What is random sampling?
Sampling methods that ensure that every member of the population has an equal opportunity of being selected for the sample. Important for generalizability.
What is an operational definition?
The translation of your research question into a series of specific, testable procedures that can be measured and observed.
Internal Validity
Relates to how well a study is conducted.
External Vaildity
relates to how applicable the findings are in the real world.
Naturalistic Observation
Watching behaviour in a natural/real world setting. Advantages include high external validity, rich, detailed information, and it is sometimes the only possible option. Disadvantages include lack of control, time and resource consuming, observer bias, and no cause and effect conclusions.
Case Studies
An in-depth analysis of a single person or setting that includes detailed descriptive accounts of behaviour, history, and other factors. Advantages include rich, detailed descriptions and data, and sometimes the only possible method. Disadvantages include low external validity and researcher bias.
Who is Russell Williams?
A former Canadian Colonel who was a serial criminal from 2006 - 2010.
Self-Report / Survey Methods
Involves collecting data via participants to describe their own behaviours, attitudes, views, and perceptions. Usually used in tandem with other experimental/correlational research. Disadvantage is carless/random responding, misunderstanding questions, response bias, and social desirability.
Dark Triad
The trio of narcissism, psychopathy, and machiavellianism that is often measured through a survey before experiments.
2 ways of evaluating measures
Reliability and Validity.
Reliability
The consistency of measurement
Measured either through test-retest reliability (how consistent the measure is across different time points) or Inter-rater reliability (how consistent the measure is across different raters).
Validity
how well a measure measures the variable that it is intended to.
Correlational/Non-experimental method
A study that examines the strength of a relationship between two variables. Variables are observed, but not manipulated. The higher the correlational coefficient, the stronger the relationship.
Disadvantage is confound variables / third variables, cannot infer causation. Advantage includes establishing trends, describing behaviour, predicting future behaviour, and sometimes necessary for ethical issues.
Confound variables
An outside factor that influences both variables, creating a false or misleading association between them in a correlational study.
Experimental Method
Research design that focuses on determining causal influence between variables. At least one variable is manipulated and one is measured or observed. Involves random sampling and assignment of participants to experimental or control groups. High internal validity. Threatened by confounding variables, expectancy effect, experimental bias, and demand characteristics.
Independent variable
The variable that is manipulated by the researcher and causes change in the other variable.
Dependent variable
the variable that is affected by changes in the IV. It is measured by the researcher.
Ethical Guidelines for Human Research
Informed Consent
Protection from harm and discomfort
deception and debriefing.
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Intro to Psych and Schools of Thought25
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Research Methods18
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Biological Psychology32
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Sensation and Perception30
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Consciousness35
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Learning29
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Memory28
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Thinking and Language29
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Motivation and Emotion28
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Lifespan Development32
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Personality32
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Health Psychology24
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Psychological Disorders34
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Therapies31
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Social Psychology47
