Research Methods Question Types

1 Drawing valid conclusions from research

2 Types of study design and implications

3
3 Flaws in the study design
4 Making a prediction based on research

5 IV and DV
6 Correlational research

RM Question type I
1 Drawing Valid Conclusions from research

Often implicit and analytical Questions

Form
which conclusion is supported
Which conclusion is NOT supported

What is the most likely explanation for

Which of the following results would help support

the conclusion

Technique
Use passage map
Use figure analysis
Understand hypotheses results and data

RM Question types 2

2 Types of Study Design and Implications

Format
Use answer Choices

Answer choices are four different study designs

 Technique
Review all designs that show
up on MCAT
Use passage map to identify key components

Match study characteristics to design type

Experimental Designs Non Experimental Designs

Directly Manipulates Variables Variables not directly manipulated

IV DV and Controls no controls

random sampling ethnographic studies

random assignment twin studies heritability studies
Control of extraneous variables Archival studies biographical studies

Manipulation of treatment Phenomenological Studies

ex what effect does watching Observational studies

a movie have on Cortisol
levels Case studies

longitudinal Studies

ex Do individuals who watch scary

movies have higher cortisol
levels

Other important distinctions

Repeated Measures

Quasi Experimental Method

it
Chipulatesvariables BUT
are a
your participants non experimental
naturally occurring subgroup in
the population
Comparative Method
a type of Quasi exp where
participant group serves as its ow
control be you compare measures from the group to other
measures from the same group

RM Question Type 3
 3 Flaws in Study Design
Format
What is the flaw limitation of the study
How could the study be improved

IF researchers wanted to increase the validity

How could the researchers control for

What are the confounding variables

Is the conclusion warranted

Technique
Know design types and optimal conditions for drawing conclusion

Know strengths weaknesses of experimental us nonexperimental designs

Know common threats to internal external validity as tested on

the MCAT

Internal validity
Extent to which the outcome variable is due to the intervention
and not other things extraneous variables

What are the common threats to internal validity

impression management Participants adapt their responses based on social norms
or percieved researcher expectations self fulfilling prophecy
methodology is not double blind Hawthorne Effect

Confounding Variables Extraneous variables not accounted for in the study

Another variable offers an alternative explanation For result
lack of a useful control

Lack of Reliability Measurement tools do not measure what they purport to

lack of consistency

Sampling Bias Selection Criteria is not random population used for

sample does not meet conditions for statistical test

Attrition Effects Participant Fatigue participants drop out of study

C
Experimental Generalizability or External Validity
Extent to which findings can be generalized to the real world

What are common threats to experimental generalizability

Experiment doesn't laboratory setups that don't translate to the real
reflect real world world lack of generalizability
Selection Criteria Too restrictive of inclusion exclusion criteria for participant

situational Effects fr laboratory conditions

gait
Changes Outcome i e pretsj
Isemn n.ngr
test post test presence of experiment

Lack of Statistical sample groups have high variability sample size too smal
power

Validity vs Reliability
Validity us Reliability
Refers to an instrument such as a personality test

Reliability is consistency
Do multiple tests lead to similar results

Validitity is does it measure what it claims to

For example Construct Validity
The extent to which a psychometric instrument measures what itpurports

Example Beck Depression Inventory BDI

One of the most common instruments used to measure depression

Stats show that its highly

reliable someone taking it twice over time will get similar scores
Valid a
high score actually indicates someone is likely to have depression

Commonly used instruments like the BDI pass rigorous statistical testing to
check for both valitidy and reliability

RM Question Type 4
4 Making a prediction based on Research

Basically the same approach as a conclusion question

 y m pp s n
gu I

Format
Based on the results of the study we would expect

According to the theory what would we expect

If the study were to continue
If the hypothesis are correct

If the study were changed How would the results be different

Analyzing the current study to make inferences about a future outco

Technique
Prediction is based on study in passage or outside theory from content
If based on the study use hypothesis results and data

It based on outside theory combine content knowledge w passage

map to make prediction

Social Institutions
Standardized sets of social norms organized to preserve a
societal Value
ex Education
Family
Religion
Gov econ and politics
Health and Med

Education
The Great Equalizer

The formal process whereby Knowledge Skills and

values are transmitted from one individual
systematically or
group to another

Promotes equality

Among countries avg years of schooling and income

inequality show a negative correlation
More education associates with less inequality
 Promotes inequality
Hidden curriculum unintentional lessons about norms values and
beliefs
Teacher expectancy students tend to match teachers expections tor

Educational Segregation
widening disparity between children From
high income neighborhoods and those from
low income neighborhoods

Family and Religion

Family relates people by a socially defined set of relationships
like birth marriage or adoption

Religion involves beliefs and practices related to the sacred

Government and Econ

Government Makes and enforces the rules of a society and regulates

relations with other societies

Economy arranges the production distribution and consumption of goods

Services and resources

The iron law of oligarchy States that all forms of organization

tendencies especially in large groups and complex

dj
organizations some power will
garchic be concentrated thereby establishing a new

According to Max Weber these are characteristics of an

ideal bureaucracy rationalization

F tÉ Labor's
neutrality Division of
Impersonality
ideal bureaucracy
Ionian
written rules and
expectation
promoted on technical
competence

McDonaldization refers to principles of the fast food industry dominating

other sectors of society
 y

Health and Medicine

Medicalization Process through which human conditions are defined and
treated as medical conditions

