AP Psychology - Unit 0.2 Research Methods and Design

Methodology

• system of principles, methods, and techniques used to conduct research

Experimental Methodology

• systematic approach designed to be carried out under controlled conditions

• tests hypotheses

• establishes cause-and-effect relationships

Non-Experimental Methodology

• describes behavior

• cannot establish cause-and-effect relationship between variables

Control Group

• participants/subjects wo receive no treatment or placebo 

Experimental Group

• participants/subjects who receive treatment or independent variable

Scientific Method

• self-evaluating process used to evaluate ideas with observation and analysis 

Case Study

• non-experimental research method

• in-depth analysis on a person, group, or event

• gathers a lot of information

• can be generalized

Placebo

• given to the control group

• has similar aspects of the independent variable/treatment but misses key component 

• no actual effect, but can be therapeutic (placebo effect)

Correlational Study

• a non-experimental research method

• studies relationship between two or more variables

• does not explain the causation of the relationship 

Single-Blind

• participants don’t know whether they are in the control group or experimental group

• decreases chances of social desirability bias

Double-Blind

• neither experimenters nor subjects know whose in the control or experimental group

• decreases chances of social desirability bias and experimenter bias

Naturalistic Observation

• non-experimental research method

• observes natural/authentic behavior of subjects

• researcher do not interfere

• no manipulated variables

Meta-Analysis

• non-experimental research method

• uses data from pervious studies to define patterns/trends

• helps scientists look at an issue in a “bigger picture”

Hawthorne Effect

• subject purposefully alters their behavior when aware of being observed 

Hypothesis

• a prediction on the relationship between variables

• measurable and testable

• falsifiable

Convience Sampling

• selecting people for a sample based on availability/accessibility

• may not represent a larger population

Falsifiable

• able to be proven wrong 

Random Sampling

• sample fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of participating in a study

Empirical Evidence

• information based on observable factors or experiment

• can support hypothesis

Population

• all the individuals that a study applies to 

Sample

• a selected group of individuals in a population that are chosen to represent the population in a study 

Independent Variable

• controlled by experimenter 

• stands alone/not influenced 

• “the cause”

Dependent Variable

• the behavior/mental processes being measured

• may change based on the other variables

• “the effect”

Self-Report Bias

• subject/participant reports inaccurate information 

Confounding Variable

• an extent factor that influences the dependent variable

• not controlled by scientist 

Social Desirability Bias

• a participant changes their behavior to seem more impressionable 

Third Variable Problem

• an uncontrolled/additional variable impacts the outcome of a study

Experimenter Bias

• an experimenter unintentionally skews results due to their preferences, beliefs, or conceptions 

Operational Definition

• descriptive process of an experiment that explains how the researcher manipulated the variables

• allows other scientists to replicate the experiment 

Qualitative Data

• non-numerical data

• descriptive insight on a subject’s thoughts, feelings, and attitude 

Quantitative Data

• numerical data

• statistically analyzed to identify different relationships, patterns, and differences

Generalization

• the extent of how much of a population can be applied to a data set/ study outcome 

Likert Scale

• quantifies data

• measures participant’s thoughts on a set scale 

3 Key Principles of Ethics

1. Respect for Persons: participants must give informed consent

2. Beneficence: researchers should not negatively impact a participant’s well being

3. Justice: participants are not being exploited