Core Concepts
Which IB concept asks, “When can we say something causes something else?”
Causality
An in-depth investigation of a single individual, group, or institution.
Case Study
When two researchers record observations the same way, this type of reliability is established.
Inter-rater reliability
A researcher asks participants to recommend other potential participants for a study. This is an example of what sampling method?
Snowball Sampling
A correlation of r = –0.70 shows what kind of relationship?
Strong negative correlation
This concept reminds us that researcher expectations may distort results.
Bias
Watching and recording behaviour in a structured setting is this method.
Controlled Observation
If a questionnaire produces consistent scores over time, it has this.
Test-retest reliability
Recruiting participants because they are easy to access is this sampling method.
Convenience / opportunity sampling
Combining surveys, interviews, and observations is an example of this.
Methodological triangulation
The Genie case study raises questions about this concept.
Responsibility
Asking questions directly, either structured or open-ended, is this method.
Interview
Whether a study's results reflect real-world behaviour is an example of this validity.
Ecological validity
The principle that participants must be free to leave a study at any time.
Right to Withdraw
When most scores are high but a few are very low, the distribution is…
Negatively skewed
What is the challenge in capturing human behaviour over time?
Change
An investigation where participants are randomly assigned to conditions.
True Experiment
Whether a measure captures the full range of a construct.
Content validity
Collecting data without participants’ knowledge violates this ethical principle.
Informed Consent
Extreme scores can distort this measure of central tendency.
The mean
Translating an abstract idea like “stress” into a measurable item is an example of this.
Measurement
The key difference between a true experiment and a quasi-experiment.
Random Assignment
Why can’t a correlation prove causation?
Because no variables are manipulated or controlled
Exposing participants to unnecessary stress violates this ethical guideline.
Protection from Harm
Why is triangulation important in psychology?
It improves validity and credibility by using multiple methods/sources