All Flashcards
Compare descriptive, correlational, and experimental research methods.
Descriptive research observes, correlational research finds relationships, and experimental research manipulates variables to find cause-and-effect.
Compare internal and external validity.
Internal validity is about whether the IV caused the DV change; external validity is about generalizability to the real world.
Compare the strengths of experimental vs. correlational research.
Experimental research can determine cause and effect, while correlational research can work with large datasets and is useful when experiments are unethical.
Compare the weaknesses of experimental vs. correlational research.
Experimental research may not generalize and can raise ethical concerns, while correlational research cannot determine cause and effect.
Compare case studies and naturalistic observations.
Case studies involve an in-depth look at one person, while naturalistic observations study real-world behavior.
Compare the use of surveys and experiments in research.
Surveys are used to collect data on attitudes and opinions, while experiments are used to test cause-and-effect relationships.
Compare the role of independent and dependent variables in experimental research.
The independent variable is manipulated by the researcher, while the dependent variable is measured to see if it is affected by the independent variable.
Compare the goals of correlational studies and experiments.
Correlational studies aim to identify relationships between variables, while experiments aim to determine if one variable causes changes in another.
Compare the use of random assignment and random sampling in research.
Random assignment is used in experiments to assign participants to different groups, while random sampling is used to select participants from a population.
Compare the importance of controlling confounding variables in experimental and correlational research.
Controlling confounding variables is crucial in both types of research, but it is especially important in experimental research to establish a causal relationship.
What is the effect of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance?
Sleep deprivation can lead to decreased cognitive performance.
What is the effect of random assignment on controlling confounding variables?
Random assignment helps distribute participant characteristics evenly across groups, reducing the likelihood of confounding variables.
What is the effect of using the new social media app on teenagers' self-esteem (according to the FRQ example)?
Using the new social media app was found to cause significantly lower self-esteem scores.
What is the effect of manipulating the independent variable in an experiment?
It allows researchers to determine if changes in the independent variable cause changes in the dependent variable.
What is the effect of confounding variables on the interpretation of research results?
Confounding variables can lead to incorrect conclusions about the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.
What is the effect of increased stress levels on academic performance (according to the example)?
Increased stress levels tend to decrease academic performance.
What is the effect of incentives on reading scores (according to the AP Question example)?
Incentives may be related to reading scores, but causation cannot be inferred without an experiment.
What is the effect of controlling variables in an experiment?
It helps to isolate the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable.
What is the effect of a placebo in an experiment?
It helps to control for participant expectations and biases.
What is the effect of using surveys in research?
Surveys allow researchers to collect data from a large number of participants quickly and cheaply.
Explain the concept of 'Correlation does not equal causation'.
Just because two variables change together doesn't mean one causes the other.
What is the importance of random assignment in experimental research?
Helps control for confounding variables by distributing participant characteristics evenly across groups.
Why is validity important in research?
Validity ensures the trustworthiness of research results.
Describe the basic purpose of descriptive research.
To observe and record behavior without manipulation.
Describe the basic purpose of correlational research.
To detect naturally occurring relationships between variables.
Describe the basic purpose of experimental research.
To explore cause and effect relationships by manipulating variables.
Explain the role of a control group in experimental research.
A control group serves as a comparison to the experimental group, helping to isolate the effect of the independent variable.
What is the impact of confounding variables on internal validity?
Confounding variables threaten internal validity by providing alternative explanations for the results.
Explain why experiments are useful to determine causation.
Experiments manipulate variables and use random assignment, allowing for causal inferences.
What is a key weakness of correlational studies?
Correlational studies cannot determine cause and effect.