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Give an example of a research question that could be tested using an experimental method.
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Do humans solve problems faster with caffeine? (e.g., Adult humans given caffeine navigate a maze faster than without caffeine.)
Define hindsight bias and provide an example.
Hindsight bias is the tendency to overestimate our ability to predict events after they have occurred. For example, believing we 'knew it all along' after seeing the outcome.
What role do theories play in psychological research?
Theories organize observations and predict outcomes, helping to generate hypotheses and guide research.
Why is it important to replicate scientific studies?
Replication helps ensure that the findings are reliable and not due to random chance or specific conditions of a single study.
Explain what hypothesis is in the context of psychological research.
A hypothesis is a testable prediction derived from a theory.
What is naturalistic observation and what are its advantages and disadvantages?
Naturalistic observation involves observing behavior in a natural setting without intervention. Pros: Describes behavior accurately. Cons: Limited in explaining behavior.
What are some common biases that can affect our intuitions about human behavior?
Hindsight bias, overconfidence bias, and perceiving order in random events.
Why is it important to use random assignment in experimental research?
Random assignment minimizes biases and confounding variables, ensuring that differences between groups are due to the independent variable.
What is the difference between an independent variable and a dependent variable in an experiment?
The independent variable is the factor that is manipulated, while the dependent variable is the measured outcome.
Describe a double-blind procedure and its significance in experimental research.
A double-blind procedure is when neither the participants nor the researchers know who belongs to which group. This minimizes biases and the placebo effect.
How can subtle wording influence the results of a survey?
Subtle wording can lead respondents to answer in a particular way, thus influencing the outcomes of the survey.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using surveys and interviews in psychological research?
Pros: Effective for accessing attitudes and beliefs. Cons: Subtle wording can influence results, and sampling bias can skew results.
Discuss the pros and cons of using case studies in psychological research.
Pros: Highlights what can happen, good for storytelling and framing questions. Cons: Non-replicable, risk of over-generalizing.
What is meant by the statement 'correlation is not causation'?
This means that while correlations suggest possible cause-effect relationships, they do not prove them.
What does it mean to 'operationalize' a question in psychological research?
Operationalizing a question involves transforming general questions into measurable and testable propositions.
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