Psychology Research Methods, Ethics, and Biases Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering non-experimental research methods, APA ethical guidelines, cognitive and self-report biases, psychological organizations, and correlational study concepts.

Non-Experimental Research

Research that involves no manipulation of variables, including naturalistic observation, case studies, meta-analysis, and correlational studies.

Case Study

An in-depth study of a single person, group, or rare phenomenon.

Naturalistic Observation

Careful observations of animals or people in their natural environment.

Meta-analysis

A method that combines the results of many individual studies on the same topic to draw stronger conclusions, using an effect size statistic to show how large or strong the relationship between variables is.

APA Principle A: Beneficence and Nonmaleficence

An ethical principle stating psychologists must strive to benefit those they work with and take care to do no harm, promoting well-being while avoiding adverse outcomes.

APA Principle B: Fidelity and Responsibility

An ethical principle emphasizing that psychologists must build and maintain trust by adhering to professional standards of conduct, clarifying their professional roles, and accepting responsibility for their actions.

APA Principle C: Integrity

An ethical principle requiring honest, transparent, and accurate practices in science, teaching, and the practice of psychology.

APA Principle D: Justice

An ethical principle stating that all persons are entitled to access to and benefit from the contributions of psychology, and are protected from unjust practices and biases.

APA Principle E: Respect for People's Rights and Dignity

An ethical principle requiring respect for the fundamental rights, dignity, and worth of all individuals, including rights to privacy, confidentiality, and self-determination.

Confederate

An actor working with the research team who pretends to be a regular participant.

Debrief

An ethical procedure following a study to go over aims and procedures, and allow the participant to ask questions.

Survey

A research method consisting of questionnaires or interviews that ask a large number of people questions.

Self-Report Bias

Errors that occur when people give inaccurate or misleading answers on surveys or questionnaires.

Social-Desirability Bias

A type of self-report bias occurring in surveys and experimental research where people answer in a way that makes them look good or acceptable to others.

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that we would have foreseen it.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to search for, recall, pay attention to, interpret, and believe information that supports one's belief.

Overconfidence

The cognitive tendency to think we know more than we do.

American Psychological Association (APA)

A professional organization representing psychologists in the United States and internationally, dedicated to advancing psychology as a science, profession, and means of promoting health, education, and human welfare.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Committees established by research institutions to review and approve research involving human participants, ensuring compliance with ethical standards and protection of subject rights and welfare.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC)

A committee required by law for institutions using non-human animals in research, teaching, or testing, responsible for overseeing and evaluating all aspects of animal care and use.

Correlational Study

A research study used to see if there is a relationship between $2$ variables.

Directionality Problem

A situation in correlational research where two variables are related, but a researcher cannot tell which variable causes changes in the other.

Third-Variable Problem

A situation in correlational research where the relationship between two variables is supported or driven by an unmeasured third variable.

Correlation Coefficient

A statistic ranging between $-1.00$ and $+1.00$ that indicates the strength and direction of a relationship, where numbers closer to $-1.00$ or $+1.00$ indicate a strong relationship and numbers close to $0$ indicate a weaker relationship.

Positive Correlation

A relationship where two variables increase and decrease together.

Negative Correlation

A relationship where as $1$ variable increases, the other variable decreases.