Key Science Skills

aim

statement outlining the purpose of an investigation

hypothesis

a testable prediction about the outcome of an investigation

independent variables

manipulated and the effect on the DV

dependent variables

being measured and changes are due to effect of IV

controlled variables

held constant to ensure changes in DV are solely due to IV

population

group of people who are the focus of the research

controlled experiment

a type of investigation where the effect of the IV on the DV is testing while aiming to control all other variables

experimental group

group of participants in an experiment who are exposed to a manipulated IV

control group

the group of participants in an experiment who receive no experimental treatment or intervention in order to serve as a baseline for comparison

within-subjects design

an experimental design in which participants complete every experimental condition

between subjects design

an experimental design in which individuals are divided into different groups and complete only one experimental condition

mixed design

an experimental design which combines elements of within-subjects and between-subjects design

sample

a subset of the research population who participate in a study

convenience smapling

any sampling technique that involves selecting readily available members of the population, rather than using a random or systematic approach