Bias & Pitfalls
How can confirmation bias influence data interpretation?
focusing on evidence that confirms pre-existing beliefs and ignoring contradictory evidence
What are the limitations of Case Studies?
findings may not apply to all people
How do scatterplots show variable relationships?
scatterplots visually depict the relationship between two variables,
What is the purpose of an experiment in psychological research?
to determine cause-and-effect relationships between variables
Which item is missing from this list that is necessary for making research ethical? protection from harm, confidentiality, and debriefing
informed consent
Why is overconfidence a problem in psychological research?
the tendency to overestimate one's own knowledge or abilities, potentially leading to flawed research design or interpretation
What is observing behavior in its natural setting without manipulation or control?
naturalistic observation
What kind of correlation would you see between study time and test scores?
positive
Which variable is manipulated by the researcher?
Independent
What is a committee that reviews research proposals to ensure ethical standards are met?
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
How does the Hawthorne effect impact research findings?
the phenomenon where participants alter their behavior because they know they are being observed
What are the benefits of the survey method?
the ability to gather data from a large sample quickly
What is the entire group of people you want to learn about in an experiment called in research?
population
What is the purpose of a control group in an experiment?
The control group does not get the independent variable to baseline for comparison.
What is the term for keeping participant information private to protect their identity and prevent harm?
confidentiality
What is an hypothesis in an experiment?
a testable prediction about the relationship between variables
What is the difference between a random sample and random assignment?
A random sample selects participants from a population, and random assignment places participants into experimental or control groups.
What are the drawbacks of the survey method?
potential for bias and inaccurate self-reporting
Which variable is measured in the experiment?
dependent variable
Which ethical standard(s) were skipped in the "identical strangers" experiment? (video)
informed consent, debriefing, protection from harm
What is believing that an outcome was predictable after it has occurred, even if it wasn't?
hindsight bias
How do confounding variables affect experiment results?
They influence the dependent variable and make it difficult to determine the true effect of the independent variable.
The amount of Big Macs you eat vs the speed you can run 400 meters is most likely what kind of correlation?
Negative
Minimal risk to a subject in an experiment means risks anticipated in the proposed research are no greater than those ordinarily encountered in what?
daily life
What would be the only way to study a phenomenon that could not be done as an experiment on a subject, because it would be unethical to apply the independent variable to the subject?
Case Study