Py 215 - Midterm Study

Applied Research

Research conducted specifically to address and solve problems occurring in the real world

Attention Grabber

The “hook” or opener of an introduction meant to stir interest and connect the research to everyday life

Basic Research

Research aimed at achieving a precise understanding of behavior without the immediate goal of solving a specific problem

Confirmation Bias

The cognitive tendency to notice and remember information that confirms one’s belief while ignoring contradictory evidence

Empiricism

The method of gaining knowledge through direct observation

Falsifiability

The requirement that a scientific claim must be stated in a way that allows it to be potentially proven wrong

Folk Psychology

Common sense beliefs about human behavior that are frequently disproven by scientific research

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts used to make quick judgements; these often lead to faulty logic

Hypothesis

A testable, proposed explanation for a phenomenon, often based on observations and structured as an “if-then'“ statement

Intuition

Quick decision-making based on “gut feelings,” which is highly prone to cognitive biases

Rationalism

Gaining knowledge through logic and reasoning; can be flawed if the original premise is incorrect

Scientific Method

A process of collecting, evaluating, and analyzing evidence using a combination of rationalism and systematic empiricism

Systematic Empiricism

Learning based on observations that are carefully planned, recorded, and analyzed

Theory

A well-confirmed explanation of the natural world that is consistently tested and supported by undisputed evidence

Active Voice

A writing style preferred by APA that is direct and focuses on the subjects performing the actions (e.g. “participants complete..”)

Conditional Statement

An “if-then” relationship that provides a structured framework for scientific prediction

Design

The subsection of the method that describes the organization and structure of the study

Drive Theory

A theory proposed by Zajonc suggesting that begin observed triggers physiological arousal, which affects performance based on task difficulty

Hypothesis

A specific, testable, and replicable proposed explanation for a phenomenon based on observations

Hypothetical-Deductive Method

A proposed model describing the scientific method through the cycle of construction, prediction, testing, and reevaluation

Justification

A portion of the introduction that explains the real-world implications of the work and why the study is important for other to know about

Materials

Items used specifically in experimental studies to conduct research

Measures

Tools such as surveys and questionnaires used to gather data from participants

Method Section

The most specific and detailed part of a research article that serves as a step-by-step description of how a study was conducted

Participants

The individuals or subjects studied in a research project; the “who” of the method section

Procedure

The “how” of the method section, describing the actions, conditions, and decision-making used by researchers in past tense

Social Facilitation

Improved performance on well-learned or simple tasks in the presence of other

Social Inhibition

Hindered performance on poorly-learned or difficult tasks in the presence of others

Synthesizing

The process of connecting underlying themes across prior studies to build a study rationale

Between-Subjects Design

A research organization where different groups of participants are exposed to different levels of the independent variable

Conduct

An abstract internal process or tendency (e.g., self-esteem, intelligence) that cannot be directly observed

Cronback’s Alpha

A statistic used to report the internal consistency or reliability of a measurement scale

Debriefing

The final step of a study procedure where participants are informed of the study’s true purpose and any deception used

Dependent Variable

The variable that is measured in a study; the outcome factor

Informed Consent

The initial step of a study procedure where participants are told about their rights, risks, and voluntary particpation

Interval Level

A level of measurement featuring equal spacing between points but no true zero point (e.g. IQ score)

Likert Scale

A response format (e.g. 1=strong disagree to 5=strongly agree) used in surveys to measure agreement or frequency

Nominal Level

The most basic level of measurement, using category labels only with no purposeful order

Operationalization

The process of defining an abstract variable by the precise way it is measured in a specific study

Ordinal Level

A level of measurement where categories have a meaningful rank order, but spacing between points may not be equal

Ratio Level

The highest level of measurement, featuring equal spacing between points and a true zero point (e.g., weight or reaction time)

Reproducibility

The ability of other researchers to repeat a study and final similar results, which is the primary goal of a detailed Method section

Standard Deviation (SD)

A statistic reported in the participants section to describe the amount of variation or dispersion in age data

What are the three primary goals of psychology research?

The three basic goals of science is to describe, to predict, and to explain. These are accomplished by making careful observations and determining the causes of behavior.

Contrast the “Authority” and “Empiricism” methods of knowing.

The “authority” method of learning relies on accepting new ideas based on the testimony of an authoritative figure (e.g., a parent, a doctor, the media). The “empiricism” method of learning focuses on obtaining knowledge based on observational evidence and experience.

What is the difference between “Basic Research” and “Applied Research?”

Basic research is for a more detailed and accurate understanding of human behavior without addressing practical problems. Applied research is for address practical problems.

What are the three levels of APA writing that a researcher must master?

The three levels of APA writing is organization, high-level style, and low-level style.

How should a researcher “synthesize” information when writing the body paragraphs of a literature review?

What is the primary purpose of the method section in a researcher paper?

The primary purpose of the method section is to describe how the study was conducted.

Explain the difference between a theory and a hypothesis according to the scientific method

A theory is a broad, explanation while a hypothesis is a testable explanation for an observation.

Describe the “if-then” relationship in the context of scientific predictions

What are the four stages of the hypothetical-Deductive Method

Identify the three main parts of an introduction section and their specific functions

How should the introduction be formatted and titled according to APA guidelines

Why does APA style prefer the use of the active voice over the passive voice in research writing?

What specific information must be included when describing study participants?

Explain the difference between a psychological construct and operationalization.

How should a researcher describe a survey or scale in the Method section?

Describe the characteristics off the Nominal and Ordinal levels of measurement.