Psych 1X03: Research Methods Exam
Questions Fully Solved.
Scientific Method - Answer The formal methods, primarily the set of techniques and
concepts, used to examine and answer questions of a scientific nature. It ensures reliable and
meaningful research.
1) Construct a theory
2) Generate a hypothesis
3) Choose a research method
4) Collect Data
5) Analyze data
6) Report the findings
7) Revise existing theories
Theory - Answer A set of statements or principles that try to relate and explain a set of
observations
Hypothesis - Answer Testable statements by theories that make specific predictions about
the relationships between variables
Research Method - Answer The method of testing for the hypothesis
Collecting data - Answer Take measurements of the outcomes of the test
Analyze data - Answer Understand the data and discover trends or relationships between
variables
Report findings - Answer Publish articles in scholarly journals (rigorous review process by
experts to ensure scholarly, accurate and meaningful)
Revise Theories - Answer Incorporate new info into our understanding of the world
Paradigm - Answer A set of assumptions and ideas about what kind of research questions
can be asked and how they can be answered
Paradigm shift - Answer A fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions
, Anecdotal Evidence - Answer Information or evidence gathered from others or from one's
own experiences
Is insufficient to draw scientific conclusion:
1. Single experiemnce may not be representitive
2. Personal experiemnce may not represent others
3. Cannot be sure that result is due to __ alone.
Experiment - Answer Scientific tool used to measure the effects of one variable on another
Pro: Researcher has strict control over manipulation of variables and setting; allows for high
accuracy in drawing conclusions of cause and effect relationships
Con: Setting can be artificial and results may not translate to those found in natural settings;
due to ethical and moral constraints many experiments cannot be conducted in this
environment
Participants - Answer The persons whose behaviour is systematicallly studied or observed in
a study or experiment
Experimental Group - Answer The participants in a study who receive the manipulation in
regard to the IDV
Control Group - Answer A group of individuals designed to serve as an accurate comparison
in an experiment.
-There should be minimal differences between control and experimental group
Independant Variable (IDV) - Answer A variable that is controlled or manipulated in an
experiment
Dependent Variable (DV) - Answer A variable that is measured in an experiment
4 Basic rules of Scientific Inquiry - Answer 1) Parsimony
2) Natural Order
3) Generalizability
Questions Fully Solved.
Scientific Method - Answer The formal methods, primarily the set of techniques and
concepts, used to examine and answer questions of a scientific nature. It ensures reliable and
meaningful research.
1) Construct a theory
2) Generate a hypothesis
3) Choose a research method
4) Collect Data
5) Analyze data
6) Report the findings
7) Revise existing theories
Theory - Answer A set of statements or principles that try to relate and explain a set of
observations
Hypothesis - Answer Testable statements by theories that make specific predictions about
the relationships between variables
Research Method - Answer The method of testing for the hypothesis
Collecting data - Answer Take measurements of the outcomes of the test
Analyze data - Answer Understand the data and discover trends or relationships between
variables
Report findings - Answer Publish articles in scholarly journals (rigorous review process by
experts to ensure scholarly, accurate and meaningful)
Revise Theories - Answer Incorporate new info into our understanding of the world
Paradigm - Answer A set of assumptions and ideas about what kind of research questions
can be asked and how they can be answered
Paradigm shift - Answer A fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions
, Anecdotal Evidence - Answer Information or evidence gathered from others or from one's
own experiences
Is insufficient to draw scientific conclusion:
1. Single experiemnce may not be representitive
2. Personal experiemnce may not represent others
3. Cannot be sure that result is due to __ alone.
Experiment - Answer Scientific tool used to measure the effects of one variable on another
Pro: Researcher has strict control over manipulation of variables and setting; allows for high
accuracy in drawing conclusions of cause and effect relationships
Con: Setting can be artificial and results may not translate to those found in natural settings;
due to ethical and moral constraints many experiments cannot be conducted in this
environment
Participants - Answer The persons whose behaviour is systematicallly studied or observed in
a study or experiment
Experimental Group - Answer The participants in a study who receive the manipulation in
regard to the IDV
Control Group - Answer A group of individuals designed to serve as an accurate comparison
in an experiment.
-There should be minimal differences between control and experimental group
Independant Variable (IDV) - Answer A variable that is controlled or manipulated in an
experiment
Dependent Variable (DV) - Answer A variable that is measured in an experiment
4 Basic rules of Scientific Inquiry - Answer 1) Parsimony
2) Natural Order
3) Generalizability