Sick Role
The theory that
individuals who are ill have certain
rights and responsibilities in society if an ill individual
cannot fulfill the same duties that a person in good health
Can Society allows for a reasonable amount of deviant behavior

Rightthe
sick person is exempt From normal social roles

Right
the sick person is not responsible for his or her condition

Obligation
the sick person should try to
get well

Obligation
the sick person should seek treatment and cooperate with
the medical professional

Institutional Discrimination widespread discrimination

Discrimination action about whom holds
against a person or
group someone
prejudiced views beliefs
When a social structure engages in discriminatory practices
against an individual or
group

How is he

Availability Accessibility
Does this resource even Do YOU have sufficient insurance
exist in your racinity money on and or social
without a waiting list support to obtain this resource
that makes it effectively
Unavailable

Social Epidemiology
 pidem gy
Study of the social determinants of health and the use social
concepts to explain patterns of health in the population

1 What specific features of societal conditions affect health

2 Through which pathways do societal conditions affect health

Social Condition
Social determinants health such
of as availability of food supplies
drug use access to quality education unemployment crime rates and
access to healthcare

Favorable condition factors improve the overall quality of life

Social problems are social conditions with a negative impact

Social isolation is the complete or near complete lack of contact with

others in society

Socioeconomic Gradient in Health

Theory that there exists a

proportional increase in health and
health outcomes as socioeconomic status increases

The gradient extents from the top to the

bottom ranks of society it's not simply a poverty
7 threshold that separates those with awful versus
my good health
AO Context and level
matter
in
poor people
to
living
poor likely
neighborhoods are have
poorer
health than equally poor people living in more
affluent neighborhoods

Demographic Factors
Age
immigration status
Sext Gender
Race ethnicity

Think about how factors affect socioeconomic factors

 b a o m r s

ATwo
major theories of demographic change
Malthusian Theory

Demographic Transtition Model

Malthusian Theory
Thomas Malthus hypothesized that
unchecked population growth would
quickly exceed Carrying capacity leading to overpopulation and catastrophe
such as famine or war known as a Malthusian catastrophe

Demographic Transition Theory Does not include human migration

Societies transitions from high birth and high death rates to

low birth and low death rates
Pre industrial stage T birth rates t Thigh death rates
Industrial Revolution T birth rates but Death rates fall leading to populatio
growth
Post industrial stage L birth rates t v1Death rates population stabalizes

Population pyramids allow us to predict a

growing shrinking or

Stabalizing population Male Female

Iderly65 Warmth

toMIMMMTimmammammma gooooooooathooggaooo

IMI
aiMM.IMOthman iooIMMMENTAMaga

3 MMPame Merriammoooom

stage Expanding Staged Expanding Stages Stationary stag 4 contracting

Race Ethnicity
Race

Dividing people into populations or groups on the basis of various

sets of physical Characteristics which can result from genetic ancestory

heakfacial categories result from shared due to

genealogy
geographical isolation
 Distinguishing Factors
assumed
by Skin color Facial type etc

Ethnicity
A population group whose members identify with each other on
the basis of common nationality or shared cultural traditions

Genealogy
Ethnicity is defined by belief in a shared genealogy whether
actual or presumed

DistimnesyhingareFaptintipally cultural factors such as

distinguished by
language Food Customs religion etc

Segregation
Residential Segregation
Physical separation of groups into different areas typically along the
lines of race ethnicity or Socioeconomic status

Enviornmental Injustice
low socioeconomic status and minority groups tend to live in areas
where enviornmental hazards and toxins are disproportionally high
Food Desert

An area typically in highly populated lower income urban enviornments when

healthy fresh food is difficult to obtain

What is the difference between prejudice and discrimination

Prejudice involves preconceived judgements toward people based on their group

membership Belief not Behavior Although prejudice may lead to discriminate
Discrimination is biased treatment of an individual based on group members

Social Segregation
Tendency of people from the same social groups to interact with each
other and have minimal contact with individuals from other social groups

Socioeconomic status SES

h
 The social standing or class of an individual or group Measured as a
combination of education income and occupation

Oroperty
Power absolute poverty and relative
Jossessions
income and
gyg ability to
enforceone's will
poverty
otherwealth on other people
Absolute Poverty inability to secure the
Prestige basic necessities of life
One's reputation and Relative Poverty inability to meet the

society

Stratification
Social Stratification
Caste System Class System Meritocracy
lower social mobility Some degree of social Higher social mobility
mobility
less dependent on More dependent on effort
effort Social status determined
by birth and individual social status based on individu
Social status defined merit merit
by birth

Social Reproduction when social inequality is transmitted from one generation

to the next

status
A socially defined position in society
Master Status
role or position that dominates
generall glace in society

Ascribed Status
assigned to you by society regardless of effort
Achieved status
earned

Role
Role Conflict
Conflict among the expectations for multiple social positions
 g p p p
Role strain
tension in expectations of a single social position
Role Exit
transition from one role to another

Groups
A group is number of who identity
people and interact An
aggregate is people who exist in the same space but don't interact or identify
Category shares certain characteristics but does not regularly interact

Primary Group Secondary Group

Small Usually larger

Close personal Impersonal I goal oriented
long term short term
the goal is the relationship goal is to accomplish specific purpose
Families and close friends Classmates Co workers teammates

In Group group a person identifies or belongs with

Out Group group a

person DOESNT identify or belong with

Reference group A group one identifies with and compares themselves

with