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Research Methods and Ethics Flashcards

7 cards from real Psychology Degree practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Research Methods and Ethics flashcards as text

  1. Which of the following scenarios most clearly illustrates selection bias?

    Answer: Only self-referred volunteers join a study on depression

    Selection bias occurs when the sample is not representative because who joins the study is systematically different from the broader population.

  2. A psychologist wants to understand the lived experience of survivors of natural disasters. Which methodology is most appropriate?

    Answer: Phenomenological qualitative study

    Phenomenological research explores individuals' subjective lived experiences in depth, ideal for understanding disaster survivorship.

  3. What is the purpose of counterbalancing in a within-subjects design?

    Answer: To control for carryover and order effects across conditions

    Counterbalancing varies the order of conditions across participants so that order effects do not systematically bias any one condition.

  4. A therapist-researcher publishes a case study about a client without changing any identifying details. Which ethical principle is violated?

    Answer: Confidentiality

    Publishing identifiable client information without consent violates confidentiality, one of the most fundamental obligations in psychology.

  5. In regression analysis, what does a standardized beta coefficient (β) represent?

    Answer: The change in Y in standard deviation units per one SD change in X

    Standardized beta (β) expresses the relationship in standard deviation units, allowing comparison of predictors measured on different scales.

  6. Observer drift in behavioral research refers to:

    Answer: Coders gradually shifting their application of coding criteria over time

    Observer drift occurs when raters unconsciously change their standards over the course of a study, reducing measurement consistency.

  7. Which of the following would most directly improve the external validity of a study?

    Answer: Recruiting a diverse, nationally representative sample

    External validity (generalizability) is enhanced when the sample broadly represents the population to which results will be applied.