Methodologies
This research method involves observing subjects in their natural environment without interference from the researcher.
What is an observational research/naturalistic observation?
This is an inactive substance or treatment given to participants in a study to control for the placebo effect.
What is a placebo?
This is the average value of a set of numbers, calculated by summing all the values and dividing by the total number of values.
What is a mean?
This ethical principle requires researchers to obtain voluntary participation from subjects after fully informing them about the potential risks and benefits of the study.
What is informed consent?
This in-depth investigation focuses on a single individual or group, providing a rich understanding of a particular phenomenon.
What is a case study?
In this type of study, participants are unaware of whether they are receiving the actual treatment or a placebo.
What is a blind study?
This is a data point that significantly differs from other observations in a dataset, potentially skewing the results of statistical analyses.
What is an outlier?
This fundamental ethical principle, often summarized as "do no harm," emphasizes the responsibility of researchers to minimize or prevent potential risks to participants.
What is Avoidance of Harm?
This research method involves manipulating one or more variables to observe their effect on another variable, allowing for the establishment of cause-and-effect relationships.
What is an experiment?
This is the variable that is manipulated or changed by the researcher in an experiment.
What is the independent variable?
This symmetrical, bell-shaped curve represents a normal distribution of data, where most values cluster around the mean and fewer values occur at the extremes.
What is a "bell curve"?
This committee reviews research proposals to ensure they adhere to ethical guidelines, protect human subjects, and comply with relevant regulations.
What is the Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
This method involves collecting data from a large sample of individuals through questionnaires or interviews.
What is a survey?
To establish this scientifically, a researcher needs to use a experimental design for research.
What is cause and effect?
This measure of variability represents the difference between the highest and lowest values in a dataset.
What is a range?
This agreement ensures that any information gathered about research participants will be kept private and not shared with unauthorized individuals.
What is confidentiality agreement?
This method examines the relationship between two or more variables, but does not establish cause and effect.
What is a correlational study?
In this type of study, neither the participants nor the researchers administering the treatments know who is receiving the actual treatment and who is receiving the placebo.
What is a Double-Blind Study?
This measure of variability indicates how spread out the data points are from the mean. 1 A low value suggests data points are clustered closely around the mean, while a high value indicates greater dispersion. 1
What is a standard deviation?
This CIA mind-control program conducted in the 1950s and 1960s involved the use of drugs, hypnosis, and other techniques on unwitting subjects, raising serious ethical concerns.
What is MK Ultra?