Research methods
Quantitative
Reporting data as numbers
Nominal
Categorical. Qualitative data. No ranking. Mode and range.
Debriefing
Required for any deception. Will provide full disclosure.
Quasi-experimental
Experimental research without random assignment. Limited info about causes
Falsifiability
Required for science. Always an ability for the potential of it being found false
Proof and disproof in science
Absolute proof is impossible. Absolute disproof is impractical.
Principles of Animal Research
3 Rs. Replace: Use live animals if necessary, less intelligent. Reduce: # of animals used. Refine: procedures are more accurate and careful
A confidence interval of 95% means that A. there is 95% probability that the population mean lies within this interval. B. there is a 95% probability that these results can be replicated. C. there is 95% probability that the results of the study are true. D. All of the above.
A
In experimental research, A. one variable is directly manipulated while all others are held constant. B. a relationship between two variables is investigated. C. a single event or a subject is studied in depth. D. All of the above.
A
Researcher finds p=0.04. This means that: A. Probability of Type 1 error is 4% B. Probability that experimental hypothesis is true is 96%. C. Probability of replicating results is 96% D. All of the above
A
When the scores in the group are so low that a difference between the conditions cannot be determined, a ___________ occurs. A. floor effect B. confound C. type I error D. ceiling effect
A
Type 2 error
Accepted H0, but H0 is false
Independent Variable levels
Any level of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio).
Human dominion
Any use is permitted, they have no consciousness, does not matter how we treat them.
Animal rights
Any use is unacceptable. Have rights, must treat them like small children.
Mean
Average of the numbers
Variance
Averaged squared deviation of number from mean. Distance, divided by number of scores
The degree to which research findings can be generalized beyond the specific context of the experiment is called A. ecological validity. B. external validity. C. internal validity. D. construct validity.
B
Cost benefit analysis
Benefits must be practical. Costs must be no more than real life
Rejecting the null hypothesis when it is true is called a(n) A. significance testing. B. Type II error. C. Type I error. D. error variance.
C
The degree to which an experiment is methodologically sound and free of confounds is A. external validity. B. ecological validity. C. internal validity. D. construct validity.
C
Operational definition
Clear, concise def of a concept in terms of measurable properties
Inferential statistics compute a ratio between A. effect size and confidence interval. B. null hypothesis and experimental hypothesis. C. type I error and type II error. D. systematic variance and error variance.
D
The variance that is due to unpredictable factors not related to the variable of interest is A. systematic variance. B. confidence interval. C. effect size. D. error variance.
D
Systematic empiricism
Data trumps theories. Planned and structured
Error variance
Degree at which variability can be attributed to other factors
Law
Description of natural phenomenon that holds under specific conditions. Says what happens, not why.
Range
Difference between smallest score and largest. Easily skewed
Experimental
Direct manipulation of 1+ variables. Casual info
Hypothesis
Educated guess. Can be tested by observation or experiment
EEG
Electrical brain activity.
If a researcher does not find a statistically significant difference (p>0.05), then he can conclude that the experimental hypothesis is proven false. True False
False Nothing can be "proven"
If a researcher finds a statistically significant difference (p<0.05), then he can conclude that the null hypothesis is proven to be false. True False
False. Low probability, but it could still be true
Measures of central tendency
Finding most typical value in distribution. Mean, median, mode.
Applied research
Finding research for practical problems. Specific use
Public verification & replication
Findings should be observed, replicated, & verified by others.
fMRI
Functional magnetic resonance imaging. Measures brain activity by detecting associated changes in blood flow
Null hypothesis
H0. No difference.
Alternative hypothesis
H1. Difference
Post-hoc explanation
Hindsight bias. Not good
Basic research
How stuff works. No concern for an immediate affect. "Building blocks"
PET
Imaging test. Organs and tissues
Systematic empiricism
Knowledge gained from experience. Variables controlled, conclusions based on objective statistics, not personal beliefs.
Independent Variable
Manipulated
Effect size
Measure of difference of sizes between 2 variables. Strength of relationship measured. Cohen's d.
Dependent Variable
Measured
Physiological
Measures CNS activity.
Theory
Model. Coherent explanation for large # of facts and observations
Ethical skepticism
Most thoughts of moral rights or wrongs have evolved, so researchers decided.
Converging operations
Multiple methods of measurement and research design to test theory
Levels of measurement
NOIR. Nominal. Ordinal. Interval. Ratio.
Ad-hoc prediction
Negates hindsight bias. Made before collecting data
Median
Number halfway through the set
Ordinal
Numerical degrees. Distances between rankings are not equal. No true zero. Mode, median, range.
Scientific method
Observation -> beginning of theory/hypothesis -> generate predictions -> test predictions ->prediction confirmed, model accounts for problem -> prediction refuted, model is inaccurate
Qualitative
Reporting data as field notes.
Using terminology introduced in scientific method class, explain how scientific misconduct undermines scientific method and how procedural requirements can be used to uncover cases of scientific misconduct.
Plagiarism, data fabrication, failing to acknowledge all contributions, failing to acknowledge conflict of interest.
Statistical power
Probability of not committing type 2 error. Probability of rejecting H0 when false. Can be used to calculate minimum sample size to detect a given difference before experiment.
p-value
Probability of type 1 error.
Operational definition
Question to method. Need to simplify to measure
Self report
Questionnaires and interviews. When direct obs is impractical or impossible
Measures of variability
Range, variance, standard deviation
Interval
Ranked on a scale with equal distance. No true zero. Mode, median, mean, range, variance, standard deviation.
Ratio
Ranks are equal distance. True zero. Mode, median, mean, range, variance, standard deviation
Observational method
Recording behavior in lab or real. Qualitative. Naturalistic and lab.
Type 1 error
Rejected H0, but H0 is true
Correlational
Relationship among 2+ variable. Limited info about causes
Belmont report
Respect for persons. Minimize risks, maximize benefits. Truthfulness
Testability
Science only deals with empirically answerable questions.
Subject variable
Special IV. Cannot be manipulated, and is not a true IV.
Standard deviation
Square root of variance. Normalizes the squared variance. Describes data variability.
Informed consent
Sufficient disclosure. Rarely waived.
Descriptive statistics
Summarizes and describes group of scores.is not descriptive research. Measures of variability and measures of central tendency.
Science vs. pseudoscience
Systematic empiricism. Public verification. Replication. Falsifiability.
Deontological
Universal right and wrong
Animal welfare
Use requires cost-benefit analysis. Can feel pain, and we have a moral obligation to balance animal suffering and human use.
Utilitarian ethics
Used now. Cost-benefit analysis
Mode
Value that appears most often.
Systematic variance
Variance interested in. Degree at which variability can be attributed to investigated factor
New predictions
Very important. Good theories need this. Affected by post-hoc and ad-hoc predictions
Control group
Zero level of IV. Controls extraneous variables. Measures baseline. NOT USED: @least 2 levels of IV, don't care about baseline, no sensible baseline level.
Confound
extraneous, unwanted variable that differs between groups