Fundamentals of Psychological Research and Concepts Quiz

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes, exploring patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior.

Mathematical research is not a standard research method in psychology, which typically involves empirical methods like experiments, surveys, and observations.

Informed consent ensures that participants are fully aware of the research's nature, purpose, and potential risks before agreeing to participate.

Descriptive research involves observing and describing behavior without manipulating variables, providing a detailed account of phenomena.

A placebo is a substance or treatment with no therapeutic effect, often used in experimental studies as a control.

A control group in experimental research serves as a baseline for comparison, helping researchers assess the effects of the independent variable.

Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort resulting from holding contradictory beliefs or attitudes.

A confounding variable is an uncontrolled factor that can influence study results, introducing error or bias.

Random assignment helps control for confounding variables by ensuring that participants are equally likely to be in any experimental condition.

Qualitative research aims to explore and understand the richness and complexity of human behaviors and experiences.

Reliability in psychological measurement refers to the consistency and stability of the measurement over time, ensuring that it yields similar results in repeated trials.

A population is the entire group of interest, while a sample is a subset of that group used in research to draw conclusions about the population.

The correlation coefficient quantifies the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables in psychological research.

Quasi-experimental designs lack random assignment to groups, making them different from true experimental designs.