EDPSY 101: Research Methods & Statistical Analysis

These flashcards cover key concepts, definitions, and differences pertinent to measurement and summarizing distributions in research methods and statistical analysis.

What is the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics?

Descriptive statistics describe/summarize a sample, while inferential statistics generalize findings to the entire population.

What are two types of sampling errors

Sampling variation, where statistics vary across different samples, and sampling error, which is the difference between the sample statistic and population parameter.

What constitutes a valid research instrument?

A valid instrument measures what it intends to measure, verified through various checks like face, criterion, concurrent, predictive, and content validity.

What is the purpose of a statistical model?

To predict processes in the real world and represent the observations as accurately as possible.

Define Random Error and Systematic Error in measurement.

Random Error adds variability but does not affect average performance, while Systematic Error consistently affects results in a biased manner.

What are the four distributional moments in statistics?

The four moments are Mean (central tendency), Variance (dispersion), Skewness, and Kurtosis.

What is the difference between a manifest and a latent construct?

Manifest constructs are directly observable factors like weight or height, while latent constructs are factors that cannot be directly observed, such as self-esteem or social skills.

What is the importance of measuring reliability in research?

Reliability ensures that a measure gives consistent results over time, indicating the stability of the measurement under different conditions.

Explain what test-retest reliability measures.

It measures the consistency of a test when administered to the same individuals at different points in time.

How do you calculate the range of a data set?

The range is calculated by subtracting the lowest score from the highest score in the data set.