research methods 1

Question 1

the scientific method steps

Answer 1

1. construct a theory
2. generate hypothesis
3. choose research method
4. collect data
5. analyze data
6. report findings
7. revise existing theories

Question 2

what does the scientific method aim to minimize

Answer 2

• biases
• conflict
• oversights

Question 3

theory

Answer 3

• general set of ideas abt the way the world works
• guides making of hypothesis

Question 4

hypothesis

Answer 4

• testable statement
• makes specific prediction abt relationship btwn variables involved in theory

Question 5

what do research methods allow scientists to do?

Answer 5

• collect data abt how the events of the world unfold
• may or may not be in line w/ hypothesis

Question 6

collect data

Answer 6

measuring outcomes of test

Question 7

analyze data

Answer 7

• understand data
• discover trends/relationships btwn variables
• proves or disproves hypothesis

Question 8

why is publishing research articles difficult?

Answer 8

• rigorous review process by experts
• ensure research is scholarly accurate and relevant

Question 9

revise theories

Answer 9

incorporate new info into understanding of the world

Question 10

paradigm shift

Answer 10

dramatic change in way of thinking

Question 11

example of paradigm shift

Answer 11

1543: copernicus challenged dogma tht earth was at centre of universe

Question 12

anecdotal evidence

Answer 12

gathered from other’s or one’s experiences

Question 13

what are the problems with testing a hypothesis just once?

Answer 13

• single experience ≠ subsequent experiences
• personal experiences ≠ others’ experiences
• independent variable may not be cause of results

Question 14

experiment

Answer 14

scientific tool used to measure the effect of one variable on another

Question 15

independent variable

Answer 15

variable manipulated by scientist

Question 16

dependent variable

Answer 16

variable observed by scientist

Question 17

experimental group vs control group

Answer 17

• experimental group: receives manipulation of independent variable
• control group: non-manipulated independent variable

Question 18

what should experimental and control groups be?

Answer 18

as similar as possible

Question 19

what guarantees that experimental and control groups are as similar as possible?

Answer 19

within-participant experimental design

Question 20

within-participant experimental design

Answer 20

• manipulate independent variable within each participant to minimize effect of participant differences on dependent variable
• test same subject repeatedly

Question 21

drawbacks of within-participant experimental design

Answer 21

• repeated testing = time-consuming
• costly
• participant may change bc. of practice effect

Question 22

practice effect

Answer 22

improvement in performance over course of experiment as result of experience, separate from the effect of independent variable

Question 23

what kind of experimental design reduces practice effect

Answer 23

between participant experiment

Question 24

between participant experiment

Answer 24

• one group receives experimental manipulation, other is control group
• individuals must be as similar as possible

Question 25

how should between-participant and within-participant experiments be performed?

Answer 25

in a way that minimizes the number confounding variables

Question 26

confounding variables

Answer 26

- variable associated with independent variable that complicates effect of IV on outcome - makes it difficult to draw findings/conclusions from experiment

Question 27

what should we keep in mind when selecting participant groups for experiments

Answer 27

if group is very specific, then results can't be generalized even though we've eliminated differences btwn participants

Question 28

population vs. sample

Answer 28

- population: general group of ppl we want to learn abt - sample: selected members of pop'n that data is collected from (subset of general group)

Question 29

the best sample is...

Answer 29

a random sample

Question 30

random sample and its benefits

Answer 30

- subset of ppl selected at random - sample is most representative of larger population - ensures everyone has equal chance of being selected (reducing bias)

Question 31

random assignment

Answer 31

- assigning participants to experimental or control group randomly - avoids biases tht could create differences btwn groups

Question 32

placebo effect

Answer 32

individual exhibits response to treatment tht isn't bc of treatment's real therapeutic effects

Question 33

participant bias

Answer 33

- participants intentionally/unintentionally bias their performance to: - align with expected results - want experimenter to view them favourably

Question 34

how to counter placebo effect and participant bias?

Answer 34

by *blinding* participants

Question 35

blinding

Answer 35

- when participants dont know if they belong to experimental or control group - don't know which treatment they are getting - mock treatment given to control group

Question 36

experimenter bias

Answer 36

actions made by experimenter, intentionally or unintentionally, that influence outcome of experiment

Question 37

how to reduce experimenter bias

Answer 37

double-blind experiment

Question 38

double-blind

Answer 38

both participants AND experimenter don't know if each individual participant belongs to experimental or control group