Psychological Research Methods Flashcards

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What is Systematic Variance?
It's the effect of the manipulation of the Independent Variable. It's the systematic differences between the control and the experimental group.
What is Error Variance?
It's the amount of variability among scores due to chance or extraneous variables. It can be estimated by looking at the amount of variability within each condition.
Explain the implications of this conceptualization: ((Systematic Variance + Error Variance)/(Error Variance))
This is also known as the F-ratio. The ratio has to be significantly above 1 for us to know that the IV had an effect. If the score is near 1.00, then the IV had no effect, or there were too many errors to judge.
Explain and define power
Power is the how much we as researchers are able to detect an effect of the IV. Reducing F (and thus, error) increases an experiment's power.
What is a true experiment?
A true experiment is one in which there is manipulation, random sampling, and control
Quasi-experimental designs: What are they?
Quasi-experimental studies are any study that does not fit under the category of a true experiment. They are characterized by a lack of random sampling for subjects.
Quasi-experimental designs: What are some examples?
Posttest only (control and experimental) Pre/posttest (one group only or control/experimental) Case study Single-subject behavioral manipulation
How does one interpret correlations?
Correlations are compared using Pearson's r (which is used with interval or ratio scale data). The value can be from 0 (no relationship) to 1.00 (a perfect relationship). R values can't be compared b/c they're ordinal data. They have to be squared. Df must be listed (it's N-2)
Why would you use correlational data rather than experimental?
For ethical (We can't test the effects of smoking on cancer), practical (Population too large to get a representative sample), and methodological reasons (Our population doesn't lend itself to sampling)
What is the importance of sample size and what are its effects?
Increasing sample size increases the power of the experiment and decreases the possibility of a sampling error. It also increases validity because the odds of your results are more likely to be true rather than a fluke.
What is validity?
Validity asks, "Does this test measure what we claim it measures?
What are the various types of validity?
1. Content validity (This test covers unknown chapters 2. Criterion validity (How well the test predicts future behavior) 3. Construct validity (the extent to which a test measures a construct--like intelligence) 4. Convergent validity (Compare your test to other, similar tests and see if they converge)
Define internal validity and external validity
Internal validity: The degree to which you have control over extraneous variables in your experiment that might affect the IV's effect on the DV.
External validity: The degree to which you can apply your findings to the outside world
What is a single-subject design and why are they used?
It's a case study and they are used because they often suggest hypotheses for future studies, they provide a method to research rare phenomena, and they may offer tentative evidence for a psychological theory.
How should case studies be interpreted?
They should be interpreted as observations of single, particular groups of people--not representative of the whole.