PSYC 1F90 Research methods Exam Questions and Answers

PSYC 1F90 Research methods Exam Questions and Answers What is our working definition of psychology -Answer-the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes What behaviours and mental processes do psychologists study? -Answer--memory -mental health/illness -sexual behaviour What does it mean to study behaviour and mental processes scientifically? -Answer- scholars show diversity in answering this question What are the benefits of studying behaviour and mental processes scientifically? - Answer--avoid personal/conformational bias -avoid claims that do not generalize to a broader group or set of conditions . What kinds of variation do psychologists study? -Answer-1. Variation between people (intelligence, social behaviour) 2. Variation in one person across situations (people behave differently with parents vs. friends) 3.Variation in one person overtime What factors create variation in behaviour and mental processes? -Answer-The biopsychosocial model helps us create variation: -biological factors (genetics, hormones) -psychological factors (memory, depression, personality) -social factors (culture, community, family) How do we measure variation in behaviour and mental processes? -Answer-behaviours and mental processes can vary between and within individuals, so we call them variables What types of variables are studied in true experiments? -Answer-independent and dependent variables What are the key features of true experiments? -Answer--two (or more) groups of participants being compared -participants are randomly assigned* -groups differ only with respect to the independent variable (IV) -measure the DV and compare the average group scores on the DV What are the main types of non-experimental methods, and what are their key features? -Answer--quasi experiments -case studies -correlational studies What are non-experimental methods (their purpose)? -Answer-their purpose is to examine relationships between 2 or more variables, and they cannot make cause and effect claims What is your role as a researcher? -Answer--being a collaborator, mutually educating one another OR - researcher is seen as an expert, making all decisions, what questions to ask, what to do with the data. (very little consultation) What do you believe about the people participating in your research? -Answer-- collaborators in the research is how some people view participants, holistic view, deeply connected to their environment -some researchers view participants only as people who provide data, not as collaborators What methods should be used to gather information (data)? -Answer--interviews, questionnaire/survey, physiological measures (heart rate), story telling, observation What is the challenge of measuring variables that asses behaviour and mental processes? and what is the solution to this? -Answer-challenge: many behaviours and mental processes of interest (e.g. shyness, memory) are abstracts and cannot be seen solution: operational definitions (express abstract behaviours and mental processes as something) What is the purpose of a (true) experiment? -Answer--to test questions and hypothesis about cause and effect What does a true experiment allow us to do? -Answer-true experiments allow for us to claim changes in one variable are responsible for changes in another variable First variable in true experiments -Answer--the first variable (independent variable) is believed to cause a change in the second variable -the independent variable is controlled and manipulated by researcher