Psychology Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

A psychologist is studying sadness. Sadness would be considered a _____ in this study.

variable

What involves manipulating one or more variables in order to determine their effect on other variables?

an experiment

Why might researchers use correlation research? (Select all that apply)

To investigate real-world events (correct)

To determine causation

To use one variable to predict the value of another variable (correct)

To conduct research in situations where it would not be ethical to carry out an experiment (correct)

What type of research might a researcher choose to study people's satisfaction with their lives?

descriptive research Signup and view all the answers

A correlation coefficient is most often represented in data by the letter _____.

r Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'mean' refer to in statistics?

the average Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'median' refer to?

the number that is exactly in the middle once the scores have been sorted Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'mode' describe?

the most frequently occurring score in a data set Signup and view all the answers

What is a hypothesis?

an educated guess based on a theory that can be tested Signup and view all the answers

Descriptive research serves the purpose of observing and recording _____ that can be used as data.

behavior Signup and view all the answers

What are the steps in the scientific method in psychology? (Select all that apply)

Evaluate the theory Signup and view all the answers

Statistics are used to _____ the data collected from a research study.

report Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important that survey questions be clear and understood?

Participants' responses must clearly reflect their feelings about the topic. Signup and view all the answers

The sample is the subset of the _____ chosen by the investigator for the study.

population Signup and view all the answers

A population of variables for a research study can be which of the following? (Select all that apply)

African-American males Signup and view all the answers

After formulating hypotheses and predictions, what step must a psychologist take next?

Test the hypotheses and predictions through empirical research Signup and view all the answers

When we say that something has statistical _____, it means that the differences observed between two groups are large enough that it is highly unlikely that these differences are merely due to chance.

significance Signup and view all the answers

A _ _ is a factor that can change in an experiment in response to changes in the independent variable.

dependent variable Signup and view all the answers

What is a theory?

a broad idea that can be used to explain observations Signup and view all the answers

When participants' behavior is affected by what they think the researcher wants to find, or by their expectations about what's happening to them, this is known as _____ bias.

participant Signup and view all the answers

What does empirical research involve?

the need to collect and analyze data that is testing hypotheses Signup and view all the answers

Mean, mode, and median are all measurements of _____.

central tendencies Signup and view all the answers

What is research participant bias?

The influence of the research participants' expectations on their behavior within an experiment. Signup and view all the answers

What is a quasi-experimental design?

This type of experimental design does not randomly assign participants to treatment or control groups. Signup and view all the answers

A _______ is an actor who participates in a psychological experiment, pretending to be a participant but actually working for the researcher.

confederate Signup and view all the answers

__________ means that two variables change together.

correlation Signup and view all the answers

A _______ design involves collecting data from the same people at multiple points in time.

longitudinal Signup and view all the answers

If the experimental methods used are found to be biased and illogical, then the research does not have _ _.

internal validity Signup and view all the answers

What is a double-blind experiment?

Is conducted so that neither the researcher nor the participant knows who is in the experimental group or the control group until the study is over. Signup and view all the answers

What are the two kinds of validity in experimental design?

Internal validity Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Variables and Research Designs

Sadness is a variable in psychological studies that can be measured and analyzed.
Experiments involve manipulating variables to assess their impact on others.
Correlation research can ethically explore variables when experiments aren't feasible, predicting relationships between them.

Types of Research

Descriptive research aims to understand satisfaction levels in people's lives.
The three primary measures of central tendency are mean, median, and mode.
The mean represents the average, the median is the middle value, and the mode is the most frequently occurring score.

Hypotheses and Scientific Method

A hypothesis is a testable educated guess grounded in theory.
The scientific method follows steps: observation, hypothesis formulation, conducting research, drawing conclusions, and evaluating theories.

Survey and Data Collection

Clear survey questions are crucial for accurately measuring targeted variables and reflecting participant sentiments.
A sample refers to the selected subgroup from a larger population for research purposes.
Populations can range widely, including specific age groups or demographics.

Statistical Concepts

Statistical significance indicates that observed differences between groups are unlikely due to chance alone.
A dependent variable changes in response to the independent variable in experiments.
Central tendencies (mean, median, mode) provide insight into data distribution characteristics.

Research Methods and Biases

Quasi-experimental designs do not utilize random assignment for participant groups.
Confederates are actors in experiments, simulating participants while aiding the researcher.
Research participant bias occurs when participants' expectations influence their behavior.

Longitudinal Studies and Validity

Longitudinal designs collect data from the same subjects over time to track changes.
Internal validity assesses the soundness of experimental methods; compromised validity indicates potential bias.
Double-blind experiments ensure both researchers and participants are unaware of group assignments, minimizing bias.

Validity in Experimental Design

Internal validity measures the accuracy of the findings within the study context.
External validity examines the applicability of study results to broader contexts.

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Description

Test your knowledge of key psychology concepts with these flashcards. Each card challenges you to understand variables, experiments, and the nature of research in psychology. Perfect for students looking to reinforce their learning in psychological studies.