Research Methods:
● What is an operational definition?
○ Statement about procedures researcher used to make a variable
○ Ex: observing behavior to measure level of gratitude
● What are the case study, survey, observation, correlational, and experimental
methods?
○ Case study - specific case usually revolving around 1 individual in an unusual
circumstance
○ Survey - collecting data via asking participants questions
○ Observation - observing the participants behavior with no influence from the
researcher
○ Correlational - testing to see if two things (quantitative data?) are related; find
correlation coefficient R
■ measures strength and direction of relationship between two variables
○ Experimental - testing the effect of an independent variable on the dependent;
influence from researchers → imposing something
● What is random sampling?
○ Everyone in the population has the same / equal chance of being selected
○ Can generalize to whole population
● What are positive and negative correlations?
○ Positive correlation - doing one thing is correlated with another thing; ex: more
hours studying has positive correlation with getting higher grades
■ Variables change in same direction
○ Negative correlation - doing one thing is not correlated with another thing; ex: the
more pets you have is not correlated with your grades
■ Variables change in opposite directions
● Does correlation indicate causation?
○ NO → there could be a 3rd variable we don’t know
● What is random assignment?
○ Randomly assigning participants to a group (variable group vs placebo)
● What are IVs and DVs?
○ Independent variable - the thing that is different (x)
■ Manipulated by experimenter
○ Dependent variable - what the independent variable affects (y)
■ Outcome variable
● What is experimental control?
○ Parts of experiments that are constant between each group to ensure no
confounding variables
■ Researcher makes sure that no factors other than the IV are changing
and thus could affect the DV → eliminates differences between groups
that arise during experiment
● What is a confound (confounding variable)?
○ Variable that’s not independent variable but could have effect on the dependent
, ■ Variable that is potentially responsible for the results, but is not the
variable of interest
● What is generalizability?
○ Being able to generalize results to a larger population
■ Can the results apply to other situations
■ Generalizability of an outcome to other groups and settings
The Biology of Behavior
● What is myelin sheath?
○ Specialized cells that are wrapped around the axon to help transmit message →
help speed neural impulses
● What is the action potential?
○ Electrical impulse that travels from the cell body down to the end of the axon
(neural firing)
● What is a synapse?
○ Junction between 2 neurons
○ Messages submitted across the synapse by neurotransmitters
● What are neurotransmitters?
○ Chemical messengers that travel across synapse from sending neuron to →
receptors on receiving neuron
● What are endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and epinephrine?
○ Endorphins - reduce pain and promote pleasure
○ Dopamine - involved in voluntary movement, reward, learning, memory
○ Serotonin - involved in sleep, appetite, mood
○ Epinephrine - stress response
● What are agonists and antagonists?
○ Agonists - promote neurotransmitter and its effects
○ Increase normal activity of a neurotransmitter
○ Antagonists - inhibit neurotransmitter
○ Decrease activity of a neurotransmitter
● What are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?
○ Sympathetic - increase physiological arousal
○ Fight or flight → prepare body for emergencies or stressful situations
○ Parasympathetic - decrease physiological arousal
○ Rest and digest → control body during times of rest
● What is the endocrine system?
○ Glands and organs release hormones into the bloodstream; hypothalamus =
control center
● What are the pituitary and adrenal glands?
○ Pituitary gland - master gland (think: ant. pit and post. pit from bio)
○ Adrenal gland - important in mood, energy level, stress response
● What are the EEG and fMRI?
○ EEG - detect electrical activity of neurons in particular regions of the brain
○ = Electroencephalogram
● What is an operational definition?
○ Statement about procedures researcher used to make a variable
○ Ex: observing behavior to measure level of gratitude
● What are the case study, survey, observation, correlational, and experimental
methods?
○ Case study - specific case usually revolving around 1 individual in an unusual
circumstance
○ Survey - collecting data via asking participants questions
○ Observation - observing the participants behavior with no influence from the
researcher
○ Correlational - testing to see if two things (quantitative data?) are related; find
correlation coefficient R
■ measures strength and direction of relationship between two variables
○ Experimental - testing the effect of an independent variable on the dependent;
influence from researchers → imposing something
● What is random sampling?
○ Everyone in the population has the same / equal chance of being selected
○ Can generalize to whole population
● What are positive and negative correlations?
○ Positive correlation - doing one thing is correlated with another thing; ex: more
hours studying has positive correlation with getting higher grades
■ Variables change in same direction
○ Negative correlation - doing one thing is not correlated with another thing; ex: the
more pets you have is not correlated with your grades
■ Variables change in opposite directions
● Does correlation indicate causation?
○ NO → there could be a 3rd variable we don’t know
● What is random assignment?
○ Randomly assigning participants to a group (variable group vs placebo)
● What are IVs and DVs?
○ Independent variable - the thing that is different (x)
■ Manipulated by experimenter
○ Dependent variable - what the independent variable affects (y)
■ Outcome variable
● What is experimental control?
○ Parts of experiments that are constant between each group to ensure no
confounding variables
■ Researcher makes sure that no factors other than the IV are changing
and thus could affect the DV → eliminates differences between groups
that arise during experiment
● What is a confound (confounding variable)?
○ Variable that’s not independent variable but could have effect on the dependent
, ■ Variable that is potentially responsible for the results, but is not the
variable of interest
● What is generalizability?
○ Being able to generalize results to a larger population
■ Can the results apply to other situations
■ Generalizability of an outcome to other groups and settings
The Biology of Behavior
● What is myelin sheath?
○ Specialized cells that are wrapped around the axon to help transmit message →
help speed neural impulses
● What is the action potential?
○ Electrical impulse that travels from the cell body down to the end of the axon
(neural firing)
● What is a synapse?
○ Junction between 2 neurons
○ Messages submitted across the synapse by neurotransmitters
● What are neurotransmitters?
○ Chemical messengers that travel across synapse from sending neuron to →
receptors on receiving neuron
● What are endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and epinephrine?
○ Endorphins - reduce pain and promote pleasure
○ Dopamine - involved in voluntary movement, reward, learning, memory
○ Serotonin - involved in sleep, appetite, mood
○ Epinephrine - stress response
● What are agonists and antagonists?
○ Agonists - promote neurotransmitter and its effects
○ Increase normal activity of a neurotransmitter
○ Antagonists - inhibit neurotransmitter
○ Decrease activity of a neurotransmitter
● What are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?
○ Sympathetic - increase physiological arousal
○ Fight or flight → prepare body for emergencies or stressful situations
○ Parasympathetic - decrease physiological arousal
○ Rest and digest → control body during times of rest
● What is the endocrine system?
○ Glands and organs release hormones into the bloodstream; hypothalamus =
control center
● What are the pituitary and adrenal glands?
○ Pituitary gland - master gland (think: ant. pit and post. pit from bio)
○ Adrenal gland - important in mood, energy level, stress response
● What are the EEG and fMRI?
○ EEG - detect electrical activity of neurons in particular regions of the brain
○ = Electroencephalogram
