variables that can potentially distort the relationship between the IV and the DV
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target population
the group of people to which the findings of the study are expected to be generalized
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sample
the group of people taking part in the experiment itself
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representatives
the key property of a sample
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participant characteristics
whatever can theoretically influence the relationship between the IV and DV
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sampling techniques
a process of sampling that depends on the aim of the research, available resources, and the nature of the target population
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random sampling
a process of sampling that depends on the aim of the research, available resources, and the nature of the target population
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stratified sampling
a theory-driven approach where you first decide the essential characteristics the has to reflect, then study the distribution of these characteristics in the target population, then recruit participants that keep the same proportions
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convenience (opportunity) sampling
a process of sampling where you recruit participants that are most easily available
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self-selected sampling
a process of sampling of recruiting volunteers
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independent measures design
random allocation of participants into groups and a comparison between these groups
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matched pair design
an experimental design of using matching to allocate participants into groups and comparing between groups
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matching variable
the variable controlled in a matched pair design
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repeated measure design
an experimental design where the goal is to compare conditions rather than groups of participants
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order effects
results may be different depending on which condition comes first (practice and fatigue)
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counterbalancing
using other groups of participants where the order of the conditions is reversed
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participant variability
differences between the groups before the experiment starts
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construct validity
a type of validity that characterizes the quality of operationalizations (the phenomenon is first defined as a construct and then expressed in terms of observable behavior)
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internal validity
a type of validity that characterizes the methodological quality of the experiment
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external validity
a type of validity that characterizes the generalizability of findings in the experiment
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population validity
the extent to which findings can be generalized from the sample to the target population
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ecological validity
the extent to which findings can be generalized from the sample to the target populations
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selection
a threat to internal validity where groups are not equivalent at the start of the experiment (apart from planned IV difference)
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history
a threat to internal validity where outside events happen to participants in the course of the experiment
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maturation
a threat to internal validity where participants go through natural development processes like fatigue or growth
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testing effect
a threat to internal validity where the first measurement of the DV may affect the second (and subsequent) measures
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instrumentation
a threat to internal validity where the instrument measuring the DV changes slightly between measurements
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regression to the mean
a threat to internal validity where the initial score on the DV is extreme (either high or low) and therefore are more statistically likely to become more average
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experimental mortality
a threat to internal validity where some participants drop out during an experiment (problematic if dropouts aren’t random)
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demand characteristics
a threat to internal validity where participants understand the purpose of the experiment and change their behavior subconsciously to fit that interpretation
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experimenter bias
a threat to internal validity where the researcher unintentionally exerts an influence on the results of the study
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double-blind designs
information that could introduce bias is withheld both from participants and from the people conducting the experiment
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quasi-experiments
experiments where pre-existing inter-group differences are used for allocation into groups
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field-experiments
experiments that are conducted in a real-life setting
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natural experiment
experiments conducted in participants’ natural environment but the researcher has no control over the iV
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Rodin & Piliavin’s Subway Study
the researchers pretended to collapse on a subway train and observed if other passengers would come to help