Observational Studies

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to observational studies, providing definitions to key terms and concepts discussed in the lecture.

Observational Study

A quantitative research method where researchers do not randomly assign subjects to treatment and control groups.

Causal Inference

The process of drawing a conclusion about a causal connection based on the conditions of the occurrence of an effect.

Large-N Studies

Observational studies often referred to as large-N studies, analyzed using statistics.

Observer Bias

A potential bias in research where a researcher's expectations influence the outcomes of a study.

Guinea Pig Effect

A phenomenon where subjects may alter their behavior simply because they know they are being studied.

Systematic Comparison

The method of comparing observations based on the same measures to isolate effects.

generalizability

The extent to which findings from a study can be applied to larger populations.

Probabilistic Relationships

Relationships established in observational studies, indicating that a change in one variable is associated with changes in another but not necessarily causing them.

Omitted Variable Bias

The failure to control for all factors influencing the outcome variable, potentially skewing results.

Simultaneous Causation

A situation where the explanatory variable influences the outcome and vice versa.

Natural Experiments

Observational studies where the assignment to treatment and control groups occurs randomly or 'as if' random.

Selection Bias

A bias resulting from choosing observations in a way that is correlated with the dependent variable.