Quantitative Methods - research psych > Lecture 3 > Flashcards

Lecture 3 Flashcards

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1
Q

what does control in research design involve?

A

managing extraneous variables so they don’t confound the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable

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2
Q

what does control in research design do?

A

helps maintain internal validity - makes sure the observed effects are due to the independent variable not confounding factors

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3
Q

what ability does internal validity have?

A

ability to make accurate causal inferences

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4
Q

what are threats to control in research?

A

confounding variables, selection bias, measurement error, history/maturation/testing effects, experimenter and participant bias

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5
Q

define confounding variable

A

An extraneous factor that correlates with both IV and DV, creating a false impression
of causation.

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6
Q

what problem do confounding variables cause?

A

leads to spurious relationships

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7
Q

define selection bias

A

Systematic differences between
groups due to non-random assignment

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8
Q

what problems do selection bias cause?

A

Group differences affect outcomes, invalidating comparisons.

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9
Q

define measurement error

A

Inaccuracies in measuring variables due to poor
instruments or bias

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10
Q

what are the types of measurement error?

A

random error and systematic error

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11
Q

what is random error?

A

a type of measurement error that reduces precision

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12
Q

what is systematic error?

A

a type of measurement error that leads to consistent distortion

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13
Q

what are some solutions to measurement error?

A

pilot testing, calibration, validated scales

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14
Q

name temporal threats to validity

A

history, maturation and testing effects

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15
Q

what are testing effects?

A

repeated testing alters responses

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16
Q

what is experimenter bias?

A

Researcher expectations
influence results

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17
Q

what is the solution to experimenter bias?

A

double blind procedures

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18
Q

what is participant bias?

A

Behavior changes based on
perceived study goals

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19
Q

what is a solution to participant bias?

A

deception (if ethical) or placebo controls

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20
Q

what is a “within subject” research design?

A

same participants complete all conditions of the study

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21
Q

what is counterbalancing within “within subject” research designs

A

half complete one condition first while the other half complete the other condition first

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22
Q

what is a “between subject” research design?

A

each participant is exposed to only one condition

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23
Q

when are “between subject” designs useful?

A

when conditions could contaminate each other or are impractical to repeat

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24
Q

what is matching in research design?

A

Matching is a technique used to control for extraneous
variables by ensuring that participants in different
experimental groups are similar on key characteristics
before assignment

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25
what does matching within research design achieve?
Increases Internal Validity: Reduces confounding by balancing groups on variables that could influence the outcome, improve Precision: Especially useful in small samples where random assignment alone might not achieve group equivalence.
26
when should matching be used in research design?
small sample sizes, known confounders, quasi-experimental designs
27
what are the types of matching?
precision matching (pair matching), frequency distribution matching, propensity score matching
28
describe precision (pair) matching
Pair participants with similar values on matched variable
29
describe frequency distribution matching
Match groups on overall distribution of a variable
30
describe propensity score matching
Used in observational studies, Match based on a probability score derived from multiple covariates.
31
what are the advantages of matching in research design?
stronger control, reduces error variance, useful in non-randomized designs
32
why does matching create stronger control?
Better than randomization alone for known confounders
33
how does matching reduce error variance?
Eliminates variability due to matched factors
34
what are limitations of matching in research design?
time consuming, overmatching risk, can't control unmeasured variables
35
why matching time consuming?
Requires pre-testing and complex procedures
36
what is over matching risk?
Matching on irrelevant variables reduces power
37
what is counterbalancing within subject design?
Technique used in within-subjects (repeated measures) designs to control for order effects
38
what does counterbalancing within subject design do?
Systematically varies the order of conditions across participants to prevent any single condition from always appearing in the same position.
39
what does counterbalancing within subject design achieve?
balances practice and fatigue effects, improves internal validity
40
what is full counterbalancing?
Uses every possible sequence of conditions - and then participants are randomly assigned to each.
41
what are the pros and cons of full counterbalancing?
pros: eliminates order effects cons: impractical with many conditions
42
what is partial counterbalancing (latin square)?
Uses a subset of possible orders. Ensures each condition appears equally in each position.
43
what are the pros and cons of partial counterbalancing?
pros: feasible alternative to full counterbalancing cons: may not control all carry over effects
44
what is reverse counterbalancing?
conditions presented in forwards and reverse order
45
what are the pros and cons of reverse counterbalancing?
pros: simple and effective for two conditions cons: limited to simple designs
46
what is randomized counterbalancing?
Participants randomly assigned to different orders
47
what are the pros and cons of randomized counterbalancing?
pros: easy to implement cons: may not fully balance order effects in small samples
48
what are the limitations of counterbalancing?
does not eliminate carryover effects, complexity increases with more conditions, not always feasible
49
what is randomization?
Assigning participants to experimental conditions so each has an equal chance of being in any group
50
what does randomization achieve?
Ensures group differences are due to the Independent Variable (IV), not confounding variables
51
what are the purposes of randomization?
minimizes bias, controls extraneous variables, enhances validity, supports statistical inferences
52
how does randomization enhance validity?
Boosts internal validity by ensuring the IV is the only major difference between groups
53
how does randomization control extraneous variables?
Balances known and unknown confounders.
54
how does randomization support statistical inferences?
Enables use of tests like t-tests and ANOVA
55
what are the types of randomization?
simple randomization, block randomization, stratified randomization, cluster randomization
56
what is the method for simple randomization?
coin flip, random number generator
57
what are the pros and cons of simple randomization?
pros: easy to implement cons: may give unequal group sizes in small samples
58
what is the method for block randomization?
Participants are divided into small blocks (e.g., 4 or 6 at a time) and then randomly assigned within each block
59
what are the pros of block randomization?
pros: ensures equal group sizes throughout
60
what are the methods for stratified randomization?
divide participants into strata (age, gender) and then randomize
61
what are the benefits of stratified randomization?
controls for key variables
62
what is the method for clustered randomization?
randomize groups not individual participants
63
when is clustered randomization useful?
Useful for field research where individual randomization is impractical
64
what are the differences between randomization and random sampling?
Random Sampling: Selecting participants from a population → External validity- generalization Randomization: Assigning participants to groups → internal validity
65
what is blinding (masking)?
Blinding (or masking) refers to concealing information about experimental conditions from participants, researchers, or both to prevent bias in responses or interpretations.
66
what are the two types of blinding?
single-blind, double-blind
67
what is single-blind?
Participants don’t know their group assignment
68
what is double-blind?
Neither participants nor researchers know group assignments.
69
why is blinding used within studies?
Reduces placebo effects and experimenter bias
70
what is a placebo control and what does it do?
A sham treatment (e.g., sugar pill) given to the control group. – Isolates the actual treatment effect from psychological expectations
71
why are placebo controls important?
Helps distinguish true treatment effects from placebo responses.
Quantitative Methods - research psych
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