Psychology Chapter 2: Research Methods

Experience

involves making claims based on personal or observed events suspectable to errors

Intuition

relies on personal confidence and a sense of what seems logically suspectable to errors

Replication

Redoing reseach to further prove its findings

Variables

factors that can change within a experiment

Measured Variables

numerical and quantifiable variables

manipulated variables

variables that can be altered by researchers

Operational Definition

provide specific ways to measure or manipulate variables in research

Variable -> Numbers methods:

Self surveys, and counting

Desciptive research

focuses on one measured variable to determine 'what is normal?"

Naturalistic Observation

study how people or animals tyupically interact

Correlation Research

Compares two varibales to understand their realtionship

Covariance

allow to demonstate a coreelation between variabels

Random Selection

reduces bias

Internal Validity

ruling out alternative explainations in research

Confounds

alternative explainations that affect the realtionship between variables

Desciptive statistics

summarize data presented in graphs

Variability

the extent to which a variable differs amoung individuals

Inferential statistics

provide estimates of patterns in data

Statistical Significance

logical and probablitiy- based conclusions

Institutional Review Boards (IRB)

must be approved by Institutional Review Boards on Autonomy, Beneficence, and Justice principles

Autonomy

right to make informed decisions (consent)

Beneficence

prevent physical and psychological harm to participants based on weighing costs and benefits

Justice

focuses on ensuring the benefits of research are distributed fairly

Replacement

Can you replace animals with something else?

Refinement

Make sure animals suffer the least

Reduction

less animals, same results

Institutional Animal Care

supervise animal treatment and conduct regular inspections