AP Psychology: Research Methods – Flashcards
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dependent variable
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the factor being measured
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g. stanley hall
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-functionalist -learned form wundt & william james -founded APA
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measures of central tendancy
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-describe the average or most typical scores for a set of numbers -mode (bimodal & multimodal) -median -mean
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max wetheimer
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-gestalt psychologist -phi phenomenon: illusion of movement due to rapid successions of visual stimuli
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anthropometrics
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measurements & study of human body and it's parts and capasity
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measures of variability
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-the spread or dispersion of scores for a set of numbers -range -variance -standard deviation
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wilhelm wundt
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separated psychology from philosophy & physiology
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william james
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-considered founder of U.S psychology - wrote first psychology book -founder of functionalism
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independent variable
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the factor that expirimentor manipulates or changes
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aristotle
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believed that knowledge came from the heart
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statistically significant
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when inferential statistics demonstrate a high probility that research results are not due to chance
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advantages of cross-sectional research
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-samples usually represents pop. as a whole -saves money & time (when compared to logitudinal)
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inferential statistics
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attempt to make inferences about a larger pop. based on a data set
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advantages of longitudinal studies
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-provides informal info. needed for specific types of research (development)
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descriptive statistics
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-organize & summerize data in a set of research -organized into a frequency distribution
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error prevention
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this is the study of human error & it's predicitablility -for the purposed of preventing errors through good design
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seven perspectives of eclecticism
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-biological -evolutionary -cognitive -psychodynamic -humanistic -behavioral -social culutral
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cognitive perspective
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thoughts/actions come from how we interpret our expirences
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disadvantages or case studies
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-info. gained about one person can't be generalized to the larger population -subjects may not be honest
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sigmund freud
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believed feelings came from hidden place in the mind (unconcious)
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validity
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a psychological test that accurately measures what it's being used to measure
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evolutionary perspective
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-from darwin's ideas -suggests that human traits are passed down from ancestors in order to survive
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disadvantages of longitudinal studies
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-expensive -time consuming -deals with mortality, drop-cuts, & carry over -cross generational effects
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standard deviation
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statistic that tells you how tightly all the various examples are clustered around the mean in the set of data
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psychoanalysis
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hidden feelings in subconscious (freud)
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psychodynamic perspective
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past effects future behaviors
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variables
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-independent variable -dependent variable -extrannious/confounding variables -ex post facto
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humanistic perspective
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postive side of human nature free will
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types of descriptive research
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-case studies -surveys -naturalistic observation -longitudinal -cross-sectional -interview
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plato
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-government influenced individual behavior -believed that knowledge come from reflectio & thinking (brain)
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descriptive research
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to observe & record behavior
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weaknesses of descriptive research
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-no control of variables -single cases may be misleading
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counter balance
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-controls the effects of extraneous variables
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structuralism
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-study of consious mind -complex substances could be separated & analyzed
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ex post facto
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research in which we choose subjects based on pre-existing conditions
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human computer interaction
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this is the study of how humans interact with computers -used to improve computer applications & hardware designs
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psychobabble
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appears to be psychological but is actually psuedoscientific & vague
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advantages of naturalistic observation
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behavior studies are completely natural
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disadvantages of interview
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-subjects responses may not be honest - researcher bias can influence behavior
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case study
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collect long term detailed information about a person's background
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advantages of interview
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a researcher can get personal detailed information
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no correlation
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variables do not affect one another
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types of descriptive research
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-case studies -surveys -naturalistic obsrvations -longitudinal -cross-sectional -interview
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correlations
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-tells the degree that two variables are related -correlationis not causation
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basic research
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investigates issues in order to confirm or disconfirm a theory -aquire info.
