BoE Quiz - Unit 2 - Research Methods

Hindsight Bias

the tendency to believe, after learning the outcome, that you knew it all along

“I knew it all along” phenomenon

Operational definition

A specific set of instructions that cover EXACTLY how to replicate the experiment so that psychologists/scientists can get credit

NEEDS TO BE REPLICABLE

Case Study

Used to examine an individual or a very small group Working our way backward

Naturalistic Observations

Observing + recording behavior in a natural environment Not changing ANYTHING

Survey

GREAT FOR A LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE, good for variety and efficiency

bad for truth or people complying

Experiment

A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors(independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental processes(dependent variable)

Control Group

Baseline data

No messing with just observing and recording data

Experimental Group

The group we are changing with the independent variable

Population

The group which is being generalized and put the results onto

Example: If we’re doing a study for Frisco ISD high schools, then Frisco ISD high schools are our population, Challenges: Large group

Random Sampling

Randomly choosing participants in your representative sample

Needs to be random and every single person needs a chance

Random Assignment

Put chosen people in an experimental or control group, IT NEEDS TO BE RANDOM AGAIN

Everyone needs a chance to be in either group

Independent Variable

What we are changing

Dependent Variable

The outcome

The outcome is DEPENDENT on the independent variable

Double Blind Procedure

The investigator doesn’t know who’s getting the medication or the placebo

The participants don’t know who’s getting the medication or the placebo

Both sides are blind to what’s going on

Placebo

An inert substance that has no effect

given to the control group since they are the baseline data

Placebo Effect

People might feel better while taking the placebo

Which is all MENTAL

We feel better even though there is no reason too

Illusionary Correlation

The assumption that a relationship between 2 variables exists when they are not related

Statistical Significance

How significant the statistics are… significant or not

Standard Deviation

Average difference between each score and the mean

Debriefing

explanation of the study AFTER IT IS DONE, including purpose + deceptions

Informed Consent

contract where participants need enough info to decide whether or not they give consent to be in the study