Psychology Ch 2 The Research Enterprise In Psychology

Front 1

How do psychologists new knowledge?

Back 1

they use the scientific method to test their ideas empirically

Front 2

What is empirical investigation?

Back 2

an approach to research that relies on sensory experience & observation as research data

Front 3

What is the scientific method?

Back 3

a 5-step process for empirical investigation of a hypothesis under conditions designed to control biases & subjective judgements

Front 4

What are the 5 steps of the scientific method?

Back 4

1. developing a hypothesis
2. performing a controlled test
3. gathering objective data
4. analyzing the results
5. publishing, criticizing, & replication the results

Front 5

What is the first step of the scientific method?

Back 5

Developing a hypothesis
- hypothesis: a statement predicting the outcome of a scientific study
- operational definitions: exact procedures used in establishing experimental conditions & measurement of results

Front 6

What is the second step of the scientific method?

Back 6

Performing a controlled test
- independent variable: the variable manipulated by the experimenter
- random presentation: using chance alone to determine the order in which the stimulus is presented

Front 7

What is the third step of the scientific method?

Back 7

Gathering objective data
- data: information gathered by researcher and used to test a hypothesis
- dependent variable: the measured outcome of a study; the responses of participants in a study

Front 8

What is the fourth step of the scientific method?

Back 8

Analyzing the results
- based on statistical analyses of results, the hypothesis is accepted or rejected

Front 9

What is the fifth step of the scientific method?

Back 9

Publishing, criticizing, & replication the results
- researchers must find out whether their work can withstand the scrutiny of the scientific community

Front 10

Types of Psychological Research: What is done in experiments?

Back 10

the researcher controls all the conditions and directly manipulates the conditions

Front 11

Types of Psychological Research: What is included in non-experimental methods? (7)

Back 11

- correlational studies (no cause/effect)

- surveys (self-report data)

- naturalistic observation (observing/studying people in their natural environment)

- longitudinal studies (same subjects, long study, precise data)

- cross-sectional studies (dividing up subjects, shorter study, not as precise)

- cohort-sequential studies (mini longitudinal studies)

- case-studies (study info. on one individual)

Front 12

What are the sources of bias? (2)

Back 12

- personal bias

- expectancy bias (self-fulfilling prophecy)

Front 13

How can bias affect research?

Back 13

can affect the way an experimenter designs a study, collects data, or interprets results

Front 14

How can one control bias?

Back 14

by using a double-blind study (where researchers and participants do not know the details)

- researchers must also attempt to control confounding variables

Front 15

What is the APA?
What is the IRB?

Back 15

APA - American Psychiatric Association

IRB - Institutional Review Board

Front 16

What is deception?
What is debriefing?
What is animal research?

Back 16

Deception: hiding the truth

Debriefing: letter explaining what they are studying --> signed AFTER experiment

Animal research: harm if benefits (of knowledge) outweigh the cost; no other way to do it

Front 17

When is the scientific method not appropriate to use?

Back 17

not appropriate for answering questions that cannot be put to an objective, empirical test
- ethics
- morality
- religious beliefs
- preferences

Front 18

How do researchers make sense of the data and for what purposes?

Back 18

Researchers use STATISTICS for:
- descriptively to characterize measurements made on groups or individuals
- inferentially to judge whether these measurements are the result of chance

Front 19

How is the data organized?

Back 19

First: results must be arranged in a summary chart known as a frequence distribution

Next: convert the data into a bar graph called a histogram

Front 20

What measures central tendency?

Back 20

- the mean (M=EX / N)
- the median
- the mode

Front 21

Describe measures of variability.

Back 21

useful to know how well the average represents the distribution as a whole
[describes the "spread-outcomes" of scores]:
- the range
- the standard deviation (avg. distance from the mean)
- the normal distribution (where the majority lies on a graph - the hump)

Front 22

What is the Z score formula?

Back 22

X - X (w/ line over second x) divided by SD

Front 23

What does a normal distribution look like and where does the peak/avg. fall?

Back 23

hump/peak/avg. falls on 68%

Front 24

What does a negative skew look like?
What does a positive skew look like?

Back 24

Neg. skew: hump is towards the end (on x-axis)

Pos. skew: hump is toward the beginning (on x-axis)

Front 25

What is correlation?

Back 25

a relationship between 2 variables, in which changes in one variable are reflected in changes in the other variable

Front 26

What is correlation coefficient?

Back 26

a number between -1 and +1 expressing the degree of relationship between 2 variables

Front 27

What is inferential statistics?

Back 27

used to assess whether the results of a study are reliable or whether they might be simply the result of change

Front 28

What types of sampling are there?

Back 28

- random sample, unbiased
- representative sample

Front 29

What is statistically significant?

Back 29

p < .05

Front 30

What is an inference?
What is an observation?

Back 30

inference: when something is implied

observation: when something is observed for an exact number of times

Front 31

What are the directions of correlations?

Back 31

both arrows up: positive
both arrows down: negative
one arrow up & one arrow down: negative

Front 32

What are advantages of the scientific approach?

Back 32

- its clarity in communication
- its relative intolerance of error

Front 33

What are the 3 main types of variables?

Back 33

IV: variable manipulated to see its impact on another variable

DV: variable tested
(If IV, then DV)

Extraneous/Confounding variable: variables other than the independent variable that influences the results

Front 34

What is the experimental group?
What is the control group?

Back 34

Exp. Group: subjects who receive some special treatment in regard to the IV

Control Group: similar subjects who do not receive the special treatment

Front 35

Describe random assignment.

Back 35

Random assignment of subjects occurs when all subjects have an equal chance of being assigned to any group or condition in the study

Front 36

What are the advantages and disadvantages of experimental research?

Back 36

- Permits conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships between variables
- Not usable for a specific problem
- Many experiments tend to be artificial

Front 37

What are the advantages and disadvantages of descriptive/correlational research?

Back 37

- Allow psychologists to explore issues that might not be open to experimental investigation
- These research methods cannot demonstrate cause-effect relationships

Front 38

What is the placebo effect?

Back 38

pill that looks identical to experimental pill but contains no drug (sugar pill)

Front 39

What is population?

Back 39

all members of the group to which the study applies