Research Basics
What is psychology the scientific study of?
Behavior and mental processes
What research method observes people in their natural environment?
Naturalistic observation
What is the variable that a researcher manipulates?
Independent variable
What is informed consent?
Telling participants enough to make an informed decision
What is a testable prediction called?
A hypothesis
What type of study examines one individual or group in depth?
Case study
What is the variable that is measured in response?
Dependent variable
What is debriefing?
Explaining the study and its purpose after it ends
What is a theory?
A general explanation that organizes and predicts behavior or events
What method uses questionnaires or interviews to gather data?
Survey
What is the purpose of random assignment?
To reduce bias between groups
What organization sets ethical guidelines for psychologists?
The American Psychological Association (APA)
What do we call repeating a study to confirm results?
Replication
What is the difference between a population and a sample?
A population is the entire group; a sample is a smaller subset studied
What group receives the treatment?
Experimental group
What is the purpose of the Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
To protect participants and ensure ethical research
Why are operational definitions important?
They make studies measurable and replicable
What does a correlation show — and what does it NOT show?
It shows relationships but not cause and effect
What do we call an outside factor that might affect results?
Confounding variable
What protections do animals have?
You cannot harm animals unless it is justified for “the greater human good”
What is the first step in the scientific method?
Forming a research question or hypothesis
What is a longitudinal study?
Research that follows the same group over a long period
What is the placebo effect?
When participants experience change because they expect it
What must researchers do when deception is used?
Explain it later in debriefing and justify its use
What does “empirical evidence” mean?
Evidence based on observation or experimentation
What is a cross-sectional study?
Compares different groups of people at one point in time
What is a double-blind procedure?
When neither the participants nor the researchers know who gets the treatment
Which ethical principle protects a participant’s privacy?
Confidentiality
Why is psychology considered a science?
Because it uses the scientific method to study behavior
What does a correlation coefficient tell you?
The strength and direction of a relationship between two variables
What does it mean if an experiment is valid?
It measures what it is supposed to measure
What does “protection from harm” mean in research?
Researchers must minimize physical or emotional risk
What is the main goal of psychological research?
To describe, predict, explain, and control behavior
What phrase reminds us not to confuse correlation with causation?
“Correlation does not equal causation.”
Why is random sampling important?
It ensures the sample represents the population fairly
What are the 4 main APA ethical principles?
Informed consent, protection from harm, confidentiality, and debriefing
How does psychological research differ from common sense?
Research uses systematic methods and data, not opinions or assumptions
Which research method allows for cause-and-effect conclusions?
The experimental method
What is the difference between reliability and validity?
Reliability = consistent results; Validity = accuracy of what’s measured
Before research is conducted, what must happen to ensure ethics are followed?
It must be approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB)