Com 486 Final

Front 1

Between Groups Variance

Back 1

variance of scores between categories or groupings of independent variable sufficient to distinguish themselves from one another

Front 2

Nominal data

Back 2

discrete data that describes the presence or absence of some characteristic or attribute

Front 3

causal variable

Back 3

variable manipulated by the researcher: cause of change

Front 4

concurrent validity

Back 4

method for establishing criterion-related validity of a new measurement;

Front 5

confidentiality

Back 5

protection of research participant

Front 6

construct validity

Back 6

extent to which measuring device measures the core concept that was intended to be measured

Front 7

content analysis

Back 7

quantitative research method that integrates both data collection method and analytical technique to measure the occurrence of some identifiable element in a complete text or set of messages.

Front 8

content validity

Back 8

degree to which the measurement items are representative of all the potential items available for measuring the construct of interest.

Front 9

control group

Back 9

group in which assigned participants receive no treatment

Front 10

correlation

Back 10

statistical test that examines the linear relationship between two continuous level variables.

Front 11

correlation matrix

Back 11

display of variables in a table: shows how every variable is correlated with every other variable

Front 12

dependent variable

Back 12

variable that is influenced or changed by the independent variable

Front 13

deception

Back 13

situation where researcher purposefully misleads participants

Front 14

deductive reasoning

Back 14

reasoning process in which researcher begins with a theory and then gathers evidence

Front 15

descriptive design

Back 15

type of research design in which a researcher lacks direct control over variation of the independent variables and temporal order

Front 16

descriptive statistics

Back 16

numbers that summarize essential and basic information about the dataset as a whole

Front 17

directional hypothesis

Back 17

a precise statement indicating the nature and direction of the relationship or difference between the variables

Front 18

discussion section research

Back 18

section of the written research report in which the authors provide an interpretation of the results

Front 19

ethnography

Back 19

detailed study and representation of people and their interaction

Front 20

empirical

Back 20

refers to observations or experiences based on or derived from experiences with observable phenomenons

Front 21

experimental research

Back 21

type of research most often conducted in a lab

Front 22

external validity

Back 22

degree to which findings can be extended beyond what was studied

Front 23

face validity

Back 23

extent to which items reference the construct intended to be measured

Front 24

focus group

Back 24

facilitator-led group discussion

Front 25

generalizablity

Back 25

extent to which conclusions developed from data collected from a sample can be extended to the population

Front 26

heuristic

Back 26

characteristic of research, results of one study lead to more questions

Front 27

irb

Back 27

university committee charged with formal process of judging research proposals

Front 28

hypothesis

Back 28

educated guess

Front 29

independent variable

Back 29

variable manipulated by the researcher

Front 30

inductive reasoning

Back 30

data is gathered, hypotheses formulated, and theories are developed

Front 31

informed consent

Back 31

agreement participant gives to researcher

Front 32

interaction analysis

Back 32

codes the content of ongoing communication between two or more individuals

Front 33

internal reliability

Back 33

degree to which multiple items invoke the same responses from participants

Front 34

internal validity

Back 34

extent to which one can draw valid conclusions about the effects of one variable on another

Front 35

interrater reliability

Back 35

degree to which two coders assign communicator behaviors to the same categories

Front 36

interval data

Back 36

data measured; distance between two points is equal

Front 37

latent content

Back 37

content coded in content analysis; inferences or interpretations

Front 38

likert-type scale

Back 38

degree to which participant agrees disagrees

Front 39

literature review

Back 39

section of written research report that provides framework of the research investigation

Front 40

manifest content

Back 40

content coded in content analysis; description of the characteristics of the content itself

Front 41

manipulation check

Back 41

verification that participants regard independent variable in way researcher intended

Front 42

measurement

Back 42

use of numbers to represent a communication phenom.

Front 43

methods section

Back 43

describes how study was executed

Front 44

mutually exclusive

Back 44

choices in a response set that present only one option for which a person is able to identify

Front 45

narratives

Back 45

stories people tell

Front 46

negatively skewed curve

Back 46

distribution; very few scores on left side

Front 47

nominal data

Back 47

discrete data that describes presence or absence of some characteristic

Front 48

nondirectional hypothesis

Back 48

statement that a difference or relationship between variables will occur, does not specify direction

Front 49

non probability sampling

Back 49

sampling technique that does not rely on any form of random selection

Front 50

null hypothesis

Back 50

implicit complementary statement to the research hypothesis that states there is no relationship

Front 51

operationalization

Back 51

statement that denotes how the variable is observed and measured in a specific way

Front 52

ordinal data

Back 52

data based on rank order

Front 53

participant observation

Back 53

researchers observe communication first-hand

Front 54

population

Back 54

all units of the universe

Front 55

positively skewed curve

Back 55

distribution very few scores on right side

Front 56

predictive validity

Back 56

method for establishing criterion related validity; measurement predicts performance

Front 57

probability

Back 57

degree to which a particular event will occur

Front 58

probability level

Back 58

level of error the researcher is willing to accept

Front 59

qualitative methods

Back 59

research where researcher is primary data collector

Front 60

quantitative methods

Back 60

research relies on numerical measurement

Front 61

quasi-experiment

Back 61

research design; variation in the independent variable is natural

Front 62

random

Back 62

sample in which probability of selection is equal

Front 63

range

Back 63

lowest score minus highest score

Front 64

ratio data

Back 64

intervals between data points is equal, true zero exists

Front 65

reliability

Back 65

achieved when researchers are consistent in their use of data collection

Front 66

research

Back 66

discovery of answers to questions

Front 67

research question

Back 67

question that asks tentative relationship between variables

Front 68

sample

Back 68

subset of population

Front 69

sampling frame

Back 69

set of people that are available to be selected

Front 70

semantic differential scale

Back 70

form of interval measurement using a stimulus statement

Front 71

significance level

Back 71

level of error researcher is willing to accept

Front 72

skewed distribution

Back 72

shape of a distribution of scores that is not normal

Front 73

social science research

Back 73

research conducted through the use of scientific and systematic methods

Front 74

split-half reliability

Back 74

expression of internal consistency between two separate but equal versions of the same test

Front 75

standard deviation

Back 75

the amount scores deviate from the mean

Front 76

test-retest reliability

Back 76

correlation between scores at two administrations of the same test to the same participant

Front 77

theory

Back 77

related set of ideas that explains how or why something happens

Front 78

treatment

Back 78

one of the ways in which the researcher varies the type of stimuli

Front 79

triangulation

Back 79

use of several kinds of methods or data to further validate research outcomes

Front 80

t-test

Back 80

statistic used to find differences between two groupings of the independent variable

Front 81

type 1 error

Back 81

null is rejected even though it is true

Front 82

type 2 error

Back 82

alternative hypothesis rejected even though it is true

Front 83

unit of analysis

Back 83

discrete element coded and counted

Front 84

validity

Back 84

achieved when the measurement does what it is intended to do

Front 85

within-groups variance

Back 85

variation among scores within any category or level of an independent variable