Week 1 Research Methods

Question 1

What is a theory?

Answer 1

A systematic way of organising and explaining observations

Question 2

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 2

A tentative belief about how two or more variables interact

Question 3

What is a variable?

Answer 3

Any phenomenon that can take on more than one value

Question 4

What is a research question?

Answer 4

A clear focused question that guides a study

Question 5

What is quantitative research?

Answer 5

Research using statistical analysis of numerical data to test hypotheses

Question 6

What is qualitative research?

Answer 6

Research analysing interviews observations or case studies to gain deeper understanding

Question 7

What is mixed methods research?

Answer 7

Research that combines quantitative and qualitative approaches

Question 8

What is experimental research?

Answer 8

Research that tests the effect of an independent variable on a dependent variable

Question 9

What is an independent variable (IV)?

Answer 9

The variable manipulated by the researcher

Question 10

What is a dependent variable (DV)?

Answer 10

The variable measured as the participant response

Question 11

What is a control group?

Answer 11

A group that does not receive the experimental treatment and is used for comparison

Question 12

What is descriptive research?

Answer 12

Research that describes behaviour without manipulating variables

Question 13

What is a case study?

Answer 13

An in depth study of one person or a small group

Question 14

What is naturalistic observation?

Answer 14

Studying behaviour in its natural environment

Question 15

What is survey research?

Answer 15

Collecting information from many people using questionnaires or interviews

Question 16

What is correlational research?

Answer 16

Research examining the relationship between two variables

Question 17

What does a positive correlation mean?

Answer 17

As one variable increases the other increases

Question 18

What does a negative correlation mean?

Answer 18

As one variable increases the other decreases

Question 19

Can correlation prove cause and effect?

Answer 19

No correlation only shows relationships not causation

Question 20

What is a population?

Answer 20

The entire group researchers want to study

Question 21

What is a sample?

Answer 21

A smaller subset of the population used in a study

Question 22

What is sampling bias?

Answer 22

When a sample does not accurately represent the population

Question 23

What is reliability?

Answer 23

The consistency of a measurement

Question 24

What is validity?

Answer 24

Whether a test actually measures what it intends to measure

Question 25

What is test retest reliability?

Answer 25

A test gives similar results when repeated

Question 26

What is internal consistency?

Answer 26

Different items measuring the same variable produce similar results

Question 27

What is inter rater reliability?

Answer 27

Different observers give similar ratings

Question 28

What is internal validity?

Answer 28

Whether the study procedures are sound and free from flaws

Question 29

What is external validity?

Answer 29

Whether results generalise to real world situations

Question 30

What is informed consent?

Answer 30

Participants voluntarily agreeing to participate after understanding the study

Question 31

Name one key ethical principle in psychology research.

Answer 31

Confidentiality of participants

Question 32

Name another key ethical principle in psychology research.

Answer 32

Protection of participant welfare

Question 33

Why are ethics important in research?

Answer 33

To protect participants and ensure responsible research

Question 34

What are the three principles of critical thinking?

Answer 34

Scepticism objectivity and open mindedness

Question 35

What is a straw man fallacy?

Answer 35

Misrepresenting an argument to make it easier to attack

Question 36

What is an appeal to authority?

Answer 36

Assuming a claim is true because an authority says it

Question 37

What is a continuous variable?

Answer 37

A variable that can vary along a scale such as weight or height

Question 38

What is a categorical variable?

Answer 38

A variable that falls into fixed categories such as gender

Question 39

What is objective measurement?

Answer 39

Using a concrete method to determine the value of a variable

Question 40

What is generalisability?

Answer 40

The ability to apply findings from a sample to the wider population

Question 41

What is a correlation coefficient?

Answer 41

A number between minus one and plus one indicating strength and direction of a relationship

Question 42

What are the three main goals of psychology's scientific approach?

Answer 42

Description prediction and understanding

Question 43

What is a quasi experimental design?

Answer 43

A design that studies existing groups when the independent variable cannot be manipulated

Question 44

What is one limitation of laboratory studies?

Answer 44

They may have low external validity

Question 45

What is one advantage of naturalistic observation?

Answer 45

Good generalisability

Question 46

What is one limitation of naturalistic observation?

Answer 46

It cannot establish the cause of behaviour

Question 47

What are two common survey methods?

Answer 47

Questionnaires and interviews

Question 48

What is one drawback of survey research?

Answer 48

People may not respond accurately

Question 49

What does a correlation coefficient of plus one indicate?

Answer 49

A perfect positive correlation

Question 50

What does a correlation coefficient of minus one indicate?

Answer 50

A perfect negative correlation

Question 51

What is the role of the researcher in qualitative research?

Answer 51

The researcher plays an important part in interpreting people's words language and actions

Question 52

Name one theoretical perspective used in qualitative research.

Answer 52

Positivism interpretivism or critical theory

Question 53

What does epistemology refer to?

Answer 53

The nature of human knowledge

Question 54

Name one modern technology used in psychological research.

Answer 54

EEG MRI PET fMRI or CAT scan

Question 55

One positive of internet research?

Answer 55

Online sources provide quick and easy access to information

Question 56

One negative of internet research?

Answer 56

Validity sampling issues uncontrolled procedures and ethical concerns can be problems

Question 57

Name one APS ethics principle mentioned in the slides.

Answer 57

Maintain participant welfare voluntary participation confidentiality avoid deception humane treatment of animals or gain ethics approval

Question 58

What does critical thinking involve?

Answer 58

Careful examination and analysis of information to make informed judgement

Question 59

What does scepticism mean in critical thinking?

Answer 59

Questioning results and claims

Question 60

What does objectivity mean in critical thinking?

Answer 60

Being impartial

Question 61

What does open mindedness mean in critical thinking?

Answer 61

Considering all sides of an issue

Question 62

What is an appeal to popularity fallacy?

Answer 62

Assuming a claim is true because it is popular

Question 63

What is an argument directed to the person fallacy?

Answer 63

Attacking the person instead of the evidence

Question 64

What is a measure?

Answer 64

A concrete means by which to determine the value of a variable

Question 65

What is test bias?

Answer 65

When tests systematically disadvantage different groups of people

Question 66

What is the difference between a theoretical variable and an operational variable?

Answer 66

A theoretical variable is the concept while an operational variable is how it is defined and measured

Question 67

What is the main aim of descriptive research?

Answer 67

To describe phenomena rather than manipulate variables

Question 68

Why are case studies useful?

Answer 68

They are useful when large numbers of participants are not available

Question 69

What is one limitation of case studies?

Answer 69

Small sample size researcher bias and atypical cases