Psychological Research & Research Ethics

What is hindsight bias?

• Convincing yourself that you knew/could have predicted the result after learning the results

• Having a sense of something before it happens

• Remembering the things you learned more recently over things you learned a longer time ago

• Only believing results that confirm what you already know

Why is replication a key feature of research studies?

• For answers to be reliable, they must be consistent across multiple studies

• You have to repeat every study to make sure you did it right

• There's no way to tell what the outcome is if you don't repeat the study

• You need to have test subjects from every area and demographic to have it be reliable

What does it mean to "operationalize" your question?

• Turning your question into something you can measure and test with experimentation and/or research

• To turn a question into an answer

• To come up with a research question once you already know the results

• To follow all the steps of the scientific method

What is a drawback to using case studies in research?

• By their nature, they can't be replicated

• They use too many subjects to be reliable

• They rely on self-reported results

• They show far too much observer bias

What is a benefit to using case studies in research?

• They highlight interesting stories that can lead to future research on similar subjects

• They use the scientific method

• They rely on self-reported results

• They completely escape observer bias

What does naturalistic observation NOT tell you?

• Why something happens

• How something happens

• When something happens

• If the situation will repeat

Why is the wording of a survey question important for creating validity in your study?

• Slight changes in wording can yield very different results from participants

• Some people don't speak English fluently

• Many people misunderstand questions

• Most surveys ask questions badly and get bad results

Why does random sampling help to control for possible bias in a research study?

• By choosing a random sample of participants, you ensure that more than just one group of people with certain strong beliefs answers

• It doesn't - there's no way to eliminate any bias in a study

• Choosing a random sample often gives you inconsistent results

• Research studies should only focus on random sampling because it's the only way to control for possible bias

What is the difference between an independent and dependent variable in an experiment?

• The independent variable is the variable experimenters manipulate, and the dependent variables are the things being tested or measured

• The dependent variable is the thing changing, and the independent variable is the things changing based on other factors

• Both dependent and independent variables change, but they don't influence one another

• Sir, this is a Wendy's.

What is the difference between a single-blind and double-blind study?

• In a single-blind study, only the participants don't know who is in the control group and who is in the experimental group. In a double-blind, the researchers don't know either

• In a single-blind study, only the researchers don't know who is in the control group and who is in the experimental group. In a double-blind, the participants don't know either

• In a single-blind study, only the dependent variables change, whereas the independent variables remain constant

• In a single-blind study, participants are only given the placebo. In a double-blind study, there is a control group given the placebo and an experimental group that isn't