The Nature of Science and Statistical Analysis

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and concepts from the lecture on the nature of science, hypothesis testing, experimental design, and statistical analysis.

Observation

The act of noticing and describing events or processes in a careful, orderly way.

Hypothesis

A possible explanation for a set of observations or phenomena that must be tested for validity.

Deductive reasoning

A logical process in which a conclusion is based on the agreement of multiple premises that are generally assumed to be true.

Inductive reasoning

A logical process in which multiple premises combine to obtain a specific conclusion, often based on observed data.

Independent Variable

The one experimental condition that is manipulated in an experiment.

Dependent Variable

The factor that is measured or observed in response to the independent variable.

Controlled Variables

All the other conditions in an experiment that must be kept constant to ensure that the test results are reliable.

Replication

Repeating an experiment multiple times to ensure that the results are consistent and not due to random chance.

Control

A standard for comparison in an experiment, where the independent variable is omitted or held constant.

Descriptive Statistics

A branch of statistics that involves summarizing and organizing data using measures such as mean, median, and mode.

Inferential Statistics

A branch of statistics that makes inferences and predictions about a population based on a sample of data.

Mean

The average of a set of numbers, calculated by summing all the values and dividing by the count.

Median

The middle value in a sorted list of numbers.

Mode

The value that appears most frequently in a data set.

Variance

A measure of how far a set of numbers are spread out from their average value.

Standard Deviation

A measure of the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of values.

Causation

The relationship between cause and effect, where one event is the result of the occurrence of another event.

Correlation

A statistical measure that describes the size and direction of a relationship between two or more variables.

Model

A representation of a system or process that helps to explain or predict scientific phenomena.

Scientific Theory

A well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, supported by a body of evidence and scientific reasoning.