The Scientific Method

0.3

Theory

An explanation for a set of facts, events, or phenomenons backed by evidence

Hypothesis

A tentative/proposed explanation to a phenomenon

Falsifiable

A statement, hypotheses or theory that can be proven wrong by an observation, experiment, or evidence

Experimental Methology

Research that tests cause and effect relationships by actively manipulating one or more variables and measuring its impact on others under controlled conditions

Non-experimental Methology

Researchers measure variables as they naturally occur without manipulating independent variables

Replication

The process of repeating an original study to see same/different results

Case Study

Detailed experimentation of a person, group, or event in natural environment

Meta-analysis

Numerical results of independent studies on the same research topic to produce a single, overall summary or conclusion

Naturalistic Observation

Psychologists watch and record human/animal behavior in reality without interference

Survey

Collects reported information

Population

Group of individuals to be studied

Sample

Small group of people from society to conduct a study

Sampling Bias

Studies’ participants aren’t chosen fairly or randomly

Random Sample

A subset of people chose from a population where every single person has an equal chance of being selected

Convenience Sampling

Group of research participants chosen because they are easy to access

Representative Sample

Group that accurately mirrors key characteristics/demographics of larger target population

Generalizability

The degree to which research findings can be applied to other people, settings, or times

Sampling

Selects a small group of participants in psychological research to represent a larger population to make an accurate general conclusion about human behavior

A researcher wants to study the effect of exercise on happiness in college students. Which of the following is the best operational definition of "happiness" in this study?

The student's self-reported happiness level on measured on a standardized questionnaire given at scheduled times

A psychologist is investigating whether different genres of music affect the ability to remember vocabulary words.

Which of the following is the best operational definition of "ability to remember vocabulary words"?

The number of vocabulary words remembered after listening to a specific genre of music measured by a recall test.

A sleep researcher wants to know if drinking caffeine in the evening affects the quality of sleep in adults. 

Which of the following is the best operational definition of "quality of sleep"?

The number of times an adult wakes up during the night, as observed and measured by a sleep tracker.

A psychologist wants to study whether limiting social media usage improves self-esteem in adolescents.

Which of the following is the best operational definition of "self-esteem"?

The subject's self-reported self-esteem score measured on a Likert scale.

A psychologist wants to determine if competitive video games cause more aggressive behavior in children.

Which of the following is the best operational definition of "aggressive behavior"?

The frequency of physical contact with another child observed during a monitored play session.