Back to AI Flashcard MakerPsychology /AP® Psychology Research Methods Part 2
AP® Psychology Research Methods Part 2
This deck covers key concepts in research methods for AP® Psychology, focusing on confounding variables, experimental designs, and types of research.
Define experimenter bias as it relates to confounding variables.
Experimenter bias occurs when a researcher’s expectations or preferences about the results of the study influence the experiment.
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
Define experimenter bias as it relates to confounding variables.
Experimenter bias occurs when a researcher’s expectations or preferences about the results of the study influence the experiment.
Define demand characteristics as they relate to confounding variables.
clues the participants discover about the intention of the study that alter their responses
Define placebo effect as it relates to confounding variables.
responding to an inactive drug with a change in behavior because the subject believes it contains the active ingredient
Define counterbalancing as it relates to confounding variables.
Researchers using a within-subjects design eliminate the effects of treatment order by assigning half the participants to treatment A first and the ot...
What type of experimental design uses each participant as his/her own control?
A within-subjects design exposes each participant to the treatment and compares their pre-test and post-test results. This design can also compare the...
How do researchers specifically define what variables mean?
Researchers use operational definitions to precisely describe variables in relation to their study. For example, 'effectiveness of studying' can be op...
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
Define experimenter bias as it relates to confounding variables. | Experimenter bias occurs when a researcher’s expectations or preferences about the results of the study influence the experiment. |
Define demand characteristics as they relate to confounding variables. | clues the participants discover about the intention of the study that alter their responses |
Define placebo effect as it relates to confounding variables. | responding to an inactive drug with a change in behavior because the subject believes it contains the active ingredient |
Define counterbalancing as it relates to confounding variables. | Researchers using a within-subjects design eliminate the effects of treatment order by assigning half the participants to treatment A first and the other half to treatment B first. |
What type of experimental design uses each participant as his/her own control? | A within-subjects design exposes each participant to the treatment and compares their pre-test and post-test results. This design can also compare the results of two different treatments administered. |
How do researchers specifically define what variables mean? | Researchers use operational definitions to precisely describe variables in relation to their study. For example, 'effectiveness of studying' can be operationally defined with a test score. |
What is a single-blind procedure? | research design in which the subjects are unaware if they are in the control or experimental group |
What is a double-blind procedure? | research design in which neither the experimenter nor the subjects are aware who is in the control or experimental group |
Single-blind procedures aim to eliminate the effects of __________, while double-blind procedures use a third party researcher to omit the effects of __________. | demand characteristics; experimenter bias |
What is the Hawthorne effect? | individuals who are being experimented on behave differently than in their everyday life |
How are quasi-experiments different from controlled experiments? | Random assignment is not possible in quasi-experiments. |
What types of research are considered quasi-experiments? | Differences in behavior between: males and females; various age groups; students in different classes |
Define: correlational research | establishes a relationship between two variables; does not determine cause and effect; used to make predictions and generate future research |
List three types of correlational research. | 1. naturalistic observation 2. surveys 3. tests |
Define naturalistic observation as it relates to correlational research. | Naturalistic observation consists of field observation of naturally occurring behavior, such as the way students behave in the classroom. There is no manipulation of variables. |
What are surveys and why are they not always accurate? | type of correlational research; questionnaires and interviews given to a large group of people about their thoughts or behavior; individuals aim to be politically correct and socially accepted, leading them to give false answers |
Define tests as they relate to correlational research. | research method that measures individual traits at a specific time and place |
__________ studies start by looking at an effect and then attempt to determine the cause. | Ex post facto |
What is the difference between the reliability and validity of a test? | A test is reliable if it is consistent and repeatable, meaning if you could take the same test a second time, you would get the same result(s); A test is valid if it measures what it is intended to measure. It is often said that a test cannot be valid if it is not reliable. For example, a bathroom scale is reliable because you can weigh yourself, step off, step back on, then get the same measurement. The bathroom scale is valid for measuring how much you weigh, but invalid for measuring your IQ. |
What is a case study? | detailed examination of one person or a small group; beneficial for understanding rare and complex phenomena in clinical research; not always representative of the larger population |