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PSY 220 Ch 2
Research Approaches and Methods of Data Collection
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| When one attempts to demonstarate cause and effect relationships by manipuations of the independent variable. | Experimental Research |
| Research that attempts to describe some phenomenon, event, or situation. | Descriptive Research |
| Study based on numbers. | Quantitative Research |
| Data consisting of numbers. | Numerical Data |
| Based on nonnumerical data. | Qualitative Research |
| Data consisting of pictures, words, statements, written recrods, or a description of situation or behavior. | Nonnumerical Data |
| Characteristic or phenomenon that can vary across or within organisms, situations or enviornments. | Variable |
| Variable that represents different type or kind. i.e. 'Gender' is made up of the categories 'male' and 'female' (lvl of measurment) | Categorical variable |
| A variable that varies in amount or degree of a phenomenon. i.e. 'Reaction time' numerical data. (lvl of measurment) | Quantitative variable |
| A variable that is presumed to cause changes to occur in another variable; it's the causal variable. | Independent variable (IV) |
| A variable that changes because of another variable; it's the effect or outcome variable; it's the variable that measures the effect of the causal variable. | Dependent variable (DV) |
| A variable that operates in between two other variables. It delineates the intervening process through which one variable affects another variable. | Mediating variable |
| A variable that specifies how a relationship of interest changes under different conditions or circumstances. "according to" (changes the whole nature of the the experiment.) | Moderator variable |
| A variable that can compete with the IV in explaining an outcome. | Extraneous variable |
| Changes in one variable produces changes in another variable. | Cause-and-effect relationship |
| Manipulation of one event produces another event. | Causation |
| The factor that makes something exist or change. | Cause |
| Difference between what would happen and what did happen when a treatment was administered | Effect |
| Objective observation of a phenomenon that are made to occur in a strictly controlled situation in which one or more factors are varied and others constant. | Psychological Experiment |
| Active intervention by researchers that is expected to produce changes in the DV. | Manipulation |
| A type of extraneous variable taht if not controlled will eliminated reserachers' ability to claim IV causes changes to DV. | Confounding variable |
| The consequences of manupulating IV. | Causal description |
| The mechanisms through which a causal relationship operates. | Causal explanation |
| An experimental research study that is conducted in a real-life setting. | Field Experiment |
| Experimental research study that is conducted in a controlled enviornment of a lab. | Laboratory Experiment |
| Experimental research study that is conducted over the Internet. | Internet Experiment |
| A type of quantitative research study in which the IV is not manipulated by the researcher. | Nonexperimental Quantitative Research |
| Nonexperimental research study based on describing relationships among variables and making predictions. | Correlational Study |
| Observed relationships between variables is actually due to a confounding extraneous variable. | 3rd Variable Problem |
| Research where the researcher hypothesize a theorhetical causal model amd then empirically tests the model. Web diagram. | Path Analysis |
| Effect of one variable directly on another. Single arrow in a path model. | Direct effect |
| Effect through mediating variable. | Indirect effect |
| IV approximates a naturally occuring manipulation but is not manipulated by the researcher. AKA Ex post facto research/ natural experiment/quasi-experiment. These names means that it is "kind of" an experiment | Natural Manipulation Research |
| Study conducted as a single time period and data is collected from multiple groups; data are collected during a single, brief time period. | Cross-Sectional Study |
| Data collected at two or more points over a long period of time. | Longitudinal Study |
| Design that combines cross-sectional and logitudinal elemnets by following two more more age groups over time. It kind of eliminates the age-cohort effect. | Cohort-Sequential Design |
| Interpretive research approach relying on multiple types of subjective data and investigation of people in particular situations in their natural enviornments. | Qualitative research |
| Use of multiple data sources, research methods, investigations, theories, perspectives to cross-check and corroborate research data and conclusions. | Triangulation |
| Technique for phsucally obtaining the data to be analyzed in a research study. | Method of data collection |
| Standardized or researcher-constructed data collection instruments designed to measure personality, aptitude, achievment, and performance. | Tests |
| Self-reporting data collection instrument completed by research participants. | Questionnaire |
| Data collection method in which an interviewer asks the interviewee a series of questions, often with prompting for additional information. | Interview |
| Collection of data in a group situation where a moderator leads a discussion with a small group of people. | Focus Group |
