Lecture on Causal Claims and Correlational Studies

These flashcards cover key terminology and concepts related to causal claims, correlational studies, and statistical measures as discussed in the lecture.

Causal Claim

An assertion that one variable influences or impacts another.

Correlational Study

A study that measures two variables to determine if there is a relationship between them.

Causal Verb

A verb that indicates a claim of influence or impact, such as 'prompt', 'enhances', or 'improves'.

Tentative Phrase

Words like 'may' or 'sometimes' that indicate caution but do not negate the causal implications of the verbs that follow.

Scatter Plot

A graphical representation showing the relationship between two variables in a study.

Line of Best Fit

A line that best represents the data shown in a scatter plot, indicating the relationship between two variables.

Negative Correlation

A relationship where high scores on one variable are associated with low scores on another variable.

Positive Correlation

A relationship where high scores on both variables are associated with one another.

Zero Correlation

A situation where no discernible relationship exists between two variables.

Correlation Coefficient

A statistical measure that indicates the strength and direction of a correlation, ranging from -1 to +1.

Independent Variable

The variable that is manipulated in an experiment to see if it causes a change in another variable.

Dependent Variable

The variable that is measured in an experiment, which is expected to change due to manipulation of the independent variable.

Placebo Effect

A phenomenon where participants experience improvement due to their expectations rather than the actual treatment.

Double Blind Design

A study design where neither participants nor researchers know who is receiving the treatment, minimizing bias.

Measure of Central Tendency

Statistical measures that describe the center of a data set, including mean, median, and mode.

Standard Deviation

A statistic that measures the dispersion of a set of scores from the mean.

Inferential Statistics

Statistics used to make generalizations about a population based on a sample.

Association Claim

A statement that indicates a relationship between two variables without asserting causation.