AAQ Terminology

Case Study

usually one person or a few people studied in depth; usually for something rare

Naturalistic Observation

study people in their natural environment; ex. record observations of behavior at a local park

Meta-Analysis

compare data from multiple studies

Correlational Study

compare how variables are related to one another- there is no manipulation of variables

Experiment

Uses random assignment to put people into groups and manipulates (changes) the independent variable for each group to measure if something causes something else

Operational Definition

How the researchers measure the variable mentioned. (If the Things to pay attention to:

• It must be measurable or quantifiable

  • If it was a questionnaire or test, it should include the words “the results” or “the scores” of …

  • If they are counting how many times something occurs, it should include the words “the number of…”

• It must be based on how the researchers operationally defined the variable (you can’t come up with your own way to measure it).

• You can only identify the operational definition for the variable mentioned.

Mean

The mean is the average. For example, a higher mean would indicate one group, participant, etc. had a better performance. A lower mean would indicate the opposite. It is calculated by adding up all the numbers and then dividing by the number of values.

Median

The median is the middle score after rearranging all numbers into ascending order (least to greatest) and eliminating numbers from the “top and bottom” of the list until you find the middle value. For example, a higher median means scores skew positive. A lower median means scores skew negative.

Mode

The mode is the most frequent/common score within a set of numbers.

Range

The range is the difference between the largest and smallest number in the set. Higher ranges mean the scores in the set are more spread out, more diverse, less similar, vary more etc. Lower ranges mean the opposite - the scores are close together, less diverse, more similar, vary less, etc.

Standard deviation

a single value that tells you how much the scores within the set of values VARY from one another (which is another way of saying whether or not they are spread out or not). Higher standard deviations mean the scores in the set are more spread out, more diverse, less similar, vary more, etc. Lower standard deviations mean the opposite - the scores are close together, less diverse, more similar, vary less, etc.

Percentile

A percentile informs you how that score/number/value compares to the entire distribution of scores. A score on the 98th percentile means the value is greater than or equal to 98% of the scores within the distribution. A score on the 43rd percentile means the value is greater than or equal to 43% of all of the scores within the distribution.

Correlation Coefficient (r =)

The correlation coefficient is a measurement between -1 and +1 and indicates the strength of the trend between two variables in correlational research. The closer to +1 OR -1 the stronger the correlation (or worded conversely the closer to 0.0 the weaker). The stronger the correlation, the more predictable the relationship between the two variables. (Remember: Correlation is NOT causation; don’t use words like “leads to” or “causes”; instead use words like “tends to, is related to, predicts, etc.)  Positive correlation: As one increases, so does the other... OR as one decreases, so does the other.  Neg. Correlation= opposite directions

Statistical Significance

The results of a study considered statistically significant “were not likely due to chance.”

Effect size

The effect size shows “how much” the a variable influences/correlates with the other.  (In an experiment, how much the IV impacts the DV; in a correlation the strength of the relationship).

generalizability

The extent to which findings from a study can be applied to larger populations or different contexts. It reflects how well the results of a specific study can be generalized beyond the sample used.