| Researcher watches and records events or behavioral patterns of people. | Observation |
| Observation conducted in real-world situations. | Naturalistic observation |
| Observation conducted in lab setting set up by the resaercher. | Laboratory observation |
| Observations are recorded during preselected time intervals. | Time-Interval sapling |
| Observations are recorded every time a particular event occurs. | Event sampling |
| List the four in least-qualitative (complete observer) to most-qualitiative (most participant) observation in nature. | 1. Complete observer:observes without telling anyone. 2. Observer-as-participant:Obtains a little consent 3. Participant-as-observer:observer informs others about study and is involved. 4. Complete participant:fully involved in study and is being studi |
| Collection of data that were left behind or originally used for something different than the current research study. | Existing or secondary data |
| Personal and official documents that were left behind/ | Document |
| Any material thing created or left behind by humans that might provide clues to some event or phenomenon. | Physical data |
| Data originally used for a different research project. Usually quantitative. | Archived research data. |
| What is the difference between experimental and descriptive research? | Experimental research identifies cause-and-effect relationships by conducting controlled psychological experiments. Descriptive research focuses on describing the phenomenon. |
| What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative research? | Quantitative research deals with numerical data. Qualitative research deals with nonnumerical data. |
| Identify and describe the various (7) types of variables that can be used in research. | Categorical, Quantitative, IV, DV, Mediating, Moderating, Extraneous/Confounding/3rd variable |
| What is the difference between and extraneous and independent variabe? | Independent variable is the variable that causes the outcome whereas the extraneous variable is another possible reason that is not related to the IV. |
| Why do we want to eliminate the influence of extraneous variables? | Because they may conflict with our independent variable. |
| When would we want to investigate the role of a mediating vs. a moderating variable? | A mediating variable describes a direct link between the IV and DV. A moderating variable can help explain the relationship by measuring what is causing the IV to affect the DV. |
| What is the difference between a cause and an effect? | The cause is the reason something happens. The effect is the difference between what would have happen and what did happen when the cause is used. |
| How is an effect identified? | The effect is identified by comparing two groups one that is exposed to treatment and one that is not. A true effect cannot be determined because one group cannot be exposed and unexposed at the same time. |
| What 3 conditions must exist to have identified the cause of something? | 1. Relationship condition: IV related to DV 2. Temporal order condition: IV must happen before DV 3. No alternative explanation condition: No other reason for relationship exists. |
| What is the difference between causal description and causal explanation? | Causal description: consequences of manipulating IV Causal explanation: mechanism through causal relationship operates. |
| Why is an experiment considered to be artificial? | Because the experiment is set up exactly how the researcher designs it to prove their hypothesis. |
| What are the advantages and limitations of field, lab, and Internet experiments? | Field: adv-most natural disadv-less control of extraneous variables Lab: adv-most controll disadv-artificiality Internet: adv-cheap;larger samples;easy to access disadv:larger drop-out rate;self-selection;less control;mult. submissions |
| Identify and define each (3) of the nonexperimental quantitative research techniques. | -Correlational: measuring the relationship bt 2 var. (direct/indirect effects-3rd var.) -Natural manipulation: IV may be caused naturally and not manipulated by researcher (hair color & intelligence) -Cross-sectional/Longitudinal: measuring data over ti |
| What is the third variable problem? | When the relationship between two variables is actually due to another extraneous variable instead of being directly affected. |
| When would you use path anaylsis? | When observing a correlational study. |
| What is the difference between a direct and indirect effect? | Indirect effect: effect through mediating variable |
| What is the difference between experimental and natural manipulation research? | Experimental research: The IV is controlled by the researcher Natural manipulation research: the IV is not controlled by researcher |
| When would you use a cohort sequential design and what problem does it solve? | When there is a age cohort problem in which either observing one person's age through a long period of time and observing several people of different age groups produces results that are too different to be generalized. |
| What is the unique characterisitc of qualitiative research? | It is subjective and open to interpretation. |
| Identify and describe the various types of data collection procedures (6) | Tests Questionnaires Interviews Focus groups Observation Existing data |
| What is the difference between time and event sampling? | Time: The time at which the event occurs. Event: every instance an event occurs |