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40 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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variable |
any characteristic whose values can change |
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testable hypothesis |
a prediction that has been formulated specifically enough so that it is clear what observations would confirm the prediction and what observations would challenge it |
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operational definition |
a definition that translates the variable we want to assess into a specific procedure or measurement |
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dependent variable |
the variable that is measured or recorded in an experiment |
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independent variable |
the variable that the experimenter manipulates as a basis for making predictions about the dependent variable |
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population |
the entire group about which the investigator wants to draw conclusions |
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sample |
the subset of the population that the investigator studies in order to learn about the population at large |
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random sampling |
a procedure in which every member of the population has an equal chance of being picked to participate in a study |
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case study |
an intensive study of one person |
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external validity |
the degree to which a study's participants, stimuli, and procedures adequately reflect the world as it actually is |
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demand characteristics |
the cues in a study that might tell a research participant what behaviors are expected or desirable in that setting |
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double-blind design |
the technique of assigning participants to experimental conditions while keeping both the participants and the researchers unaware of who is assigned to which group |
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descriptive statistics |
mathematical procedures that allow a researcher to characterize a data pattern; these procedures include measures of central tendency and of variability |
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inferential statistics |
mathematical procedures that allow a researcher to draw further claims from a data pattern, including claims about whether the pattern observed in the sample is likely to be observed in other samples |
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mean (M) |
a measure of central tendency computed by calculating the sum of all the observations, the dividing by the number of observations |
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median |
a measure of central tendency taken by putting the data values in order and finding the value that divides the distribution in half |
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variability |
the degree to which scores in a frequency distribution depart from the central value |
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standard deviation (SD) |
a measure of the variability of a data set, calculated as the square root of the variance (V) |
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correlation |
the tendency of two variables to change together. If one goes up as the other goes up, the correlation is positive; if one goes up as the other goes down, the correlation is negative |
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correlation coefficient (r) |
a number that expresses both the size and the direction of a correlation, varying from +1.00 (perfect positive correlation) to -1.00 (perfect negative correlation) |
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reliability |
the degree of consistency with which a test measures a trait or attribute |
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validity |
the extent to which a method or procedure measures what it is supposed to measure |
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effect size |
the magnitude of the difference between groups in a study, often computed by subtracting the mean of one group's score from mean the other group's score |
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statistical significance |
a calculation central to inferential statistics that describes the likelihood that the results of a study happened by chance |
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quasi-experiment |
an experiment that relies on already-existing groups (i.e., groups the experimenter did not create) |
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correlational studies |
studies in which the investigator analyzes the relationships among variables that were in place before the study, without manipulating those variables |
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third-variable problem |
the possibility that two correlated variables may be hanging together only due to the operation of a third variable |
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experiment |
a study of casual relationships in which the researcher manipulates an independent variable to examine its effects on a dependent variable |
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experimental manipulation |
the deliberate alteration of the independent variable in an experiment in order to learn about its effects on the dependent variable |
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experimental group |
the group within an experiment that experiences the researcher's manipulation of the independent variable |
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control group |
a group within an experiment that does not experience the experimental manipulation |
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random assignment |
in an experimental design, the random placement of participants in either the experimental or control groups, ensuring that the groups are matched at the outset of the experiment |
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within-subject comparison |
within a study, comparing the data about each participant in one situation to data about the same participant in another situation |
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between-subject comparison |
within a study, comparing one group of individuals to a different group |
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internal validity |
the characteristic of a study that allows us to conclude that the manipulation of the independent variable caused the observed changes in the dependent variable |
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replication |
a repetition of an experiment that yields the same result |
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meta-analysis |
a statistical technique for combining the results of many studies on a particular topic, even when the studies used different data collection methods |
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informed consent |
a research participant's agreement to take part in the study, based on full information about what the experiment will involve |
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debriefing |
a step at the end of an experiment in which the researcher explains the study's purpose and design to each participant and undoes any manipulations to participants' beliefs or state |
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empirical claims |
claims that can be true or false depending on the facts |
