Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
43 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
empiricism |
the belief that accurate knowledge can be acquired through observation |
|
scientific method |
a procedure for finding truth by using empirical evidence |
|
theory |
a hypothetical explanation of a natural phenomenon |
|
hypothesis |
a falsifiable prediction made by a theory |
|
empirical method |
a set of rules and techniques for observation |
|
operational definition |
a description of a property in concrete, measurable forms |
|
instrument |
anything that can detect the condition to which an operational definition refers |
|
validity |
the goodness with which a concrete event defines a property |
|
reliability |
the tendency for an instrument to produce the same measurement whenever it is used to measure the same thing |
|
power |
an instrument’s ability to detect small magnitudes of the property |
|
demand characteristics |
those aspects of an observational setting that cause people to behave as they think someone else wants or expects |
|
naturalistic observation |
a technique for gathering scientific information by unobtrusively observing people in their natural environments |
|
double-blind observation |
an observation whose true purpose is hidden from both the observer and the person being observed |
|
frequency distribution |
a graphical representation of measurements arranged by the number of times each measurement was made |
|
normal distribution |
a mathematically defined distribution in which the frequency of measurements is highest in the middle and decreases symmetrically in both directions |
|
mode |
the value of the most frequently observed measurement |
|
mean |
the average value of all the measurements |
|
median |
the value that is in the middle; that is, greater than or equal to half the measurements and less than or equal to half the measurements |
|
range |
the value of the largest measurement in a frequency distribution minus the value of the smallest distribution |
|
variable |
a property whose value can vary across individuals or over time |
|
correlation |
two variables are said to "be correlated" when variations in the value of one variable are synchronized with variations in the value of the other |
|
correlation coefficient |
a mathematical measure of both the direction and strength of a correlation, which is symbolized by the letter r |
|
natural correlation |
a correlation observed in the world around us |
|
third-variable correlation |
two variables are correlate only because each is causally related to a third variable |
|
matched samples |
a technique whereby the participants in two groups are identical in terms of a third variable |
|
matched pairs |
a technique whereby each participant is identical to one other participant in terms of a third variable |
|
third-variable problem |
the fact that a causal relationship between two variables cannot be inferred from the naturally occurring correlation between them because of the ever-present possibility of third-variable correlation |
|
experiment |
a technique for establishing the causal relationship between variables |
|
manipulation |
changing a variable in order to determine its causal power |
|
independent variable |
the variable that is manipulated in an experiment |
|
experimental group |
the group of people who are expose to a particular manipulation, as compare to the control group, in an experiment |
|
control group |
the group of people who are not exposed to the particular manipulation, as compared to the experimental group, in an experiment |
|
dependent variable |
the variable that is measured in a study |
|
self-selection |
a problem that occurs when anything about a person determines whether he or she will be included in the experimental or control group |
|
random assignment |
a procedure that lets chance assign people to the experimental or control group |
|
internal validity |
an attribute of an experiment that allows it to establish causal relationships |
|
external validity |
an attribute of an experiment in which variables have been defined in a normal, typical, or realistic way |
|
population |
a compete collection of participants who might possibly be measured |
|
sample |
a partial collection of people drawn from a population |
|
case method |
a procedure for gathering scientific information by studying a single individual |
|
random sampling |
a technique for choosing participants that ensures that every member of a population has an equal chance of being included in the sample |
|
informed consent |
a written agreement to participate in a study made by an adult who has been informed of all the risks that participation may entail |
|
debriefing |
a verbal description of the true nature and purpose of a study |