midterm cogs 14a 2nd

What is the first step in research?

Identify a topic.

At what step do you consider ethics, validity, and limitations?

Design the study.

What is the final step in research?

Communicate results.

What is the purpose of a pilot study?

To find potential problems before conducting full research.

Laboratory experiments generally have low ______ validity.

Ecological validity.

What type of validity is concerned with generalizing findings outside the experiment?

External validity.

A WEIRD sample can be an issue with what type of validity?

External validity.

What does WEIRD stand for?

Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic.

Where in an APA paper can you find the theoretical importance?

Introduction.

Where can you find details about the study design?

Methods section.

What is an operational definition?

An assigned observable behavior that is a proxy for a theoretical construct.

What is a confederate in an experiment?

An experimenter acting as a participant.

What is a case study?

Examining individuals with rare conditions.

What is the best-fitting unit of analysis for neuroscience?

Neurons.

What fields use experimentation as a method?

Psychology, Linguistics, Neuroscience.

What type of research method observes subjects in their natural state?

Field studies.

What is a disadvantage of non-experimental methods?

Cannot make causal inferences.

What method quantifies the onset or duration of a cognitive operation?

Reaction time.

What does an EEG measure?

Electrical activity in the brain.

What is the primary advantage of MEG over EEG?

Better spatial resolution.

Why must MEG be conducted in a shielded room?

To prevent interference from Earth’s magnetic field.

What is a disadvantage of PET scans?

Poor temporal resolution.

What technique uses the BOLD signal?

fMRI.

What makes TMS unique?

It induces electrical current in neurons.

What document established the first protocol for human research ethics?

Nuremberg Code.

What principle does deception in research conflict with?

Respect for persons - informed consent.

What principle was most violated in the Henrietta Lacks case?

Respect for persons.

What committee oversees human research ethics?

Institutional Review Board (IRB).

What committee oversees animal research?

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

The average value in a population is called a…

Parameter.

The average value in a sample is called a…

Statistic.

What type of data has equal intervals but no true zero?

Interval data.

What type of data has a true zero?

Ratio data.

What type of statistical test is used for nominal data?

Chi-squared test.

What type of statistical test compares means of two groups?

t-test.

What statistical test is used for comparing more than two groups?

ANOVA.

What measure of central tendency is affected by outliers?

Mean.

If a dataset has extreme outliers, what is the best measure of central tendency?

Median.

What is the typical amount that scores differ from the mean called?

Standard deviation.

If a dataset has a long right tail, it is ______ skewed.

Positively skewed.

If a dataset has a long left tail, it is ______ skewed.

Negatively skewed.

What type of correlation exists if both variables increase together?

Positive correlation.

What type of correlation exists if one variable increases while the other decreases?

Negative correlation.

What does Pearson’s correlation coefficient measure?

Strength and direction of a linear relationship.

What correlation coefficient value indicates no relationship?

Which r-value is the weakest: +0.68, +0.33, -0.49, -0.81?

+0.33.

What is an advantage of observational studies?

Can study variables that cannot be manipulated.

What is a disadvantage of observational studies?

Cannot establish causation.

What is the third variable problem?

A third variable influences both the independent and dependent variables.

What Boolean search operator ensures both terms appear in results?

AND.

What type of data can be counted but not divided into smaller units?

Discrete data.

What type of data can take any value within a range?

Continuous data.

What is a nuisance variable?

An uncontrolled variable that adds variability.

What effect do nuisance variables have on a study?

Increase variability.

What kind of statistical analysis predicts outcomes from multiple variables?

Multiple regression.

What must researchers do when deception is used in a study?

Explain it in debriefing.

What type of analysis finds the line of best fit?

Linear regression.

What does a high standard deviation indicate?

Greater spread in the data.

Can non-experimental research methods determine causation?

No.