Research Basics
This correlational method collects self-reported data from a large group of people.
Surveys
Participants are chosen for the study using this chance process
Random selection
This measure of central tendency is most affected by extreme scores
the mean (average)
This ethical guideline is violated if participants experience stress beyond everyday life without justification.
protection from harm
When two variables increase together, the correlation is described as this
positive correlation
This is a major limitation of descriptive or correlational research
It cannot determine cause and effect
Participants are assigned to experimental or control groups using this chance process
Random assignment
A distribution with most scores at the high end and a tail to the left is described as this.
Negatively skewed distribution
Withholding information about the true purpose of a study requires this follow-up procedure
Debriefing
A correlation of +0.85 indicates this type of relationship
strong positive correlation
The variable that is manipulated by the researcher
IV / independent variable
These are factors, other than the IV, that influence the DV.
confounding variables
In a perfectly normal distribution, this percentage of scores falls within one standard deviation of the mean.
68%
Participants must be told this before agreeing to take part in a study
informed consent
A correlation of -0.38 indicates this type of relationship
weak negative relationship
The variable that is measured and expected to change
DV / dependent variable
Turning “aggression” into the number of times a participant presses a button is an example of this.
operational definition
This statistic helps identify the strength and direction of a correlation between two variables.
correlation coefficient (r)
The APA allows deception only when this condition is met.
it is justified by the study’s significant value and causes no harm
A measure of how spread out scores are from the mean
standard deviation
This group does not receive the experimental treatment
control group
A procedure in which neither the participants nor the researchers know who is in which group
Double-blind procedure
If the mean is greater than the median, the distribution is likely skewed in this direction:
positively skewed
When participants are intentionally misled about the study’s purpose
In most psychological research, results are considered statistically significant when the p-value is below this threshold
p < 0.05