Ch, 2 The Research Enterprise In Psychology

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hypothesis

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tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables

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variable

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any measurable conditions, events, characteristics, or behaviors that are controlled or observed in a study

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theory

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system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations

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operational definition

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describes the actions or operations that will be used to measure or control a variable

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participants or subjects

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people or animals whose behavior is systematically observed in a study

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data collection techniques

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procedures for making empirical observations and measurements

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journal

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periodical that publishes technical and scholarly material, usually in a narrowly defined area of inquiry

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research methods

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consist of differing approaches to the observation, manipulation, and control of variables in empirical studies

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experiment

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research method in which the investigator manipulates a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observations whether any changes occur in a second variable as a result

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independent variable

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condition or event that an experimenter varies in order to see its impact on another variable

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dependent variable

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variable that is thought to be affected by manipulation of the independent variable

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experimental group

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consists of the subjects who receive some special treatment in regard to the independent variable

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control group

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consists of similar subjects who do not receive the special treatment given tot he experimental group

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extraneous variables

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any variables other than the independent variable that seem likely to influence the dependent variable in a specific study

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confounding of variables

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occurs when two variables are linked in a way that makes it difficult to sort out their specific effects

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random assignment

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all subjects have an equal chance of being assigned to any group or condition in the study

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correlation

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when two variables are related to each other

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positive correlation

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two variables vary (change together) in the same direction

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negative correlation

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two variables co-vary in the opposite direction

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correlation coefficient

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numerical index of the degree of relationship between two variables

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naturalistic observation

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researcher engages in careful observation of behavior without intervening directly with the subjects

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reactivity

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when a subject's behavior is altered by the presence of an observer

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case study

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in-depth investigation of an individual subject

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survey

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researchers use questionnaires or interviews to gather information about specific aspects of participants' background and behavior

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self-report data

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participants' verbal accounts of their behavior

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social desirability data

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tendency to give socially approved answers to questions about oneself

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experimenter bias

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when a researcher's expectations or preferences about the outcome of a study influence the results obtained

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double-blind procedure

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research strategy in which neither subjects nor experimenters know which subjects are the experimental or control groups

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internet-mediated research

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studies in which data collection occurs over the web

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anecdotal evidence

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personal stories about specific incidents and experiences