Psych 203 Exam 1

What are the advantages and disadvantages of behavioral measure?

-Advantages: Cornerstone of empiricism -Disadvantages: Some behaviors can't be observed, Difficult to ensure consistency and objectivity

What are the advantages and disadvantages of self-report measure?

-Advantages: Economical data collection, Provides access to non-observable thoughts, opinions, and experiences -Disadvantages: People lack insight into inner lives

What are the advantages and disadvantages of physiological measure?

-Advantages: Objective measurements -Disadvantages: Expensive, Invasive, Difficult to interpret

How can we assess construct validity? Understand the concepts of face validity, content validity, criterion validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity.

-Face validity: On the surface, it "looks like" a good way to measure the construct of interest. -Content validity: The extent to which a measure captures the breadth of the defined construct. -Criterion validity: Extent to which a measure is associated with a relevant behavioral outcome. -Convergent validity: The extent to which a measure correlates with other measures of the same or similar construct. -Discriminant validity: The extent to which a measure does not correlate with measures of dissimilar constructs.

What is reliability? How does this differ from validity?

-RELIABILITY: The consistency or reproducibility of measurement. -CONSTRUCT VALIDITY: The extent to which a measurement reflects the intended construct.

Electrical brain stimulation may alleviate obsessive-compulsive behaviors." This headline makes a(n) _________ claim.

causal- "Alleviate" is an active verb suggesting causation. Hedging with "may" doesn't change this.

You read a news article about a recent scientific study titled, "New Drug Reduces OCD Symptoms in Mice." To evaluate whether the title's claim is supported, you should

check whether the authors performed a true experiment.- This is another causal claim, so we need an experiment as support.

Dr. White reads about a new theory that states that postpartum depression is caused by increased levels of estrogen in the womb. To test this theory, she conducts a study comparing the level of estrogen in amniotic fluid in pregnant women who were later diagnosed with depression with the level of those who did not develop depression. Dr. White finds no differences between the groups in estrogen levels in the amniotic fluid. Dr. White's next step should be to

evaluate her operational definition of "estrogen level" and other differences from previous studies.- When our results are inconsistent with theory or previous research, we first examine our approach.

Dr. Hadden wants to conduct a study that will allow him to make claims that apply to all college students. In her research, she is prioritizing ____________ validity.

external

What does it mean to have a scientific attitude? Know Merton's scientific norms

Scientists emphasize evidence for one's claims.

How are theories, hypotheses, and data related to one another? Understand the theory-data cycle.

The relationship among theories, hypotheses, and data is a logical one.

What does it mean to be a good consumer of research? How does the producer role differ?

it means reading about research so they can later apply it to their work, hobbies, relationships, or personal growth. the producer role differs because they produce the research/analyze it/present it and this is their career (research scientist or professor)

How do journal articles differ from articles in popular media?

journal articles use scientific sources

I give all of you the same PSYC 203 exam twice in Japanese. The results regarding your PSYC 203 knowledge will likely be

reliable, but not valid. -You would do about the same every time (poorly!), so your score would be consistent. However, we would not get a sense of your knowledge of research methods.

Angel reads about a study in which smartphone use is associated with migraine headaches. He says, "Well, that study is not valid because I use a smartphone more than anyone I know, and I never get migraines." Based on his comment, Angel appears to be forgetting that

science is probabilistic.

Theory-Data Cycle

scientists collect data to test, change, or update their theories 1. theory 2. research questions 3. research design 4. hypothesis 5. data

Empiricism refers to the practice of relying on __________ to draw conclusions.

systematic observation

In her study, Mandy has each participant fill out a personality questionnaire and then fill out the same questionnaire one week later. Mandy is likely trying to determine the questionnaire's

test-retest reliability.

Dr. Pennington uses findings from memory research to design new study programs for college students. Dr. Pennington is conducting ___________ research.

translational- They're using basic research results to solve a practical problem.

Merton's Scientific Norms

universalism, communality, disinterestedness, organized skepticism

What are the properties of a good theory?

