Unit 0 Vocab
Experimental vs. non-experimental- Experimental designs allow observation of a phenomenon as it naturally occurs, and nonexperimental designs permit environmental manipulation.
Independent variable (IV)- the variable that is manipulated in an experiment to assess if it will effect dependent variable
Meta-analysis- combines the results of multiple scientific studies
Naturalistic observation- a method that involves observing subjects in their natural environment
Dependent variable (DV)- the variable that changes as a result of the independent variable manipulation
Confounding variables- a third variable in a study examining a potential cause-and-effect relationship
Random assignment- every participant having an equal chance of being in either the experimental group or the control group
Population-All the cases in a group being studied, from which samples may be drawn
Sample- a small subset of individuals intended to reflect specified characteristics present in a target population.
Random sampling- when the group of subjects in your experiment accurately depicts the population
Representative samples- a smaller subset of a larger groups that accurately reflects specific characteristics of that population.
Convenience samples- asking anyone who happens to be there if they would like to participate
Sampling bias- occurs when some members of a population are systematically more likely to be selected in a sample than others
Generalizability- Responses to a new stimulus based on prior experience with similar stimuli.
Experimental group- the group in an experiment that receives the variable being tested
Control group- the group that does not receive the independent variable in an experiment
Placebo group- group that receives what, to them, appears to be a treatment, but actually is neutral and does not contain any active treatment
Placebo effect- when a group of people feel an effect of a drug when they have actually only ingested a placebo
Single-blind procedure- when the subjects do not know all of the information about the study while it is occurring, especially which group (experiment
Double-blind procedure- when neither the participant in the study nor the person giving the study know who is the control group and who is in the experimental group
Experimenter bias- hen the experimenter affects the results of their own study because of their expectations
Case study- a thorough study of a single person, community or event that relies on observations, facts and experiments to gather information.
Correlation (does not equal causation)- indicates the possibility of a cause-effect relationship, but it does not prove causation or, if causation exists, the direction of the influence.
Positive correlation- when the two variables move in the same direction
Negative correlation- the relationship between two variables in which one variable increases as the other variable decreases.
Directionality problem- significant correlation does not provide information about the direction of the relationship.
Third-variable problem- A type of confounding in which a third variable leads to a mistaken causal relationship between two others
Scatterplots-
Correlation coefficient
Quantitative measures (e.g. Likert scales)
Qualitative measures (e.g. structured interviews)
Surveys
Framing- the way that a problem is presented to someone, and it can drastically change that person's view or reaction to the problem.
Social desirability bias-a type of response bias
Self-report bias- ny test, measure, or survey that relies on an individual's own report of their symptoms, behaviors, beliefs, or attitudes
Hypothesis- A tentative and testable explanation of the relationship between two (or more) events or variables
Falsifiability- the ability for a statement/theory to be shown to be false,
Operational definitions- sed to describe the procedure of a study and the research variables ( so it can be replicated)
Replication and Peer review
Ethical guidelines- Informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity, and debriefing
Institutional review board (for human and non-
human research)- ederally-mandated, locally-administered groups charged with evaluating risks and benefits of human participant research at their institution.
Informed consent- the subject is given enough information on the study to make an informed decision on his/her participation
Informed assent- an agreement by an individual not competent to give legally-valid informed consent
Protection from harm- researchers have a duty to protect participants from physical or psychological harm
Confidentiality of participants- the experimenters will not release any information about subjects without their consent
Minimal deception- If the participants are deceived in any way about the nature of the study, the deception must not be so extreme as to invalidate the informed consent.
Confederates- an aide of the experimenter who poses as a participant but whose behavior is rehearsed prior to the experiment
Debriefing- when an experimenter tells the subject more information about the study's purpose and procedures after the study is completed
Central tendency (mean, median, mode)
Measures of variation (range and interpret standard deviation)
Normal curve (percentages and percentiles)
Positive and negative skews
Bimodal distributions
Regression toward the mean- following an extreme random event, the next random event is likely to be less extreme
Statistical significance- it's unlikely to be explained solely by chance or random factors
Effect sizes
Cognitive biases (confirmation bias, hindsight bias, overconfidence)