Psychology research lecture 3

operational

definition refers to a clear, precise explanation of how variables are measured or manipulated in research studies.

construct validity

The extent to which a test measures the theoretical construct it is intended to measure.

construct

A theoretical concept or idea that is not directly observable but can be measured through various operational definitions in research.

reliability

The consistency of a research measurement across time, items, or different observers, ensuring that the results are stable and reliable.

validity

The degree to which a test accurately measures what it is supposed to measure, including aspects like content validity and criterion-related validity.

criteria validity

The extent to which a test correlates with an established standard or criterion, demonstrating its effectiveness in predicting performance or outcomes.

convergent validity

The degree to which a test correlates with other assessments measuring the same construct, indicating that it is measuring what it intends to.

variables

condition in an experiemnt or a characteristic of an entity, person, or object that ca take on different categories, levels, or values and that can quantified

internal variable

The degree to which a study or experiment is free from flaws in its internal structure and its result can therefore be taken to represent the true nature of the phenomenon

external variable

the extent to which the results of research or testing can be generalized beyond the sample that generated them

scientific method

critical thinkng, data comprehension and analysis, communication

research skills

1. Assessment of situations

2. evidence-based decision

3. evaluation of outcomes

characterisitcs of science

deterministic

empirical

falsifiable

provisional

public

deterministic

implies that events are determined by causal laws and predictability.

empirical

measurable; objective, reproducible evidence and not on pure reason, emotion, or subjective experiences

falsifiable

A theory or hypothesis is not scientific unless it can be tested and shown to be false

provisional

always open for revision based on new evidence. current theories arent always correct but it is good to know how much evidence there is for a theory.

public

public good that benefits society (and should be available to all

pseduscience

claims or beliefs that lack scientific support and cannot be tested or falsified.

reflexivity

self consciously consiously cosndiering how their background or privilige shapes whats questions they ask and what interpretations they make

theory

set of statements that describes principles about how variables relate to one another

hypothesis

prediction driven by the theory

replication

study conducted again to test if the result is consistent

Applied research

research that aims to solve practical problems or answer specific questions using existing theories and methods.

basic research

research conducted to enhance fundamental knowledge without immediate practical application.

measured variable

a variable that is observed and recorded in a study to assess its effect on an outcome.

manipulated variable

a variable that is intentionally changed or controlled in a study to observe its effects on a measured variable.

claim

a statement or assertion made based on evidence or reasoning, typically requiring support through research or data.

frequency claims

statements that describe a specific rate or degree of a single variable, often expressed as a percentage or proportion.

association claims

statements that specify a relationship between two variables, indicating how one variable affects or is related to another.

casual claims

statements that assert one variable directly causes changes in another variable, often implying a cause-and-effect relationship.

generalizability

the extent to which research findings apply to or have relevance for settings, people, or times beyond the study's specific context.

confidence interval

a range of values that is likely to contain the true population parameter, used to indicate the precision of an estimate.

margin of error of the estimate

the amount of error that can be tolerated in survey results, indicating the range within which the true value is expected to fall.

temporal precedence