Psychological Research Review

Flashcards covering the roles of consumers and producers in psychological research, the interaction of theories and data, definitions of key research terms, types of research, the peer-review process, and Merton's norms of science.

How are the roles of consumers and producers of psychological research similar?

Consumers have some crossover in interpreting research data from a producer role, and producers contribute new knowledge to the field.

How do the roles of consumers and producers of psychological research differ?

Consumers often involve clinicians using evidence-based treatments, while producers are primarily researchers.

How do theories and data interact to form empirical inquiry?

Data is collected to test, change, or update theories through the Theory Data Cycle, either supporting or weakening a theory.

What is a theory?

A set of statements that describes general principles about how variables relate to one another.

What is a hypothesis?

A specific outcome the researcher will observe in a study if the theory is accurate.

What is data in psychological research?

A set of observations.

What is basic research?

Research focused on the enhancement of general body knowledge rather than addressing a specific issue.

What is applied research?

Research done with a practical problem in mind, conducted in a local, real-world setting.

What is translational research?

An interaction between basic and applied research that uses lessons from basic research to develop and test applications to healthcare, treatments, and interventions.

What is the role of the peer-review process in science?

It acts as a gatekeeper for scientific rigor and can be self-correcting for researchers.

According to Merton's norms of science, what is Universalism?

Scientific claims are evaluated based on merit, independent of the researcher's credentials or reputation; criteria are established among all scientists and research.

According to Merton's norms of science, what is Communality?

Scientific knowledge is created by a community and findings belong to a community.

According to Merton's norms of science, what is Disinterestedness?

Scientists strive to discover the truth, not swayed by convictions, idealism, or politics.

According to Merton's norms of science, what is Organized Skepticism?

Questioning everything and not relying on sources until proven credible.

What are the characteristics of empirical journals?

They are peer-reviewed periodicals typically published every month, written by qualified contributors, and aimed at scientists and students.

What are the characteristics of popular journalism in reporting scientific news?

It is a secondhand report written by media journalists or laypeople, where details might be wrong or overstated, but it can help scientists share their findings with the world.

How can journalists write better stories about scientific news?

By reporting on the original study, avoiding disinformation, questioning the story's legitimacy or accuracy, and reading critically.