Exam 1: Research Methods In Psychology

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Research whose goal is to find a solution to a particular real-world problem. See also basic research, translational research.

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applied research

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Research whose goal is to enhance the general body of knowledge, without regard for direct application to practical problems. See also applied research, translational research.

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basic research

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(plural; singular datum) A set of observations representing the values of some variable, collected from one or more research studies.

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data

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collecting data systematically and using it to develop, support, or challenge a theory. Also called empirical method or empirical research.

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empiricism

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A psychotherapy technique whose effectiveness has been supported by empirical research.

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evidence-based treatment

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A feature of a scientific theory, in which it is possible to collect data that will prove the theory wrong.

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falsifiability

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A statement of the specific relationship between a study's variables that the researcher expects to observe if a theory is accurate. Also called prediction.

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hypothesis

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A monthly or quarterly periodical containing peer-reviewed articles on a specific academic discipline or subdiscipline, written for a scholarly audience.

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journal

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News and commentary published or broadcast in the popular media and produced for a general audience.

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journalism

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The degree to which a theory provides the simplest explanation of some phenomenon. In the context of investigating a claim, the simplest explanation of a pattern of data; the best explanation that requires making the fewest exceptions or qualifications.

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parsimony

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

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theory

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Research that uses knowledge derived from basic research to develop and test solutions to real-world problems. See also applied research, basic research.

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translational research

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a conclusion drawn from reviewing scientific literature and considering the proportion of studies that is consistent with a theory.

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weight of the evidence

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The tendency to rely predominantly on evidence that easily comes to mind rather than use all possible evidence in evaluating a conclusion.

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availability heuristic

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The tendency for people to think that compared to others, they are less likely to engage in biased reasoning.

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bias blind spot

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A group in an experiment whose levels on the independent variable differ from those of the treatment group in some intended and meaningful way. Also called comparison condition.

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comparison group

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An actor who is directed by the researcher to play a specific role in a research study.

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confederate

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The tendency to ask only the questions that will lead to the expected answer.

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confirmatory hypothesis testing

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A general term for a potential alternative explanation for a research finding (a threat to internal validity).

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confound

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The magnitude of a relationship between two or more variables.

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effect size

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A scholarly article that reports for the first time the results of a research study.

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empirical journal article

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A way of mathematically averaging the effect sizes of all the studies that have tested the same variables to see what conclusion that whole body of evidence supports.

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meta-analysis

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The tendency to rely only on evidence that is present (e.g., instances in which both a treatment and a desired outcome are present) and ignore evidence that is absent (e.g., instances in which a treatment is absent or the desired outcome is absent) when evaluating the support for a conclusion.

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present/present bias

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Describing the empirical method, stating that science is intended to explain a certain proportion (but not necessarily all) of the possible cases.

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probabilistic

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An article summarizing all the studies that have been published in one research area.

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review journal article

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A claim about two variables, in which the value (level) of one variable is said to vary systematically with the value of another variable, such that when one variable changes, the other variable tends to change also.

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association claim

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A claim arguing that a specific change in one variable is responsible for influencing the value of another variable.

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causal claim

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The argument a journalist, researcher, or scientist is trying to make.

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Claim

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A researcher's definition of a variable at the theoretical level. Also called construct. See also conceptual variable.

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conceptual definition

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A variable of interest, stated at an abstract, or conversational, level. Also called construct. See also conceptual definition.

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conceptual variable

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An attribute that could potentially vary but that has only one level in value in the study in question.

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constant

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A variable of interest, stated at an abstract level, usually defined as part of a formal statement of a psychological theory. See also conceptual variable.

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construct

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An indication of how well a variable was measured or manipulated in a study.

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construct validity

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To occur or vary together (covary) systematically, as in the case of two variables. See also correlational study, covariance.

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correlate

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A study that includes two or more variables, in which all of the variables are measured; can support an association claim.

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correlational study

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One of three criteria for establishing a causal claim, which states that the proposed causal variable must vary systematically with changes in the proposed outcome variable. See also internal validity, temporal precedence.

