Quantitative Research Approaches

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to quantitative research approaches and their applications.

Descriptive Research

Research that describes a behaviour or phenomenon without making predictions or implying causality.

Relational Research

Research that explores the relationships between two or more behaviours or phenomena, allowing for predictions but not inferring causality.

Experimental Research

Research that manipulates one or more variables to determine the effect on another variable, allowing for inferring causality due to controlled conditions.

Causation

The relationship where one variable is responsible for a change in another variable, confirmed through careful study design.

Methodological Triangulation

The use of multiple methods to study a phenomenon, which can enhance credibility through the convergence of findings.

Independent Variable (IV)

The variable that is manipulated in an experiment to examine its effect on the dependent variable.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The outcome measure in an experiment that is affected by changes in the independent variable.

Extraneous Variables

Any variable other than the IV that could potentially influence the DV in an experiment.

Confounding Variables

A type of extraneous variable that directly affects the DV, making it difficult to establish a causal relationship.

Hypothesis

A clear, testable statement predicting a relationship between two or more variables.