PSYC 2250- Week 3

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture notes on research methods, variables, and the evaluation of claims.

Primary Sources

Reports that directly present the results of an empirical study or sets of studies, such as journal articles.

Secondary Sources

Summarize past findings without publishing new data; may generate new theory (e.g., review articles, books).

Empirical Article Components

Includes sections such as Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, and References.

APA Style

A writing style and format for academic documents as established by the American Psychological Association.

Measured Variables

Variables where levels are observed or recorded, such as personality or behavioral choices.

Manipulated Variables

Variables that are controlled by researchers in an experiment, often through random assignment.

Qualitative Variables

Categorical variables where levels differ in quality or type, such as marital status or major.

Quantitative Variables

Variables where levels differ in quantity or amount, such as income level or self-esteem.

Causal Claims

Claim stating that a specific change in one variable is responsible for influencing the value of another variable.

Frequency Claims

Describes the rate or degree of a single variable; involves only one measured variable.

Association Claims

Involves at least two measured variables and states that one level of a variable is likely to be associated with a particular level of another.

Construct Validity

How well a conceptual variable is operationalized; assesses the accuracy of measurements.

External Validity

How well the results of a study can be generalized to the broader population or different contexts.

Statistical Validity

The extent to which the study's statistical conclusions are reasonable, precise, and replicable.

Random Assignment

The process of assigning participants randomly to different levels of the independent variable to enhance internal validity.

Temporal Precedence

Establishing that the cause precedes the effect in time when making causal claims.

Internal Validity

The degree to which an experiment accurately establishes a causal relationship between variables.

Disinformation

Information that is deliberately created to be false or misleading.

Misinformation

False or misleading information that may not necessarily be created with the intention to deceive.

Lateral Reading

A key reading skill that involves checking various sources to verify information.

Operational Definition

Defines the methods by which a variable is measured or manipulated, crucial for clarity in research.