Psychology: Theory Data Cycle, Research Designs, Statistical Significance, Effect Size, Peer Review

Constructs

Concepts that are specifically defined for a particular study

Theory

Explanation of how and why things happen

Concepts

Ideas or mental representations of objects or events

Hypothesis

Testable prediction based on a theory

Psychology

Study of behavior and mental processes

Consumers of psychological research

Individuals who use research findings to inform decisions

Producers of psychological research

Researchers who conduct studies to generate new knowledge

Operational definition

Specific description of how a variable will be measured or manipulated

Variable

Any factor that can take on different values

Descriptive research

Research that aims to observe and describe behavior

Correlational research

Research that examines the relationship between variables

Experimental research

Research that manipulates variables to determine cause and effect

Independent variable

Variable that is manipulated by the researcher

Dependent variable

Variable that is measured to assess the effect of the independent variable

Control group

Group that does not receive the experimental treatment

Operational definition

Specific description of how a variable will be measured or manipulated

Double-blind, placebo controlled study

Study where neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the treatment or placebo

Confounds

Factors other than the independent variable that may influence the dependent variable

Random sampling

Process of selecting participants for a study to ensure representativeness of the population

Random assignment

Process of assigning participants to experimental and control groups randomly

Statistical significance

Likelihood that a result occurred by chance alone

P-value

Probability of obtaining a result as extreme as the observed result, assuming the null hypothesis is true

Practical significance

Real-world importance or meaningfulness of a result

Effect size

Magnitude of the difference between variables or the strength of their association

Peer review

Process of evaluation and feedback by experts in the field before research is published