Quiz 2: Behavior And Research Methods

Front 1

Variable

Back 1

Something that varies. Must have at least two levels or values.

Hint 1

In the headline, "More Than 2 Million U.S. Youths Depressed," depression is the variable and its levels are "not depressed and depressed."

Front 2

Constant

Back 2

Something that could potentially vary but has only one level in the study in question

Hint 2

If research on fathers was conducted, sex would not
be a variable because every participant would be male. Instead, sex would be a constant

Front 3

Measured Variables

Back 3

Researchers observe and record levels by recording an observation, statement, or value.

Hint 3

Height, IQ, or blood pressure are typical examples of this type of variable

Front 4

Manipulated Variable

Back 4

Researchers controlling levels by assigning participants to the different levels of that variable

Hint 4

A researcher assigns some people to take a test in a room with many other people and assigns other people to take the test alone.

The participants do not choose, the researchers do.

Front 5

Conceptual Definitions

Back 5

Abstract concepts such as depression or stress tested through something specific in order to gather data

Hint 5

When researchers are discussing their theories and when journalists write about research, they work with this

Front 6

Operational definitions

Back 6

Process of turning a concept of interest into a measured or manipulated variable

Hint 6

When researchers are testing their hypotheses with empirical research, they use this.

Front 7

Claim

Back 7

The argument someone is trying to make.

Hint 7

Psychological scientists present this based on empirical research

Front 8

Frequency Claim

Back 8

Describes a particular rate or level of something

Hint 8

Example in Headline: "8 Million Americans consider Suicide Each Year"

Merely gives a percentage of people who used a type of object

Front 9

Association Claim

Back 9

Argues that one level of variable is likely to be associated with a particular level of another variable

Hint 9

Example in Headline: Eating Disorder Risk Higher in Educated Families

Front 10

Causal Claim

Back 10

Goes even further than an association claim and argues that one of these variables is responsible for changing the other

Hint 10

Example in Headline: Summer Sun May Trigger Suicidal Thoughts

Front 11

Correlation

Back 11

When one variable changes, the other variable tends to change as well

Hint 11

Variables that are associated are sometimes said to do this

Front 12

Positive Association

Back 12

High goes with high and low goes with low

Hint 12

Example: high scores on abdominal fat go with more symptoms of dementia, and low scores on abdominal fat go with fewer symptoms of dementia

Front 13

Scatterplot

Back 13

One variable is plotted on the y-axis and the other variable is plotted on the x-axis; each dot represents one participant in the study, measured two variables

Front 14

Negative Association

Back 14

High goes with low and low goes with high

Hint 14

Example: High rates of cell phone usage go with low sperm quality, and low rates of cell phone usage go with high sperm quality

Front 15

Zero Association

Back 15

No association between the variables.

Hint 15

Example of Headline: "ADHD Drugs Not Linked to Future Drug Abuse"

Front 16

Curvilinear Association

Back 16

The level of one variable changes its pattern as the other variable increases

Hint 16

Example: the relationship between age and frequency of health care visits

Front 17

Construct Validity

Back 17

How accurately a researcher has operationalized (measured or manipulated) each variable.

Hint 17

Researchers must establish that each variable has been measured reliably

Front 18

Generalizability

Back 18

How did the researchers choose the study's participants and how well do those participants represent the population they are supposed to

Front 19

External Validity

Back 19

How well the results of the study generalize to, or represent, people and contexts besides those in the study itself.

Front 20

Statistical Validity

Back 20

Extent to which those statistical conclusions are accurate and reasonable

Front 21

The Four Big Validities

Back 21

Construct, External, Statistical, and Internal

Front 22

Covariance

Back 22

One variable cannot be said to cause another variable unless the two covary

Hint 22

The first rule a study must meet in order to establish a causal claim.

Front 23

Temporal Precedence

Back 23

One variables comes first in time, before the other variable

Hint 23

A comes first in time, before B

Front 24

Internal Validity

Back 24

A study should be able to rule out alternative explanations for the association

Front 25

Experiment

Back 25

One variable is manipulated and the other is measured

Hint 25

Manipulate the variable they think is the cause and measure the variable they think is the effect

Front 26

Independent variable

Back 26

The manipulated variable

Front 27

Dependent Variable

Back 27

The measured variable

Front 28

Random Assignment

Back 28

Random method of testing to aide the study

Front 29

Self-Report Measure

Back 29

Operationalizes a variable by recording people's answers to verbal questions about themselves in a interview.

Front 30

Observational Measure

Back 30

Operationalizes a variable by recording observable behaviors or physical traces of behaviors.

Front 31

Physiological Measure

Back 31

Operationalizes a variable by recording biological data such as brain activity, hormone levels, or heart rate

Front 32

Quantitative Variables

Back 32

Coded with meaningful numbers such as height and weight .

Front 33

Categorical Variables

Back 33

Levels of Categories

Front 34

Three kinds of Quantative Variables

Back 34

Ordinal scale, interval scale, and ratio scale

Front 35

Ordinal Scale

Back 35

When the measurement applies when the numerals of a quantitative variable represent a rank order

Front 36

Ratio Scale

Back 36

Numerals of a quantitative variable have equal intervals and when the value of zero truly means nothing

Front 37

Interval Scale

Back 37

Numerals of a quantitative variable meet two conditions: First, numerals represent equal intervals between levels, and second

Front 38

Reliability

Back 38

Concerns how consistent a measure is

Front 39

Validity

Back 39

Whether the operationalization is measuring what it is supposed to measure

Front 40

External validity

Back 40

How well do the results generalize to people and contexts besides those in stusy itself

Front 41

Confounding Variable

Back 41

Second variable that unintentionally varies systematically with the levels of the IV