effects.

Double-Blind Design

Procedure in which both participants and experimenters are unaware of condition assignments.

Random Assignment

Randomly placing participants into experimental conditions to equalise extraneous variables.

Confounding Variable

Extraneous factor that varies with the independent variable and compromises causal conclusions.

Descriptive Statistics

Techniques that summarise and present data in an understandable form (e.g., means, graphs).

Inferential Statistics

Analyses that allow conclusions about whether observed differences are statistically significant.

Statistical Significance

Probability-based judgment that an observed effect is unlikely due to chance alone.

Mood-Congruent Memory

Tendency to recall information that matches one’s current mood; often studied via mood manipulation.

Standardised Procedures

Uniform methods and controls used across participants to ensure consistency and replicability.

Iterative Nature of Science

Cycle in which conclusions from one study inform new hypotheses and further research.