Research Basics
FINAL JEOPARDY
List out the steps of the scientific method in order.
Identify a question
Form Hypothesis
Define variables
Design a study
Collect data
analyze results
draw conclusions
replicate and share
peer review
refine theory
FINAL JEOPARDY
This is the default prediction that the independent variable has no effect.
The null hypothesis
FINAL JEOPARDY
Probability threshold that determines if results are due to chance.
Statistical significance
FINAL JEOPARDY
Give the term for the following:
1-Review process where other experts critique methods and conclusions.
2- Agreement by a legal guardian for a minor to participate in a study.
3- Analysis done to ensure that potential benefits outweigh potential risks.
1- Peer Review
2- Informed assent
3- Risk-benefit analysis
FINAL JEOPARDY
When survey results are distorted because participants give answers they think are acceptable, not truthful.
Social Desirability Bias
What research method is the only one that can determine cause-and-effect relationships?
Experiment or Experimental Method
A person displays behaviors of a psychological disorder that psychologists in the United States have not seen before. The best strategy to investigate the nature of those behaviors is to conduct which of the following?
Case Study
A researcher argues that a student’s fear of dogs comes from unconscious childhood conflicts with authority. Which psychological perspective best explains this?
What is the psychodynamic perspective?
A lab studying fear responses wires participants to mild shocks while showing them neutral images. The shocks won’t cause injury but may cause significant distress. Even with informed consent, what ethical principle requires researchers to limit extreme stress and ensure the well-being of participants?
Protection from harm
A survey shows that children who have encyclopedias in their home environment earn better grades in school than children whose homes lack encyclopedias. The researcher concludes that having encyclopedias in the home environment improves grades. Which of the following explains why the researcher has reached an erroneous conclusion?
Correlation does NOT equal causation!
A clear, measurable definition of a concept.
Operational Definition
Assigning participants to groups by chance (random assignment) to reduce this threat to validity.
Confounding variables
A company pays employees bonuses when they hit sales targets. This example reflects which perspective, focused on observable learning through rewards and punishments?
What is the behavioral perspective?
In a learning experiment with rats, a researcher considers keeping food away for 72 hours to increase motivation. Which ethical principle in research would this violate by requiring humane and responsible treatment of research animals?
What is humane treatment of animals?
DOUBLE JEOPARDY (must get both). Double blind procedures are put into place primarily to limit both of these:
Experimenter Bias- Researcher’s expectations, beliefs, or unintentional actions influence the outcome of a study.
Participant Bias- People in a study change their behavior because they know they are being observed or think they know what the researcher wants.
Your friend swears their horoscope is always right. When it matches their day, they brag about it, but when it’s wrong, they shrug it off and forget it. This tendency to notice or interpret information in a way that supports your pre-existing belief is called this.
Confirmation bias
In a study examining the impact of caffeine on alertness, some participants received a decaffeinated beverage that was presented to them as caffeinated. This decaffeinated drink was an example of what?
Placebo or control
A psychologist studying identical twins separated at birth emphasizes the role of inherited traits in intelligence. Which approach is being used?
What is the biological (or evolutionary) perspective?
A psychologist collects data on children’s screen habits but removes all identifying information before analyzing it. Which ethical guideline is the researcher following?
Confidentiality
This error occurs when there are discrepancies between the study sample and the intended population, rendering the findings less generalizable.
Sampling bias or unrepresentative sample
Mr. Bannon wants to study stress levels in his AP Psych class. Instead of letting only volunteers sign up, he writes every student’s name on a slip of paper, mixes them in a hat, and draws 10 names to survey. This method ensures every student has an equal chance of being chosen. What method is he using?
Random Sampling
This is when both the data collectors and research participants do not know the expected outcome of the experiment?
Double Blind Study
A therapist helps a client reframe negative thought patterns like “I always fail” into more realistic, balanced self-talk. Which perspective is at play?
What is the cognitive perspective?
Which ethical principle requires that participants be fully briefed about the nature of a study before agreeing to take part?
Informed Consent
Before a psychology study can be published, experts in the field examine the methods, data, and conclusions to check for errors, bias, or unsupported claims. This process ensures the research is credible and meets scientific standards. What is this process called?
What is peer review?
In an experiment on caffeine and reaction time, researchers want to be confident that any differences in performance are caused by caffeine itself, not other confounding variables. What procedure do they use to control for this?
What is random assignment?
What type of research studies involve the repeated observation or measurement of the same individuals or groups over an extended period to track changes and developments over time?
Longitudinal Studies
A researcher travels to several countries to study how cultural values influence conformity, family roles, and perception. Which perspective emphasizes the importance of social context in shaping behavior and thought?
What is the sociocultural perspective?
A researcher tells participants they’re completing a memory test, but the real purpose is to study frustration. After the session, the researcher explains the study’s true purpose and why it was hidden.
Which two ethical principles are being addressed? (hint- one before and one after the study)
Deception — It is justified because it is pertinent to the study and is only causing short-term annoyance. (allowed only if justified and no harm is caused.)
Debriefing — researcher explains the true purpose after the study to ensure participants leave fully informed.
The quality of a hypothesis that makes it testable. Without this, a claim is just a belief that cannot be proven wrong.
Falsifiability