1. They make predictions 2. They are testable. 3. They are not permanent

Score on an exam (out of 100) is measured on a(n) __________ scale.

ratio

What are self-report measures? Behavioral measures? Physiological measures? Be prepared to provide operational definitions of different types of measures.

-SELF-REPORT MEASURES: Rely on participants' self-assessments of their behaviors, thoughts, opinions, or experiences. Op. def.: multi-item scales -BEHAVIORAL MEASURES: Involve recording observable behaviors (or evidence that a behavior of interest occurred). Op. def: categorization, number of behaviors, timing of behavior, rating scales -PHYSIOLOGICAL measures: Record biological processes in the brain or body to gain insight into psychological events. Op. def: neural activity, hormonal assays, involuntary responses

How can we assess reliability? Understand test-retest reliability, interrater reliability, and internal consistency.

-Test-retest reliability: Measure participants twice, at two different times. -Interrater reliability: Two different observers measure/rate behaviors. -Internal consistency: Scores on different items within a scale compared to one another.

What are the main sections of an empirical article? When "reading with purpose," which sections should be reviewed first to give an overall sense of the article's gist?

-abstract, introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, and References -abstract first, then end of the introduction to find the goals and hypotheses, then discussion for argument, then method and results sections to look for evidence

What is construct validity? Statistical validity? External validity?Internal validity? What sort of questions should we ask when probing each aspect of a study's validity?

-construct validity: Extent to which construct is reflected by operational definition -statistical validity: Extent to which numbers support the claim -external validity: The generalizability of the study to the real world -internal validity: Extent to which the study allows for cause-and-effect conclusions -What type of claim? What type of study would be needed?

What are the various types of scientific journals? Know the difference between primary source (empirical) articles, review articles, meta-analyses

-empirical (primary source) articles: they report, for the first time, the results of an (empirical) research study. Empirical articles contain details about the study's method, the statistical tests used, and the results of the study. -review journal articles: summarize and integrate all the published studies that have been done in one research area. -meta-analysis: a quantitative technique that combines the results of many studies and gives a number that summarizes the magnitude, or the effect size, of a relationship.

What is a frequency claim? An association claim? A causal claim?Know the language indicators of each type of claim.

-frequency claims describe the rate of occurrence of one variable. often comes from descriptive studies. -association claims suggest a relationship between two variables. based on correlational studies. -casual claims Indicate that one variable is responsible for change in another variable. supported by experiments.

What are the various non-scientific ways of knowing? Know the problems associated with each.

-intuition problem: intuition is often biased, and we don't recognize our biases -personal experience problems: experience has no comparison group, is confounded, is often all-or-none -authority problems: what is the basis of the claim? claims often go unchallenged -rationalism

Know the scales of measurement: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. Be able to identify the scale on which a variable is measured.

-nominal: The data are the names of mutually exclusive and exhaustive categories. (ex: What is your favorite soda? (1 = Pepsi, 2 = Coke, 3 = Mountain Dew, 4 = Other)) -ordinal: The data indicate rank order of items. (ex: finishers in a race) -interval: Differences between the numbers are meaningful (e.g., 2 - 1 = 4 - 3). (ex: temperature) -ratio: Similar to interval scale, but zero point indicates absence of the measured variable. (ex: line length)

How do operational definitions differ from conceptual definitions? Be prepared to provide operational definitions for a given variable.

-operational definitions describe the means by which we measure or manipulate a construct. -conceptual definitions are careful, theoretical definitions of the construct

What is an operational definition? What criteria does a good operational definition need to meet? Be prepared to identify the independent and dependent variables in a hypothesis, as well as to provide an operational definition of each variable.

-operational definitions describe the means by which we measure or manipulate a construct. -observable: can be measured directly, replicable: consistently measured by anyone using the same technique -independent variable: manipulated variable -dependent variable: measured variable

What is a variable? If given a scenario, be able to identify measured vs. manipulated variables, as well as constants and levels.

-something that varies, so it must have at least two levels, or values. -measured: Values are observed and recorded. -manipulated: Levels are controlled by the researcher. -constants: something that could potentially vary but that has only one level in the study in question. -levels: values. Take this headline: "Most students don't know when news is fake." Here, "knowing when news is fake" is the variable, and its levels are knowing when news is fake, and not knowing when news is fake.

