PSY 215 Chapter 6
what is this an example of? Researchers interpret prisoners' behavior as more aggressive than college students' behavior even though the behavior is actually identical.
observer bias
Observers inadvertently change the behavior of those they are observing, such that participant behavior changes to match observer expectations
observer effects
what is this an example of? Based on the researcher's body language, a participant guesses that the study is about politeness in intergroup interactions, so he acts politely to align with the researcher's expectations.
observer effects
Which of the following scenarios are examples of observational research? - recording how often students use the word literally in conversations with each other - counting the number of people who walk through a busy convenience store - asking people whose they voted for as they leave a local polling station - observing the blood pressure of 50 patients via the records of a local health clinic
- recording how often students use the word literally in conversations with each other - counting the number of people who walk through a busy convenience store
Answering "yes" or "strongly agree" to every item in a survey or interview.
acquiescence
Identify the descriptors as applicable or not applicable to this survey question. what mental health problems are you currently experiencing? - leading - open ended - forced choice - likert scale - negatively worded
applicable: - leading - open ended not applicable: - forced choice - likert scale - negatively worded
true or false? Even if respondents try to be completely honest, it is impossible for them to respond to a survey accurately enough to provide meaningful data.
false
survey question format in which respondents give their opinion by picking the best of 2 or more options
forced choice questions
what question type is this? in your opinion how critical is the problem with background checks for firearms in this country?
leading
a type of question in a survey or poll that is problematic because its wording encourages one response more than others, thereby wearing its construct validity
leading questions
survey question format using a rating scale containing multiple response options anchored by the specific terms: strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, and strongly disagree
likert scale
a scale that does not follow the likert scale exactly
likert type scale
what is the correct potential solution to this? Seo-yeon and her research assistants notice the children are sitting awkwardly throughout the study.
make unobtrusive observations
study design in which the observers are unaware of the experimental conditions to which participants have been assigned
masked design
survey question format that allows respondents to answer any way they like
open ended questions
a shortcut respondents may use to answer the items in a long survey, rather than responding to the content of each item
response set
is this an example of a self- report or observational study? how much money do parents spend on baby toys each month?
self report
Giving answers on a survey (or other self-report measure) that make one look better than one really is.
socially desirable responding ( faking good)
a method of posing questions to people on the phone, in personal interviews, on written questionnaires, or online
survey or poll
what is the correct potential solution to this? One of Seo-yeon's research assistants unintentionally cues the children to share as he passes out cookies.
use a masked design
When the wording of a survey or poll question influences respondents' answers, its construct validity is weakened. For instance, a question with wording that encourages a particular response is called a ? question. A ? question using phrases such as "should never not" can be cognitively difficult and confusing to respondents. And researchers cannot be sure which part of the question people are responding to in a ? question- a question that poses 2 questions
- leading - negatively worded - double- barreled
reactivity or observer bias? use a one way mirror
reactivity
reactivity or observer bias? use unobtrusive data
reactivity
reactivity or observer bias? wait for participants to become used to the observer
reactivity
what is this an example of? Small children stop and stare at the experimenter who is in the room taking notes on their behavior.
reactivity
What type of validity is most important to consider when creating a poll or survey?
construct validity
what question type is this? how often are you late to or absent from work?
double barreled
a type of question in a survey or poll that is problematic because it asks two questions in one, thereby weakening its construct validity
double barreled question
true or false? Flashbulb memories of where people were, and what they were doing, during a significant event tend to be accurate over time.
false
true or false? How a question is worded has little to do with how it is answered.
false
true or false? The level of certainty people feel about their memories is directly related to the accuracy of the memories.
false
true or false? The main drawback of open-ended questions is that people often write things that are illegible.
false
true or false? researchers can watch and retain any video recording, even if the participant has not given permission
false
Playing it safe by answering in the middle of the scale for every question in a survey or interview.
fence sitting
sequoyah is surveying parents about the health of their children. He is worried that participants will want to look like excellent parents and will claim that their children exercise and eat healthy all the time. Identify each strategy as helpful or not helpful for addressing Sequoyah's concern. - add items to identify those who answer in socially desirable ways - remind the participants that their responses are anonymous - eliminate the neutral option - add reverse worded items
helpful: - add items to identify those who answer in socially desirable ways - remind the participants that their responses are anonymous not helpful: - eliminate the neutral option - add reverse worded items
what question type is this? there is never a reason to be late for work
negatively worded
reactivity or observer bias? use a clear coding system
observer bias
is this an example of a self- report or observational study? what are peoples beliefs about face mask wearing for protection in urban areas versus rural areas?