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applied research
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investigates problems based in the real world... goal is to directly solve a real world problem
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field setting
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-gives a more actual look at patients because they are in their natural habitat -researcher has less control
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control group
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-group that does not expirence the independent variable -does not participate in critical part
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laws of large numbers
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the larger the group, the greater the liklihood that it will accurately portray the characteristics of a general population
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negative correlation
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as one number increases the other decreases
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extraneous or confounding variables
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an unwanted variable that influences independent & dependent variables -adds error to an expiriment
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expirimental group
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-group that expirences the independent variable - or the group that is the critical part of the expiriment
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double-blind procedure
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both the participant and the administrator are unaware of the condition that the participant is assigned in the expiriment
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confederate
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someone who is in on the expiriment but pretends to know nothing about it
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subject expectancy
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a subjects thought they knew what was going to happen so they behavave accordingly (placebo)
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correlational research
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-to detect naturally occuring relationships -assess how one varible predicts another
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random sample
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pop. has an equal chance of being selected for the study
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phrenology
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the shape of the skull/bumps reveals mental/character traits
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bias
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refers to non-random effects caused by some factors unrelated to the research hypothesis
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positive correlation
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as one number increases the other increases
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personal/expirimental bias
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-the researcher allowing personal beliefs to affect the outcome of a study -often not a concious act -can be avoided by using a double-blind format
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advantages of a case study
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provides background information that may shed light on present behavior
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john locke
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-disliked rene decartes ideas -minds are blank at birth (tabula rasa)
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correlational research weaknesses
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-does not specifically cause & effect -correlation is no causation
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disadvantages of survey
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-sample may not represent population -question may not be phrased objectively -intrepration of results maybe distorted
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longitudnal
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studies some group of people after an extended period of time
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cross-sectional
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studies different age groups in order to understand changes that occur during life
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normal distribution
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-bell curve -a set of data that is close to the mean while relatively few are on the other ends
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naturalistic obsevation
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researcher studies subjects without them being aware that their being watched
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scatterplot
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x & y scores are plotted on the graph
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mean
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average of a set of scores (most commonly used in central tendancy) (add all the numbers/total numbers)
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rene decartes
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-belieced in individualism -born with ideas
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behaviorism
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-how you act -can be measured
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john b watson & b.f skinner
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famous behaviorists
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median
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the middle score when the set of data is organized by size
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mode
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-most frequently occuring score (the least used measure of central tendancy) -bimodal/mulitmodal
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dualism
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-1 part mental -1 part physical
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pseudoscience
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false science
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eclecticism
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taking two or more theories of psychology
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hindsight bias
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- i knew it all along effect -after learnig the outcome of an event, many people believe that they could have predicted that outcome
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franz joseph gall
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promoted phrenology
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functionalism
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-why does the mind work the way that it does? -applied psychologist
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psychology
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study of human thought & actions
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human factors psychology
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combines psychology & product design
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disadvantages of cross-sectional studies
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-generation effects -may not work for studies on development over time
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operational definitions
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stated in terms of how the concepts are to be measured or what operations are being empasized
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range
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the largest score - the lowest score
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skews
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negative skew (left foot) right skew (right foot)
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expirimental research
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-to explore cause & effect -manipulate independent variables
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interview
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studing people face to face & ask questions
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introspection
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-participants gave verbal reports -may not have been reliable because participants could be manipulated by expirimentor
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disadvantages of naturalistic observations
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-research can't interact with subjects -researchers may not interpret their behavior correctly
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sampling
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used to select subjects
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goals of human factors psychology
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-to design products & tools to make things eaiser for people -design products with user in mind -make technology adapt to the humans not vice versa
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lab setting
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-gives researchers greater control over variables -does not replicate real-world environment
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charles darwin
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suggests biological kinship between humans & animals
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advantages of surveys
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researchers can gather a great deal of information in a shot period of time (cheaply)
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outliers
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extreme scores that effect the mean
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survey
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-asks subjects questions -can be done in a variety of ways -cheap
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behavioral perspective
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how we act & why we do things
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sociocultural perspective
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-social influence -behavior can be influenced by culture
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reliability
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a psychological test that gives consistant results
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ergonomics
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branch of science that deals with the relation between workers & their environments
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Barnum effect
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tendancy for people to accept very general or vague characterizations of themselves & believe them to be accurate
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physiology
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study of human biological functioning
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biopsychological perspective
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-physical make up & how it influences personality & behavior -search for causes in behavior w/ heribility, nervous system, endocrine, diseases, etc.
