Research Methods Midterm

• Intution and ancedotal evidence

  • gut feelings

  • hearsay

• Authority

• Empiricism (Science)

  • Observation, Data

  • Goal to minimize bias

Ways of knowing

illusory correlations

perceived relationships between variables that do not actually exist or are weaker than believed.

availability heuristic

a mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to mind when evaluating a specific topic or decision. It often leads to overestimating the likelihood of events based on their recentness or prominence in memory.

confirmation bias

the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories

bias blind spot

the tendency to see oneself as less biased than others, failing to recognize one's own biases.

when you rely on intuition, you accept unquestionly what your own personal judgment or an anecdote about one person’s experience tells you

problem of intuition for research

plenty of impact when speaker is prestigious, seem trustworthy, and is respectable

problem with authority for research

definition of science

sources

intution, anecdote, and authority can be _____ that can be tested

empiricism

requires knowledge to come from evidence (observations)

conclusions

based on collected and analyzed data

scientific skepticisim

Claims considered valid after well-executed scientific investigations

science

the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experimentation.

• data play a central role

• scientist work together

• science advanced through opposing views (falsifiability)

• scientific evidence is peer-reviewed

Goodstein’s 4 characteristics of scientific inquiry

falsifiability

an idea or theory must be able to be false when tested using scientific methods

peer review

process of judging the merit of research; review by other scientists with expertise

• peer review

• falsifiability

• empiricism

• skepticism

core principles of science

empiricism

the practice of relying on observation and experimentation to form conclusions

skepticism

the attitude of questioning and doubting claims or beliefs until evidence is provided.

the scientific approach

provides an objective set of rules for gathering, evaluating, and reporting observations

psychology

scientific study of behavior and mental processes

• self report

• observation / field studies

• laboratory tasks

• physiological recordings

4 ways to measure behavior and mental processes

• describe

• predict

• determine causes

• explain (and sometimes change)

four goals of psychology

prediction

goal of psychology that asks “what conditions” is it happening and how events are related to one another?

probabilistic

prediction are ___________ , not certain

determining causes

goal that asks what directly impacts

randomized, controlled, experimental design

making a claim that something causes something else requires use of a _____

• temporal precedence

• covariation of cause and effect

• alternative explanations

three types of evidence to identify the cause of behavior

temporal precedence

the order of events in which the cause precedes the effect (A must occur before B)

covariation of cause and effect

means when the cause is present, the effect occurs; and when the cause is not present, the effect does not occur (When A occurs so does B; When A does not occur neither does B)

alternative explanations

to determine a cause, _____________ must be eliminated

replicated, discarded/revised as new evidence is gathered

explanation findings must be________ and _________________________

pseudoscience

is a collection of beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific method. It lacks the rigor and empirical support of legitimate scientific disciplines.

• claims that are untestable and therefore cannot be refuted

• vague and/or excessive language

• based on anecdotes

• experts with vague qualfiications

• claims that ignore conflicting evidence

• cannot be verified

signs that a claim may be pseudoscientific

1. Create a research question

2. Make a hypothesis

3. Design a study to test your hypothesis

4. Collect data and evaluate results

Scientific Method

theory-data cycle

is a process that involves generating theories based on data and then using those theories to make predictions that can be tested through experimentation.

theory → research questions → research design to test an hypothesis → preregistered hypothesis → analyze data (surrounded by support and revision)

• supporting data strengthens the theory

• nosupporting data leads to revised theories or research design

theory data cycle

basic research

tries to answer fundamental question

applied research

address practical problems with potential solutions

• Common sense

• Individual Interests

• Observations

• Past/Available Research

• Practical problems

• Serendipity

where research questions come from?

• Describe general principles about how things

• relate to one another

• Help organize current knowledge

• Help generate new knowledge

• Cannot explain one specific event

theories…

A hypothesis is more specific; generates a

prediction (a tentative answer) to the research

question

difference between hypothesis and a theory

literature review

summarizes previous research on a topic

pre-registration

Outlines your hypotheses, methods, and analysis plan

hypothesis may be rejected, may re-do study with different methods or different participants

when data is not consistent with hypothesis…

Hypothesis is support (not replicated)

need for replication

when data is considered consistently

Nuremberg Code

set of ethical principles for human experimentation established after World War II.

The Belmont Report

outlines ethical principles for research involving human subjects, including respect for persons, beneficence, and justice.

Beneficence

Justice

Respect for Persons (Autonomy)

Principles of the Belmont Report