Answers to Handouts I Module 2 I Research Strategies 83

ANSWERS TO HANDOUT 23
Matching
__________________________ 1. Studying the same group of individuals over a long period of time
__________________________ 2. A sample that fairly represents a population because each member
has an equal chance of being included
__________________________ 3. When participants in research respond differently than they normally
would because of what they believe the researcher wants
__________________________ 4. The entire group from which subjects may be selected for a study
__________________________ 5. When researchers selectively notice evidence that supports their
hypotheses or expectations
__________________________ 6. The participants in an experiment who are not exposed to the
independent variable
__________________________ 7. A research technique designed to discover the self-reported attitudes
or behaviors of people through the use of questionnaires or inter-
views
__________________________ 8. When one person is studied in depth
__________________________ 9. A research method in which the researcher manipulates one or more
factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on another
variable (dependent variable) while confounding variables remain
controlled
__________________________ 10. An investigators testable prediction about the outcome of research
__________________________ 11. A statement of the exact behaviors a researcher is looking for in a
research study
__________________________ 12. The research variable that is hypothesized to cause a change in the
dependent variable
__________________________ 13. The behavior or mental process where the impact of the independent
variable is measured
__________________________ 14. The participants in an experiment who are exposed to the treatment;
that is, the independent variable
__________________________ 15. Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance
__________________________ 16. A nonactive substance that may be administered instead of a drug
__________________________ 17. Repeating the essence of a research study to see whether the results
can be reliably reproduced
longitudinal study
random sampling
participant bias
population
research bias
control group
survey method
case study
experiment
hypothesis
operational definitions
independent variable
dependent variable
experimental group
random assignment
placebo
replication
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ANSWERS TO HANDOUT 24
Matching
Research Methods
Critical thinking: thinking that does not blindly accept
arguments and conclusions; rather, it examines assumptions,
discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses
conclusions
Researcher bias: a tendency for researchers to engage in
behaviors and selectively notice evidence that supports their
hypotheses or expectations
Participant bias: a tendency for research participants to
respond in a certain way because they know they are being
observed or they believe they know what the researcher
wants
Hypothesis: an investigators testable prediction
about the outcome of research
Operational definition: a specification of the exact
procedures used to make a variable specific and
measurable for research purposes
IV: the research variable that a researcher actively
manipulates, and if the hypothesis is correct, will
cause a change in the dependent variable
DV: the research variable that is influenced by the
independent variable; in psychology, the behavior or
mental process where the impact of the IV is
measured
Random assignment and groups: assigning partici-
pants to experimental and control groups by chance,
thus minimizing preexisting differences among those
assigned to different groups
Confounding variables: in an experiment, a variable,
other than the IV, that could influence the dependent
variable. Researchers must control for confounding
variables.
Ethics
Four basic principles: 1) Informed consentpar-
ticipants must be informed of the general
nature of the study. 2) Right to be protected
from harm and discomfort. 3) Right to confi-
dentialitydata from individual participants
cannot be released. 4) Right to debriefing
participants must receive a full explanation of
the research they were involved in.
Naturalistic
Observation
observing and record-
ing behavior in natu-
rally occurring situa-
tions without trying
to manipulate and
control the
situation
Case
Studies
a research technique
in which one person
is studied in depth in
the hope of revealing
universal principles
Positive correlation:
a correlation that
shows a direct relation-
ship between two vari-
ables; both variables
increase or decrease in
the same direction
Negative correlation: a
correlation that shows
an inverse relationship
between two variables;
as one variable increas-
es, the other decreases
Correlation does
NOT mean
causation!
Correlations
Population: all cases in
a group from which
samples may be drawn
for a study
random sample: a
sample that fairly rep-
resents a population
because each member
has an equal chance of
inclusion
Surveys
Experiments
84 Answers to Handouts I Module 2 I Research Strategies
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