What are the three criteria that have to be met to establish casualty? How is an experiment able to meet these criteria, whereas a correlational study cannot?

1. Correlation - Variables must be associated 2. Temporal precedence - Cause must precede effect 3. Internal Validity- Alternative explanations eliminated -When psychologists conduct an experiment, they manipulate the variable they think is the cause and measure the variable they think is the effect (or outcome).

How is an effective search conducted in PsycInfo?

1. Figure out the best search terms for your question. 2. Research is an iterative process. Once you find one suitable article in PsycINFO, do another search. 3. Adjust your search using "or" and "and."

What are the steps of the scientific method? Why are they important?

1. Identify the problem 2. Form a hypothesis 3. Design the research study 3. Conduct the study 4. Analyze the results of the experiment 5. Conclusion 6. Continue the cycle (If your hypothesis is confirmed, replicate the study to confirm the findings. If your hypothesis is disconfirmed, revise the hypothesis or re-examine your research design. Examine new questions that the research study raises.) important bc they determine "facts" and rationalism to reason about those facts.

How does the empirical method overcome the limitations of other ways of knowing?

Bc it is knowledge based on direct, systematic observation, where conclusions are based on the weight of the evidence.

In your introductory psychology class, you learn that sleep quality is associated with academic performance. Which of the following questions would help you to evaluate the construct validity of this claim?

How did the researchers measure academic performance?

Deci and Ryan (1985, 2001) have proposed that three fundamental needs are required for human growth and fulfillment: relatedness, autonomy, and competence. Susan predicts that students who have these needs met in their psychology class feel happier and more satisfied with the class. She collects data and finds that students who feel more related and competent do feel happier, but that feeling more autonomous does not seem to matter. Susan thinks that maybe autonomy is necessary only when people are in situations in which they are not being evaluated. This prediction is an example of

a hypothesis

Diego is interested in examining the relationship between a person's attachment style and his or her relationship satisfaction. He finds 65 studies that have examined this topic. He combines the results of all these studies and calculates an effect size. His work is most accurately described as

a meta analysis

How do positive, negative, and zero correlations differ?

all parts of an association -Positive correlation: As one variable increases, the other variable tends to increase. / -Negative correlation: As one variable increases, the other variable tends to decrease. \ -Zero correlation: No systematic association. |

"Poor sleep tied to Alzheimer's risk." This headline makes a(n) _________ claim.

association

Melanie believes that reading in the dark will damage her vision because her mother told her so when she was a child. Melanie's belief appears to be based on

authority.

How do basic research, applied research, and translational research differ?

basic research- Goal is to enhance knowledge and understanding. applied research- Goal is to find practical solutions to real-world problems. Often evaluative in nature. translational research: Uses basic research to develop and test applications.

For his research methods class, Felipe plans to watch how students treat other children in their classrooms who have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He will evaluate how positively or negatively the children are treated by their classmates. This is an example of __________ measurement.

behavioral

Dr. Cohen develops an IQ test for children that is related strongly to their eventual GPAs in college. It appears that Dr. Cohen's test has good ____________ validity.

criterion

Angelina, a school psychologist, does a study to determine the impact of various disciplinary techniques (redirection, time out, reward) for children with ADHD. In this study, "disciplinary technique" is a ________ whereas "redirection" is a ________.

manipulated variable; level

Course grade (A, B, C, D, or F) is measured on a(n) ________ scale.

ordinal- Even though there are no numbers here, there is a meaningful order: A>B>C>D>F.

Dr. Rodriquez is a health psychologist who is interested in studying the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) oil on perceptions of pain in college student athletes with sports injuries. She became interested in studying this topic after hearing multiple claims by the media that CBD oil was effective in treating pain. However, she could not find any empirical studies that reported findings of the effectiveness for CBD oil for sports injuries. Her decision to conduct a study to test the media claims is an example of Merton's scientific norm of

organized skepticism.- Organize skepticism involves always looking for scientific evidence to support beliefs.