Experiments
What is the name of the variable that is manipulated in a study?
Independent variable
What is the difference between open-ended and closed questions?
Closed questions have a limited number of answers; open-ended questions elicit more detail
What is the difference between a 'structured' and a 'semi-structured' interview?
Structured (same questions asked in the same order; semi structured (same questions but includes follow-up questions)
What is 'external validity'?
When findings of a study can be generalized to a target population.
What are the six ethical considerations in psychological research?
Consent, anonymity, right to withdraw, deception, undue stress/harm, debrief
What does it mean when a variable is 'operationalized'?
The variable is measurable or quantifiable.
What is one advantage of using a Likert scale?
Easy to score (larger sample size); can be done on-line or on the phone; yields quantitative data (easily analyzed); spectrum of responses offered
What is a 'double-barreled' question?
Asking about two issues at once, yet requiring just one answer for both
When the participants are chosen because they are available and easily accessible.
What are the six concepts we study in the DP Psychology course?
Bias, causality, change, perspective, evidence, responsibility (ethics)
What is a 'null hypothesis'?
When the independent variable has no effect on the dependent variable. Any observed effect is by chance.
What is a 'forced choice' question?
On a Likert scale, there is no middle option.
What is the 'recency effect'?
When participants tend to recall recent events more vividly than those in the distant past.
What is one advantage and one disadvantage of 'self-selected' sampling?
Advantage: quick, easy, cheap, convenient; Disadvantage: not generalizable (low external validity), biased towards those who volunteer
What is the difference between the 'experimental' and the 'control' condition?
Independent variable is manipulated in the experimental condition, but not in the control condition.
What is a 'repeated measures' design?
The same participants perform both conditions.
What is 'acquiescence bias'?
When participants answer 'yes' to all questions, regardless of the question asked.
What is one advantage and one disadvantage of a focus group?
Advantage: collects large amounts of data quickly; yields rich data (qualitative); Disadvantage: conformity bias; louder voices dominate
What is WEIRD sampling bias?
Western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic
What is 'bidirectional ambiguity'?
When it is unclear which direction of influence exists between variables.
What is a 'matched pairs design'?
Participants are chosen based on some key variable (e.g. age, gender, etc.) and one of each pair is assigned to each condition.
When using 'ranking' on a survey, is that an open-ended or closed question (or both)?
Can be both, depending on whether options to choose from are given
Is 'a priori' coding an example of inductive or deductive coding? Why
What is stratified sampling?
Participants are divided into subgroups. Those subgroups are represented in the sample proportionally to their representation in the target population
What is the difference between 'time sampling' and 'event sampling'?
In observations, one records behaviors at specific time intervals (time sampling) or when a specific behavior occurs (event sampling)