Psychological Research - Crash Course Psychology

The video explores the role of intuition in psychology, highlighting biases like hindsight bias and overconfidence. It explains the scientific method, focusing on operationalizing questions and forming hypotheses. Various research methods, including case studies, naturalistic observation, and surveys, are discussed, emphasizing the importance of avoiding sampling bias. The video differentiates correlation from causation and explains experimental design, including variable manipulation and the importance of control groups. It concludes with a practical example of testing caffeine's effect on problem-solving.

What is hindsight bias?

• The tendency to overestimate one's ability to predict outcomes

• The belief that past events were more predictable than they actually were

• The inclination to trust one's intuition over scientific evidence

• The tendency to perceive patterns in random events

Why is it important to operationalize questions in psychological research?

• To turn questions into measurable and testable propositions

• To ensure questions are subjective

• To make questions more complex

• To avoid using scientific methods

What is the role of replication in scientific research?

• To avoid using the scientific method

• To ensure experiments are conducted quickly

• To confirm the reliability of findings across different studies

• To make experiments more complex

What is a limitation of case studies in psychological research?

• They require a large number of participants

• They are not useful for generating hypotheses

• They cannot be replicated and may lead to overgeneralization

• They are too expensive to conduct

How can subtle word choices in surveys influence results?

• They have no impact on survey results

• They can lead to biased responses

• They make surveys more difficult to understand

• They ensure all participants interpret questions the same way

Why is random sampling important in surveys?

• To ensure the survey is completed quickly

• To avoid sampling bias and fairly represent a population

• To make the survey more interesting

• To ensure only certain groups are represented

What is the main difference between correlation and causation?

• Causation implies correlation

• Causation predicts the possibility of a relationship but does not prove it

• Correlation implies causation

• Correlation predicts the possibility of a relationship but does not prove it

What is the purpose of a control group in an experiment?

• To manipulate the independent variable

• To serve as a baseline for comparison with the experimental group

• To ensure all participants receive the same treatment

• To receive the experimental treatment

What is a double-blind procedure?

• When neither the participants nor the researchers are involved in the experiment

• When only the participants are unaware of the treatment they receive

• When only the researchers know who receives the treatment

• When both participants and researchers are unaware of who receives the treatment

What is the independent variable in an experiment?

• The variable that is measured

• The variable that is manipulated

• The variable that remains constant

• The variable that is dependent on other factors