Statistics and Industrial-Organizational Psychology Review

This flashcard set covers foundational concepts from the lecture notes including descriptive and inferential statistics, psychometric properties of tests, research validity, organizational justice, and theories of work motivation.

Descriptive Statistics

Statistics used to describe the basic features of data, providing simple summaries about the sample and measures such as the mean and standard deviation.

Standard Deviation

The most frequently reported measure of variability, representing the average amount of variability in a set of scores and how far data points are from the mean.

Nominal Scale

A scale of measurement that classifies or labels data into distinct categories without any quantitative value or order.

Ordinal Scale

A scale of measurement that ranks or orders data in a specific sequence, though the exact distance between ranks is unknown or unequal.

Interval Scale

A scale that orders data with known, exact, and equal distances between values, but lacks a true zero point (e.g., temperature in Fahrenheit).

Ratio Scale

The most comprehensive scale of measurement, featuring all properties of the interval scale plus a true, absolute zero point representing the absence of the trait being measured.

Inferential Statistics

Statistical methods used to reach conclusions that extend beyond the immediate data, such as inferring properties of a population from a sample.

Normal Curve

A perfectly symmetrical, asymptotic bell-shaped distribution where the mean, median, and mode are equivalent.

Z-score

A standard score that indicates how many standard deviations ($SD$) a specific score is from the mean.

Null Hypothesis ($H_0$)

A statement that there is no relationship between variables or no difference between groups at the population level.

Type 1 Error

Occurs when the null hypothesis is true but the researcher rejects it, representing a false positive.

Type 2 Error

Occurs when the null hypothesis is false but the researcher fails to reject it, representing a false negative.

Alpha ($\alpha$)

The significance level or accepted cutoff for calling a result statistically significant, traditionally set at $0.05$.

P-value

The probability of observing results as extreme as those in the data assuming the null hypothesis is true.

Effect Size

A measure that helps understand the magnitude or strength of a relationship or difference between groups, independent of sample size.

One-way ANOVA

A statistical test used to see if the average values of three or more independent groups differ from each other on a continuous dependent variable.

ANCOVA

Analysis of Covariance, which compares group means while statistically controlling for one or more continuous variables (covariates) that affect the outcome.

Coefficient of Determination ($R^2$)

The percentage of total variance in the dependent variable attributable to a specific source or predictor in a regression model.

Multicollinearity

Occurs when predictors in a regression model are highly correlated with one another ($r > 0.75$), making it difficult to determine unique contributions.

Construct Validity

An umbrella concept reflecting the extent to which a measure accurately captures the theoretical construct it is intended to measure.

Internal Validity

The degree to which the observed effect in a study is caused only by the experimental treatment, ruling out alternative explanations.

Adverse Impact

Unintentional discrimination where a neutral employment practice disproportionately harms a protected group, often assessed using the 4/5th rule.

Standard Error of Measurement ($SEM$)

Quantifies the average amount a person's observed score will vary from their true score due to measurement error.

Internal Consistency Reliability

The consistency of people's responses across items on a multiple-item measure, commonly assessed using Cronbach's alpha.

Organizational Culture

A set of shared mental assumptions that guide interpretation and actions in organizations by defining appropriate behavior for various situations.

Procedural Justice

The perceived fairness of the process used to produce organizational decisions and outcomes.

Job Characteristics Model

Proposes that five core dimensions (skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback) drive critical psychological states and enhance intrinsic motivation.

Conservation of Resources ($COR$) Theory

A theory stating that people are motivated to obtain, retain, and protect valued resources, and that stress occurs when these resources are threatened or lost.

Self-Determination Theory

A meta-theory of motivation suggesting that humans have three universal psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Emotional Labor

The effortful strategies needed to meet organizational display rules, involving the management of feelings to create a publicly observable facial and bodily display.