Research Methods in Psychology

Review Questions

Quick Review

Research Methods in Psychology Quiz

Review Questions

1. What are some features of good scientific research?

Good scientific research must have precise hypotheses, replicability, falsifiable theories and hypotheses, and parsimonious explanations.

2. What is sampling bias?

Sampling bias is a type of error that occurs when a sample isn’t representative of the population from which it is drawn.

3. Why might it be problematic to rely only on self-report data when doing research?

Self-report data can be misleading. People sometimes intentionally lie, give answers based on wishful thinking, don’t understand the questions asked, or don’t remember information.

4. Why is it problematic to draw cause-and-effect conclusions based on correlative data?

We cannot draw cause-and-effect conclusions about correlative data because one factor can be related to another factor without causing it.

5. What does it mean if a researcher claims that a particular result is statistically significant?

If a result is statistically significant, it is probably not due to chance.