MAX 201 Fall 2025 Exam #2 Study Guide

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key concepts, definitions, and methodologies in research design and statistics.

Research Question

A specific question guiding research that should be clear, focused, and researchable.

Hypothesis

A proposed explanation for a phenomenon, to be tested through research.

Independent Variable (IV)

A variable that is manipulated or categorized to observe its effect on a dependent variable.

Dependent Variable (DV)

A variable that is measured in an experiment to assess the effect of the independent variable.

Deductive Research

A research approach that starts with a theory or hypothesis and tests it through data collection.

Cross-sectional Study

A study that examines data at only one point in time.

Trend Study

A research design that examines changes in a population over time.

Cohort Study

A study that follows a group of people over time to observe outcomes.

Panel Study

A study that collects data from the same subjects at multiple points in time.

Normal Curve/Distribution

A bell-shaped curve representing the distribution of values, characterized by its symmetry around the mean.

Census

Data collection that attempts to gather information from the entire population.

Probability Sampling

A sampling method that uses random selection to ensure every individual has a chance to be included.

Types of Probability Sampling

Includes simple, systematic, stratified, and multi-stage cluster sampling.

Sampling Error

The error that arises when a sample does not accurately represent the population.

Population Parameter

A characteristic or measure obtained by using all the data from a population.

Statistic

A characteristic or measure obtained by using data from a sample.

Confidence Intervals

A range of values that is likely to contain the population parameter, indicating the precision of the estimate.

Inferential Statistics

Statistical methods used to make generalizations from a sample to a population.

Chi-square Test

A statistical test that compares expected and observed frequencies to assess relationships between categorical variables.

Correlation

A statistical measure that describes the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables.

Causation

The action of causing something; proving causation requires establishing correlation, time order, and ruling out alternatives.

Spurious Relationship

An apparent relationship between two variables that is actually caused by a third variable.

Mediating Variable

A variable that explains the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.

Regression Best Fit Line

A line that best represents the data on a scatterplot, showing the relationship between variables.

Regression Coefficient

A value that represents the amount of change in the dependent variable for a one-unit change in the independent variable.

Pearson’s r Correlation Coefficient

A statistic that measures the direction and strength of the linear relationship between two variables.