IB Psych Vocab Test 2 terms

selection

occurs if for some reason groups are not equivalent at the start of the experiment

history

refers to outside events that happen to participants in the course of the experiment

maturation

through the course of the experiment, participants go through natural developmental processes such as fatigue or simply growth

testing effect

the first measurement of the dependent variable may affect the second and subsequent measurements

instrumentation

occurs when the the instrument measuring the dependent variable changes slightly between measurements

regression to the mean

an interesting source of bias that becomes a concern when the initial score on the dependent variable is extreme

mortality

refers to the fact that some participants may drop out during an experiment, which may become a problem if the drop outs are not random

demand characteristics

refers to a situation in which participants understand the purpose of the experiment and change their behavior subconsciously to fit that interpretation

experimenter bias

refers to situations in which the researcher unintentionally exerts an influence on the results of a study

correlational study

a design that looks at the relationship between two or more variables

r score

how strong the correlation is between two variables

p score

how significant the collected data is and the probability that the result is due to random chance

third variable issue

the possibility that a third variable exists that correlates with both x and y and explains the correlation between them

triangulation

a combination of different approaches to collecting and interpreting data. there are several different types

rapport

researchers should ensure that participants are being honest

iterative questioning

spotting ambiguous answers and returning to the topic later while the same time rephrasing the question may help researchers gain deeper insight into a sensitive phenomenon

acquiescence bias

a tendency to give positive answers no matter the question. may be induced by the persons personality, the nature of the questions or the researcher’s behavior

reflexivity

researchers should reflect on the possibility that their own biases might have interfered with the observations or interpretations. there are two types of this

credibility check

refers to checking the accuracy of data by asking participants themselves to read transcripts of interviews or field notes of observations and confirm that they are an accurate representation of what they said/did/meant

thick descriptions

refers to explaining not just the observed behavior itself but also the context in which it occurred so that the description becomes meaningful to an outsider who never observed the phenomenon first-hand

social desirability

participants’ tendency to behave or respond in a way that they think will make them liked or accepted

dominant respondent bias

occurs in a group interview setting when one of the participants influences the behavior and responses of the others

sensitivity bias

tendency of participants to answer regular questions honestly but distort their responses to questions on sensitive topics

confirmation bias

occurs when the researcher has a prior belief and uses the research in an unintentional way to confirm that belief

leading question bias

occurs when respondents in an interview are inclined to answer in a certain way because the wording of the question encourages them to do so

question order bias

occurs when responses to questions influence the participants responses to the following questions. this stems from the human tendency to be consistent to our beliefs and actions