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covariance

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In an experiment, the variable that is measured. In a multiple-regression analysis, the single outcome, or criterion variable, the researchers are most interested in understanding or predicting. Also called outcome variable. See also independent variable.

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dependent variable

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A study in which one variable is manipulated and the other is measured.

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experiment

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An indication of how well the results of a study generalize to, or represent, individuals or contexts besides those in the study itself. See also generalization.

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external validity

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A claim that describes a particular rate or degree of a single variable.

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frequency claim

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The extent to which the subjects in a study represent the populations they are intended to represent; how well the settings in a study represent other settings or contexts.

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generalizability

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A variable that is manipulated in an experiment. In a multiple-regression analysis, a predictor variable used to explain variance in the criterion variable. See also dependent variable.

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independent variable

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One of three criteria for establishing a causal claim; the ability to rule out alternative explanations for a causal relationship between two variables. See also covariance, temporal precedence.

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internal validity

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One of the possible variations, or values, of a variable.

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level

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A variable in an experiment that a researcher controls, such as by assigning participants to its different levels (values). See also measured variable.

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manipulated variable

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A statistic, based in part on sample size for a poll, indicating the probable true value in the population.

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margin of error estimate

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A variable in an experiment whose levels (values) are observed and recorded. See also manipulated variable.

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measured variable

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An association in which high levels of one variable go with low levels of the other variable, and vice versa. Also called inverse association, negative correlation. See also curvilinear association, positive association, zero association.

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negative association

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The specific way in which a concept of interest is measured or manipulated as a variable in a study. Also called operationalization or operational variable.

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operational definition

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The specific way in which a concept of interest is measured or manipulated as a variable in a study. Also called operationalization or operational definition.

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operational variable

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To turn a conceptual definition of a variable into a specific measured variable or manipulated variable in order to conduct a research study.

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operationalize

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An association in which high levels of one variable go with high levels of the other variable, and low levels of one variable go with low levels of the other variable. Also called positive correlation. See also curvilinear association, negative association, zero association.

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positive association

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The use of a random method (e.g., flipping a coin) to assign participants into different experimental groups.

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random assignment

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A graphical representation of an association, in which each dot represents one participant in the study measured on two variables.

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scatterplot

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The extent to which statistical conclusions derived from a study are accurate and reasonable. Also called statistical conclusion validity.

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statistical validity

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One of three criteria for establishing a causal claim, stating that the proposed causal variable comes first in time, before the proposed outcome variable. See also covariance, internal validity.

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temporal precedence

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The appropriateness of a conclusion or decision. See also construct validity, external validity, internal validity, statistical validity.

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validity

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An attribute that varies, having at least two levels, or values. See also dependent variable, independent variable, manipulated variable, measured variable.

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variable

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A lack of systematic association between two variables. Also called zero correlation. See also curvilinear association, positive association, negative association.

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zero association

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A form of research misconduct in which a researcher invents data that fit the hypothesis.

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data fabrication

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A form of research misconduct in which a researcher influences a study's results, perhaps by deleting observations from a data set or by influencing participants to act in the hypothesized way.

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data falsification

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To inform participants afterward about a study's true nature, details, and hypotheses.

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debrief

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The withholding of some details of a study from participants (deception through omission) or the act of actively lying to them (deception through commission).

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deception

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The right of research participants to learn about a research project, know its risks and benefits, and decide whether to participate.

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informed consent

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A committee responsible for ensuring that research using human participants is conducted ethically.

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institutional review board (IRB)

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Representing the ideas or words of others as one's own; a form of research misconduct.

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plagiarism

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An ethical principle from the Belmont Report stating that researchers must take precautions to protect participants from harm and to promote their well-being. See also principle of justice, principle of respect for persons.

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principle of beneficence

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An ethical principle from the Belmont Report calling for a fair balance between the kinds of people who participate in research and the kinds of people who benefit from it. See also principle of beneficence, principle of respect for persons.

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principle of justice

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An ethical principle from the Belmont Report stating that research participants should be treated as autonomous agents and that certain groups deserve special protection. See also principle of beneficence, principle of justice.

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principle of respect for persons