Research Methods

IRB (Institutional Review Board)

Board that reviews research proposals for ethical violations/procedural errors

What are 2 types of inter-item reliability test?

*Item total correlation* (seeing if measurements match total scores) and *Split-half reliability*

What are the 3 main principles in the Belmont Report?

*Respect for persons* (informed conset, no coercing, no deception) *beneficence* (everyone is able to recieve treatment/awards even if in control group) and *Justice* (the right representation for the specific study)

What are 2 types of criterion-related validity?

*concurrent* (measure taken + behavior happens at same time) and *predictive* (measure taken results first then come behavior later after time)

What is the acceptable reliability score?

>.70

What is a hypothetical construct?

An entity we know exsist but is intangible (cannot be measured in numbers) ex) self-esteem, depression, happiness, intelligence

Face Validity

Does the measure *appear* (face) to measure what it claims?

What are cofounds?

Factors that you did not originally consider and systematically change with variables in the of interests

Researchers place unobtrusive video recorders in the living room of 20 children. Later, coders view the tapes and code how many minutes each child spends playing video games. What type of reliability would you check?

Interrater

What are 3 test of reliability?

Test-retest, inter-item, inter-rater

To address the Belmont principle of beneficence, Dr. Kline would need to ask which of the following questions?

What can I do to decrease the potential harm experienced by my participants?

IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee)

views any research proposals envolving the use of animals

Causal claim

argues that one of the variables is responsible for changing the other ex) causes, affects, reduces, changes

Systematic observations

consistent change in conditions from one group to the next

Participants that score high on a scale of "open-mindedness" also score high on tests of optimism and liberal thinking. This is an example of ______.

convergent validity

Association claim

one level of a variable likely to be associated with another varible ex) most likely, may predict, higher risk, correlaed to

When a researcher uses Cronbach's alpha coefficient, he/she is conducting a(n) _______.

split-half reliability test

What is the Belmont Report (1979)

summarizes the basic ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research. (Respect for persons, beneficence and justice)

What are 3 types of construct validity?

*convergent* (strong correlation), *discriminant* (weake correlation), *criterion-related* (behavioral outcomes)

For her research methods class, Serena plans to interview several teachers about their attitude toward teaching children who have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This is an example of what type of measurement?

Self-report measurement

What are the two main types of bias in a research project?

Faulty thinking and motivation bias

In the theory-data cycle, good theories eventually lead to ________.

Hypotheses

What does the phrase, "research is probablastic mean?

Results are meant to explain a proportion of cases, not all!

What are the 3 common types of measurement?

Self-report, observational, and physiological

What are some characteristics of good scientific theories?

Supported by data, parsimonious, and falsifiable

How is are empirical questions answered?

Through Systematic observation and the tangible metric

operational definition

a carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a research study

Frequency claim

a claim that describes a particular rate or degree of a single variable

Internal validity

a study ability to eliminate alternative explanations for the association

Exteral validity

challenging the sample of a study, seeing if it fits the population of interets

Non-systematic observations

change in conditions is random and no comparison group

inter-rater reliability

indicates how consistent scores are likely to be if the responses are scored by two or more raters using the same item, scale, or instrument

The consistency of a measure refers to its _____, while the measure's ability to measure what you believe it to measure refers to its _____.

reliability; validity

Tangible Metric

results come in numbers or specified measurement unit

What is applied research?

scientific study that aims to solve "real world" problems

Statistical validity

the extent to which a study's statistical conclusions are accurate and reasonable

Construct validity

the extent to which variables measure what they are supposed to measure

What is the theory data cycle?

theories generate hypotheses, hypotheses are tested, results gives us more data, and more theories are created based from new data (cycle continues)

What does parsimonious mean in Ocam's Razor?

using the fewest words/mechaisims to explain something

Which statement describes the use of a ratio scale?

The researchers measured how much time passed from the moment of lift-off until the space shuttle exploded.

What are the rules of causation?

The rule of covariance, Internal validity , and the rule of temporal precedence

Although theories can never be _______, they can be ________ by the results of a particular study.

proved; supported