Chat with AIExam 2: The Science of Social Psychology
What is descriptive research? Briefly define two types of descriptive research.
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Answered by Examlex AI CopilotDescriptive research is a type of research that aims to accurately and systematically describe a population, situation, or phenomenon. It provides information about the "what," "where," and "when" of a subject, but not the "why." Descriptive research is used to identify characteristics, frequencies, trends, and categories. It is often the first step before conducting more in-depth research.
Two types of descriptive research are:
1. **Surveys**: Surveys are a common descriptive research method that involves collecting data from a sample of individuals through their responses to questions. The questions can be open-ended or closed-ended and can be delivered in various formats such as online questionnaires, face-to-face interviews, or telephone interviews. Surveys are useful for gathering data on people's opinions, attitudes, preferences, or behaviors. The results can provide a snapshot of how a particular group thinks or acts at a given point in time.
2. **Observational Studies**: Observational studies involve the systematic recording of observable phenomena or behaviors in their natural setting. This type of research can be either non-participant, where the researcher does not interact with the subjects, or participant, where the researcher engages with the subjects. Observational studies are often used in social sciences, anthropology, or biology. They can be structured, with specific criteria and systematic data collection, or unstructured, with more flexibility in what is recorded. Observational studies are valuable for understanding processes as they naturally occur, without the influence of experimental manipulation.
When an operational definition is valid this suggests that it measures what it is supposed to measure.
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A researcher would like to investigate whether sleep is related to quality of life.What type of research method would allow him to explore the association between sleep and quality of life? Identify a limitation to the conclusions he could draw from his findings using this method.
(37) Answered by Examlex AI CopilotA researcher interested in investigating the relationship between sleep and quality of life could employ several research methods, but a correlational study would be particularly well-suited to explore the association between these two variables.
In a correlational study, the researcher would collect data on participants' sleep patterns (such as duration, quality, and consistency) and their quality of life, which could be measured through standardized questionnaires that assess various aspects of well-being, physical health, mental health, social functioning, and overall life satisfaction. The researcher would then analyze the data to determine if there is a statistical relationship between sleep and quality of life, and the strength and direction of this relationship.
One of the key advantages of a correlational study is that it can handle naturally occurring variables without manipulating them, which can be more ethical and practical in many situations. Additionally, this method can handle large sample sizes and can provide insights into the potential connections between variables that can be further explored in experimental research.
However, a significant limitation of correlational research is that it does not establish causation. Even if the researcher finds a strong association between sleep and quality of life, they cannot conclusively determine whether poor sleep causes a lower quality of life, whether a lower quality of life leads to poor sleep, or whether a third variable might be influencing both (such as stress, health conditions, or socioeconomic status). This limitation is often summarized by the phrase "correlation does not imply causation."
To address this limitation, the researcher could consider conducting longitudinal studies to observe changes over time, or experimental studies where sleep patterns are manipulated to more directly assess causal effects on quality of life. However, these methods come with their own sets of limitations and ethical considerations, especially when manipulating sleep, which is a critical biological need.
Why do researchers have to guard against participant and experimenter bias? Describe one way researchers can avoid these problems.
(36) When neither the experimenter nor the participant knows who is in the experimental group and who is in the control group,this is known as ______________.
(31) A _____________ is a general framework for understanding a concept that allows us to describe,predict,and explain events.
(23) Peggy does not provide research participants with a full explanation of her hypothesis after her study is complete Peggy has failed to obtain what is known as informed consent.
(28) Describe how a matched samples design can help researchers avoid the third variable problem.
(30) Daniel cheated on his college history exam and believes that,like himself,almost every student cheats on an exam at least once or twice.Assuming he is incorrect,Daniel's tendency to overestimate the extent to which others cheat is known as _______________.
(32) When experts in a field review and comment on other colleagues' work,this is known as _______________.
(33) When a hypothesis is not supported by the data this means that it false.
(30) You want to conduct a study looking at the relationship between exercise and stress.You hypothesize that people who report exercising more will also report lower levels of stress.Using this example,describe how you would operationally define the variables of interest for this study.
(36) A researcher is testing a new drug designed to improve weight loss.Describe how she should design her study to avoid the placebo effect.In your answer,be sure to describe the placebo effect.
(30) At the end of a study,researchers are required to provide information to a participant about the hypotheses being tested,any deception that was used,and reasons for the use of deception.This process is termed _____________.
(31) Which of the following statements is most accurate about descriptive research?
(39) One reason random assignment is considered important in experimental research is because
(39) Christine conducted a study looking at how images of thin female bodies influenced participants' views of their own body.She told participants as much as she could before the study began but had to use some deception.Participants were told that their job was to look at a series of images of women and rate the appeal of the clothing being worn.Afterwards she had participants fill out questionnaires,including a measure of body dissatisfaction.Once participants filled out the questionnaires,she thanked them and sent them on their way.What ethical guideline did Christine fail to follow?
(37) Identify the major problem with the following hypothesis: "Bad parenting leads children to behave rudely." Briefly describe how you would re-phrase this hypothesis to make it testable.
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