Research Methods in Psychology

Flashcards with key vocabulary terms and definitions from lecture notes on research methods in psychology.

Scientific Method Goal

To reduce errors and bias in understanding behavior.

Naturalistic Observation

Observing subjects in their natural environment.

Experimental Research

Establishing cause-and-effect relationships.

Dependent Variable

The outcome being measured.

Negative Correlation

One variable increases as the other decreases.

Correlation Coefficient of -1.00 or +1.00

The strongest possible relationship.

Random Assignment

To minimize confounding variables.

Operational Definition

A precise explanation of how variables are measured.

Placebo Effect

Improvement caused by expectations.

Milgram's Obedience Study Findings

65% of participants administered the highest shock.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

To review research proposals for ethical concerns.

Population vs. Sample

A sample is a subset of the population.

Experimental Research

Manipulating one variable to see its effect on another.

Double-Blind Procedure

When both researcher and participant don’t know group assignments.

Experiment

Most effective at determining causation.

Informed Consent

Ensures participants know what to expect.

Reliability

The ability of a study to be repeated and yield the same results.

Pseudoscience

A belief based on anecdotal evidence and lacks falsifiability.

Tuskegee Syphilis Study Ethical Issue

Denial of treatment and informed consent.

Standard Deviation

How spread out scores are around the mean.