The Research Enterprise In Psychology

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Hypothesis

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A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables

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Variables

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Any measurable conditions, events, characteristics, or behaviours that are controlled or observed in a study

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Theory

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A system of interrelated ideas that is used to explain a set of observations

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Operational Definition

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A definition that describes the actions or operations that will be made to measure or control a variable

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Participants

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the persons or animals whose behaviour 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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A 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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Differing approaches to the manipulation and control of variables in empirical studies

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Experiment

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

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Independent Variable

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

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Dependent Variable

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In an experiment, the variable that is thought is thought to be affected by the manipulation of the independent

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Experimental Group

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The subjects in a study who receive some special treatment in regard to the independent variable

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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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A condition that exists whenever two variables are linked together in a way that makes it difficult to sort out their independent effects

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Random Assignment

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The constitution of groups in a study such that all subjects have an equal chance of being assigned to any group or condition

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Naturalistic Observation

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A descriptive research method in which the researcher engages in careful, usually prolonged, observation of behaviour without intervening directly with the subjects

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Reactivity

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

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Case Study

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An in-depth investigation of an individual subject

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Survey

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A descriptive research method in which researchers use questionnaires or interviews to gather information about specific aspects of subjects' behaviour

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Statistics

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The use of mathematics to organize, summarize, an interpret numerical data

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Descriptive Statistics

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Statistics that are used to organize and summarize data

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Median

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The score that falls exactly in the center of a distribution of scores

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Mean

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The arithmetic average of the scores in a distribution

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Mode

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The score that occurs most frequently in a distribution

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Frequency Polygon

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A line figure used to present data from a frequency distribution

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Negatively Skewed Distribution

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A distribution in which most scores pile up at the high end of the scale

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Variability

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The extent to which the scores in a data set tend to vary from each other and from the mean

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Standard Deviation

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An index of the amount of variability in a set of data

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Normal Distribution

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A symmetric, bell-shaped curve that represents the pattern in which many characteristics are dispersed in the population

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Percentile Score

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A figure that indicates the percentage of people who score below the score one has obtained

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Correlation

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The extent to which two variables are related to each other

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Correlation Coefficient

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A numerical index of the degree of relationship between two variables

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Inferential Statistics

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Statistics that are used to interpret data and draw conclusions

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Statistical Significance

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The condition that exists when the probability that the observed findings are due to chance is very low

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Meta-Analysis

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The combination of statistical results of many studies of the same question, yielding an estimate of the size and consistency of a variable's effects

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Sample

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The collection of subjects selected for observation in an empirical study

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Sampling Bias

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The problem that occurs when a sample is not representative of the population from which it is drawn

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Placebo Effects

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The fact that subjects' expectations can lead them to experience some change even though they receive an empty, fake, or ineffectual treatment

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Social Desirability Bias

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A tendency to give socially approved answers to questions about oneself

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Response Set

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A tendency to respond to questions in a particular way that is unrelated to the content of the questions

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Experimenter Bias

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

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Double-Blind Procedure

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

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Internet-Mediated Research

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Refers to studies in which data collection is done using the web