General Psychology - Chapter 2: Psychology's Scientific Method

refers to all of the information researchers collect in a study.

Data

True or false: Researchers have limited guidelines for research involving animals.

False

Which of the following are steps in the scientific method?

Formulating hypotheses and predictions Drawing conclusions Observing some phenomenon

What is the term for an educated guess based on a theory that can be tested?

Hypothesis

For a person to give informed consent to participate in a research study, which of the following should they be given?

Information about what they will be doing in the study That they have the right to withdraw from the study at any time Information about any known risks or benefits that they might experience as part of their involvement

Barney is considering participating in a research study. Before he begins, Barney is given information about the study including what risks he might be asked to take. What ethical guideline is this researcher following?

Informed consent

Marilyn has completed gathering her data for her research study. In regards to the participants in her study what should she do next?

Meet with the participants for a debriefing about the methods she used and the full purpose of her study

After formulating hypotheses and predictions, what step must a psychologist take next?

Test the hypotheses and predictions through empirical research.

Establishing an operational definition ensures that

everyone understands what the variable means.

"Students will score better on their psychology midterm if they sleep well the night before the test" is an example of a

hypothesis.

There are many ways that researchers could measure "school success." For example, they could look at a student's course grades, grades on individual assignments, or the number of credits completed. When researchers choose one of those options, they are choosing a(n) ______.

operational definition

A theory is

a broad idea that can be used to explain observations.

In order to test a hypothesis and conduct valid empirical research, a psychologist first needs

a concrete way to measure the variable of interest.

Meta-analysis is

a method by which researchers can combine results across a variety of different studies to establish the strength of an effect.

When researchers keep their participants' information private, but that data can still be linked to the participants' identities, this is known as ______.

confidentiality

When researchers keep their participants' information private, but that data can still be linked to the participants' identities, this is known as .

confidentiality or confidential

Research ethical guidelines state that it may be ethical to use in research if telling participants about the purpose of a study will likely alter their behavior.

deception

A meta-analysis does not allow researchers to

define and determine basic dimensions for ongoing phenomena.

A is a specific expectation for the outcome of a study.

prediction

When Jacob developed a specific expectation for the outcome of his study, he was making a (n) _______.

prediction

The process that occurs after publication to ensure that the same results are found again is called ______.

replication

The third step in the scientific method is the need to collect and analyze data, that is, the testing of hypotheses by conducting empirical .

research

Data is particularly useful when used to mathematically

support predictions.

Deception is defined as purposely misleading somebody. Which of these statements accurately describe the ethical use of deception? (Choose all that apply.)

t may be ethical to use deception if telling participants about the purpose of a study will likely alter their behavior. It may be ethical to use deception if telling participants about the purpose of a study will likely invalidate the data collected.

A psychologist is studying sadness. Sadness would be considered a in this study.

variable

A broad set of closely related ideas that attempts to explain observations is known as

a theory.

A hypothesis is

an 'educated guess' or a prediction that can be tested.

The process of repeating a study again in hopes of acquiring the same results can be completed through replication, when the exact same methods are followed, or replication, when different methods or samples are used.

direct conceptual or concept

Results are considered reliable if they can be ___.

replicated

An operational definition is an objective description of how a research variable is going to be ______ and observed.

measured

The scientific method is what makes psychology a science. By following the steps in order, psychologists can engage in the research process. Put the steps in order, placing the first step of the scientific method at the top.

1. Observation of some interesting situation or experience 2. Create a hypothesis and make predictions 3. Conduct the Research 4. Formulate conclusions from the research 5. Evaluate the theory

What is a variable?

Anything that can change

Match each ethical guideline to its most appropriate description. Informed Consent Confidentiality Debriefing Deception

Choice, When a participate knows what is involved in the research and understands any risks involved When a participate knows what is involved in the research and understands any risks involved Choice, The responsibility of the researcher to protect identifying information of participants when possible The responsibility of the researcher to protect identifying information of participants when possible Choice, When participants are told about the research purpose and methods used in the study When participants are told about the research purpose and methods used in the study When a participant is not told about the purpose or true intention of the study

Monica tells her neighbor that his boss is a participant in her research study. What ethical guideline has Monica violated?

Confidentiality

Stella sees that Lee's ex-boyfriend participated in her research study. She finds that he did badly on a cognitive task so she tells Lee about his wrong answers. What ethical guideline has Stella violated?

Confidentiality

Which of the following statements is a valid hypothesis?

People who drive while texting will be more impaired than those who drive after consuming 3 beers in an hour.

After analyzing their data, what would researchers do next?

Present their findings

Which of the following statements are true about conducting research with animals?

Researchers follow strict ethical guidelines whether their participants are humans or animals Researchers working with animals follow standards of care for the animals' well-being Researchers sometimes do things to research animals that would be unethical if done to humans

After researchers have gathered data, what do they do next? (Choose every correct answer.)

Researchers would analyze the findings to see what the results say about the theory used to guide their study Researchers would analyze their data to see if supports the predictions of their hypothesis

After completing participation in a research study, Alex attended a debriefing session. What information might the researcher give Alex at this debriefing session?

The researcher might discuss the full purpose of the study The researcher might discuss the methods used in the study

A test of intelligence is given to a subject. The subject scores a 110 on the first administration. Six months later, the same subject is given the test again and receives a score of 75. After another six months have passed, the subject is given the test one last time and receives a score of 138. What conclusions can be drawn from these scores?

The scores are not reliable.

Which of the following are the purposes of using ethical guidelines when conducting research? (Select all that apply.)

to evaluate the ethical nature of research to ensure that participants are not harmed to protect participants' best interests