Quantitative Research Module 1: Nature of Inquiry and Research - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering core terms from the module on quantitative research.

Quantitative research

A research approach that uses numerical data and statistical analysis to investigate observable phenomena, emphasizing objectivity, generalizability, and measurable outcomes.

Qualitative research

Research focusing on descriptions, words, images, or transcripts; data are non-numerical, often collected from small samples and not readily generalizable.

Independent variable

The variable that is deliberately manipulated or considered the presumed cause in an experiment.

Dependent variable

'The variable measured to assess the effect of the independent variable'—the outcome or result of interest.

Extraneous variable

External factors other than the independent variable that may affect the dependent variable.

Confounding variable

An extraneous variable that influences both the independent and dependent variables, potentially skewing results.

Descriptive design

A quantitative design used to describe a phenomenon as it occurs, without manipulation or intervention.

Correlational design

A design that examines the relationship between two or more variables without inferring causation.

Ex post facto design

A design that investigates possible causes after the fact, with no manipulation of variables.

Quasi-experimental design

An experimental-like design lacking random assignment, leading to weaker internal validity.

Experimental design

A true design with random assignment and active manipulation to establish cause-and-effect relationships.

Discrete variable

A numeric variable that takes only whole numbers and is countable.

Continuous variable

A numeric variable that can take any value within a range, including fractions.

Nominal variable

A categorical variable without a natural order (e.g., types, names, categories).

Ordinal variable

A categorical variable with a meaningful order or ranking.

Interval data

Numerical data with equal intervals between values but no true zero point.

Ratio data

Numerical data with a true zero, allowing meaningful ratios between values.

Likert scale

A rating scale (often 5- or 7-point) used to quantify attitudes or perceptions.

Population

The entire group of individuals or elements the researcher is interested in studying.

Sample

A subset of the population selected for the study to represent the population.

Reliability

Consistency of measurement across time, items, or observers.

Validity

The degree to which a measurement actually measures what it intends to measure.

Data

Information collected for analysis, which can be numerical or textual.

Data presentation

Displaying results using graphs, charts, and tables for clear interpretation.

Pearson’s r

A statistic that measures the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two numerical variables (-1 to 1).

t-test

A statistical test comparing the means of two groups to determine if they differ significantly.

ANOVA (Analysis of Variance)

A statistical test comparing means across three or more groups to evaluate differences.