Psychological Research Methods

adverb Adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It often indicates manner, time, or place.

preposition Preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence.

• The participants were selected at random to ensure unbiased results.
• I just picked a movie at random from the list.
• I just grabbed a shirt at random this morning, I didn't even look at what I was wearing.
• Life sometimes feels like a series of events happening at random with no clear direction.

verb to prove (a statement, theory, or belief) to be incorrect or false

• The scientist conducted a series of experiments to disprove the theory.
• She tried to disprove his claim but couldn't find any evidence to support her argument.
• I bet you can't disprove that crazy conspiracy theory floating around.
• No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't disprove the rumors about his past.

noun the act of conducting tests or trials in order to discover something new or to test a hypothesis

• The scientists conducted a series of controlled experimentation to test their hypothesis.
• We're going to try out some different things and see what works best through experimentation.
• Let's play around and do some experimentation to see what happens.
• Life is like a constant experimentation, trying new things to see what brings us closer to our goals.

verb to ask someone a lot of questions for a long time in order to get information, sometimes using threats or violence

adjective relating to or suggesting the view that physical and biological processes are sufficient to explain all phenomena

• The artist's painting style is known for its naturalistic depiction of landscapes.
• I really like how the movie had a naturalistic feel to it, like you were right there in the scene.
• The new skincare product claims to give you a naturalistic glow without any makeup.
• Her storytelling was so vivid and naturalistic, it felt like I was living in the world she created.

noun a slang term for psychology or psychiatrist

• The psychologist specializes in psychometric testing.
• I'm really into psych studies.
• That movie was so psych, dude.
• His mind was in a state of psych turmoil.

noun the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context

• The study of psychology involves analyzing human behavior and mental processes.
• I find psychology fascinating because it helps me understand why people act the way they do.
• Psychology is like getting inside someone's head and figuring out what makes them tick.
• In a way, psychology is like unraveling the mysteries of the human mind.

noun RCT stands for Randomized Controlled Trial, a type of scientific experiment often used in medical research to test the effectiveness of treatments or interventions. It is a noun in this context as it refers to a specific type of trial.

• The RCT study design is considered the gold standard for evaluating the effectiveness of medical treatments.
• I signed up for an RCT at the hospital to test out a new drug.
• I heard they're doing some RCT thing at the clinic, wanna join?
• In the world of science, RCTs are like the detectives solving mysteries of treatment effectiveness.

noun cage - a structure of bars or wires in which animals are confined

• The laboratory rats were placed in an activity cage to observe their behavior patterns.
• My hamster loves running on its wheel in the activity cage.
• Let's hang out at the park and check out the new activity cage for dogs.
• The strict rules felt like being confined in an activity cage during the training program.