self report
is this an example of a self- report or observational study? what are some experiences of discrimination that female academics encounter?
self report
survey question format using a response scale whose numbers are anchored with contrasting adjectives
semantic differential format
true or false? Memories of negative events, such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), can be accurate.
true
true or false? Questions that come earlier in a survey may affect how later questions are answered.
true
true or false? The vividness of flashbulb memories tends to last over time, even many years later.
true
the process of watching people or animals and systematically recording what they are doing.
observational research
a bias that occurs when observers' expectations influence their interpretation of the subjects' behaviors or the outcome of the study.
observer bias
reactivity or observer bias? use a masked or blind study design
observer bias
Respondents are asked to choose a number corresponding to how much they agree or disagree in ? questions. Respondents can provide as much or as little information as they would like in ? questions, while ?questions ask respondents to choose between two or more options.
- likert scale - open ended - forced choice
When observers' knowledge of the research hypothesis influences how they record their observations, ? occurs. when participants change their behavior based on perceived expectations from the observer, it is called ?. when people change their behavior based on the presence of someone else, this is known as ?
- observer bias - observer effects - reactivity
Which of the following strategies will increase interrater reliability in observational studies? - refine the codebook to clearly define the rating scales - use unobtrusive observations or data - wait until the participants get acclimated to your presence - train observers to rate behaviors
- refine the codebook to clearly define the rating scales - train observers to rate behaviors
If respondents become fatigued or are unengaged in a survey, they may answer questions in a general pattern without really considering their honest responses. This is known as using a(n) ?. If respondents continually select "yes," they are participating in ?. If respondents select all middle options, they are participating in ?. With sensitive topics, sometimes respondents answer in a way that aligns with what they believe everyone else thinks, in a way that makes them look good, or in a way they think the researcher would like them to answer. This is called ?
- response set - acquiescence - fence sitting - socially desirable responding
DeAndre is a researcher who wants to understand the effect that a going-out-of-business sale has on customer purchases. He walks around a store with a notebook, jotting down his observations of customer behavior. After a while he begins to notice that when customers see him writing, they put down the object they are looking at and walk away. Which of the following strategies may be helpful in addressing the issue DeAndre is experiencing? - dress like an employee of the store - use a masked design - create a codebook for shopping behaviors - wait for customers to stop noticing him - count the number of items customers buy based on receipts obtained from the store
helpful: - dress like an employee of the store - wait for customers to stop noticing him - count the number of items customers buy based on receipts obtained from the store not helpful: - use a masked design - create a codebook of shopping behaviors
Inwoo conducts a study examining the association between loneliness and comfort food consumption. She asks participants to write about the last time they felt lonely, and then tells them they are welcome to eat as many cookies as they want. Inwoo's research assistant marks down the number of cookies the participants ate while recalling their lonely experience. Inwoo observes that all participants ate most of the cookies available to them and becomes concerned that they understood the purpose of her study. Which of the following strategies would be helpful in addressing Inwoo's concern that participants guessed the purpose of her study? - sit in the room long enough before observing - use a masked design - use multiple observers - observe participants from behind a one way mirror
helpful: - use a masked design not helpful: - sit in the room long enough before observing - use multiple observers - observe participants from behind a one way mirror
A question in a survey or poll that contains negatively phrased statements, making its wording complicated or confusing and potentially weakening its construct validity.
negatively worded question
is this an example of a self- report or observational study? are women less likely than men to be addressed as "Dr." at an academic conference?
observational
is this an example of a self- report or observational study? do babies spend more time with new items than with familiar ones?
observational
is this an example of a self- report or observational study? do more people wear face masks for protection in urban areas than in rural areas?
observational
change in behavior of study participants bc they are aware they are being watched
reactivity
true or false? if using hidden video recording, researchers should tell participants at the end of the study that they were filmed
true
true or false? it is ethical to observe people in a public place because people expect their behavior to be public, not private
true
true or false? when reporting observations from a public setting, researchers must not specifically identify the people they observed
true
an observation in a study made indirectly, through physical traces or behavior, or made by someone who is hidden or is posing as a bystander (making yourself less noticeable)
unobtrusive observations
what is the correct potential solution to this? Seo-yeon and her research assistants are told that the children participating in their study are particularly lively and friendly.
use a clear codebook
