PSYC 2017 Exam 3/Final Exam Simplified Terms with examples

Debrief

Explaining the study's true purpose after it ends. Example: Telling participants you used deception and why.

Respect for Persons (Belmont)

People should choose for themselves; vulnerable groups get extra protection. Example: Getting parent consent for children.

Informed Consent

Participants must know what the study involves and decide freely. Example: A form explaining risks before joining a study.

Beneficence (Belmont)

Do not harm; maximize benefits. Example: Keeping data anonymous to protect privacy.

Anonymous Study

No identifying info collected. Example: A survey with no names or emails.

Confidential Study

Researchers keep identifying info private. Example: Storing names separately from survey responses.

Justice (Belmont)

Fair distribution of risks and benefits. Example: If researching diabetes, including people from all at-risk groups.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

A committee that reviews studies for ethical safety. Example: Approving a study before data collection begins.

Deception

Not telling the full truth, or lying, to participants. Example: Telling participants the study is about memory when it's about stress.

Data Fabrication

Making up data. Example: Inventing scores for participants who never completed the study.

Data Falsification

Altering data or influencing results. Example: Removing 'bad' data points to improve significance.

Plagiarism

Using someone else's ideas/words without credit. Example: Copy-pasting a paragraph from an article.

Self-Plagiarism

Reusing your own previous writing without citing yourself. Example: Reusing a section from your old published paper.

Multivariate Design

Study with more than two measured variables. Example: Measuring stress, sleep, and GPA.

Longitudinal Design

Measure the same people over time. Example: Measuring self-esteem at age 10, 15, and 20.

Cross-sectional Correlation

Two variables measured at the same time. Example: Correlating stress and sleep in 2025.

Autocorrelation

A variable measured at two time points. Example: Happiness at Time 1 correlated with happiness at Time 2.

Cross-lag Correlation

Earlier measure of variable A predicts later variable B. Example: Stress at Time 1 predicting sleep at Time 2.

Multiple Regression

Predict one variable using several predictors. Example: Using stress + sleep to predict GPA.

Control For

Statistically holding something constant. Example: Studying exercise and happiness while controlling for age.

Criterion Variable (DV)

Outcome you want to predict. Example: GPA.

Predictor Variable (IV)

Variables used to explain the criterion. Example: Hours studied per week.

Parsimony

Simplest explanation is best. Example: Stress → poor sleep (simple) vs. complex, unnecessary explanation.

Mediator

Explains why two variables are related. Example: Stress → poor sleep → worse grades.

HARKing

Making up your hypothesis after you see the results. Example: Pretending you predicted a surprising finding.

P-hacking

Trying many analyses until one becomes significant. Example: Removing outliers to get p < .05.

Open Science

Sharing data/materials publicly. Example: Posting your dataset online.

Open Data

Posting full dataset. Example: Uploading SPSS file.

Open Materials

Posting surveys, stimuli, instructions, etc. Example: Uploading your questionnaires.

Preregistered

Stating your hypothesis and analysis plan before collecting data. Example: Posting your plan on OSF first.

Replicable

The study's results occur again when repeated. Example: Same correlation shows up in another sample.

Direct Replication

Same study, same methods. Example: Exact copy of the original experiment.

Conceptual Replication

Same idea, different methods. Example: Original uses survey → new study uses interview.

Replication-plus-Extension

Replicate + add something new. Example: Same study but including a second age group.

Scientific Literature

Many studies on the same topic. Example: All studies on screen time and depression.

Meta-analysis

Statistically combining many studies. Example: Averaging effect sizes from 30 studies.

File Drawer Problem

Null results don't get published, so meta-analyses may be biased. Example: Only significant findings appear in journals.

APA Ethical Principles

Fidelity & Responsibility: Build trust. Integrity: Be accurate and honest.

IRB ROLE

Review proposals, ensure safety, include diverse members, approve or require changes.

Animal Research (3 Rs)

Replacement, Refinement, Reduction.

Replacement

Use alternatives when possible. Example: Computer simulation.

Refinement

Reduce animal distress. Example: Better housing conditions.

Reduction

Use as few animals as possible. Example: Efficient experimental design.

Coercion

Suggesting negative consequences for not participating. Example: 'You must participate for credit.'

Undue Influence

Offering too much reward. Example: Paying $500 for a 30-minute study.

Why Some Groups Need Extra Protection

Children / Intellectually Disabled may not understand enough to give informed consent. Prisoners may feel pressured to obey researchers.

Beneficence Applications

Anonymous and Confidential Studies. Used to protect participants from harm.

Justice Applications

Fair Participant Selection. Example: Not only testing poor people for burdensome medical trials when all groups benefit.

Bivariate Correlations

Show correlation but lack temporal precedence, covariance, internal validity.

Mediator vs Third Variable

Mediator: A meaningful 'why' explanation. Example: Income → stress → health. Third variable: An outside factor ruining the correlation. Example: Ice cream sales ↑ and drowning deaths ↑; Third variable = hot weather.

Tuskegee Ethical Violations

1. No respect for persons: Lied to participants; no informed consent. 2. Harm: Withheld treatment, caused suffering. 3. Justice: Targeted poor Black men only.

Milgram Ethical Concerns

1. Deception/informed consent problems. 2. Emotional/psychological harm. 3. Risk-benefit imbalance. 4. Weak debriefing. 5. Coercion to continue.