Research Methods & Psychological Theories Flashcards

A researcher uses a single group of participants measured before and after an intervention with no control group. This design is called a:

Answer: Pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design

A one-group pretest-posttest design lacks a control group, making it pre-experimental and vulnerable to many threats to internal validity.

According to Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory, the central conflict during adolescence is:

Answer: Identity vs. role confusion

Erikson identified identity vs. role confusion as the core crisis of adolescence, during which individuals explore roles and develop a sense of self.

In factor analysis, the proportion of a variable's variance explained by the common factors is called:

Answer: Communality

Communality refers to the proportion of a variable's total variance that is accounted for by the extracted common factors.

Which defense mechanism involves attributing one's own unacceptable feelings to another person?

Answer: Projection

Projection is the unconscious attribution of one's own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or impulses onto another person.

A study finds r = 0.50 between stress and illness. What percentage of variance in illness is explained by stress?

Answer: 25%

The coefficient of determination (r²) equals 0.50² = 0.25, meaning stress explains 25% of the variance in illness.

Skinner's operant conditioning differs from Pavlov's classical conditioning primarily in that operant conditioning involves:

Answer: Behavior controlled by its consequences

Operant conditioning focuses on voluntary behaviors that are strengthened or weakened by their consequences (reinforcement or punishment).

The ethical principle of beneficence in psychological research most directly requires researchers to:

Answer: Maximize benefits and minimize risks to participants

Beneficence obligates researchers to actively promote participant well-being and minimize potential harm.