0.3 Vocab; Non-Experimental Methods

case study

a method of research where particular attention is given to an isolated person, group, or situation

naturalistic observation

watching subjects in their normal environment

meta - analysis

combining the results of many studies using statistical methods to show in effect size

effect size

a statistical measure that shows the strength of the relationship between two sizes

correlations

a measure of the extent to which two factors vary / change together

step 1 of the scientific process

develop a hypothesis

step 2 of the scientific process

conduct research (experimental or non-experimental)

step 3 of the scientific process

report findings

step 4 of the scientific process

peer review and replication

correlation coefficient

a statistical measure of the strength of the correlation / relationship

a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from -1 to +1)

positive correlation

both variables increase or decrease in the same direction

negative correlation

as one variable increases, the other decreases or vice versa

no correlation

there is absolutely no relationship between the variables

third variable problem

when an observed correlation can be explained by a potential different, or third variable

directionality problem

with correlations, it is often hard or impossible to tell which variable is affecting the other