W1 Chapter 2.2 - Establishing Relationships among Variables Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the definition of a variable?

A

A dimension along which two or more variations exist

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2
Q

What are the two reasons why it is important to go beyond case studies?

A
  1. Generalisability
  2. The need to examine a range of variability
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3
Q

What are the two kinds of relationships between variables?

A
  1. Correlation
  2. Causality
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4
Q

What are the two aspects of a correlation relationship?

A
  1. Direction
  2. Strength
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5
Q

How is correlation “strength” defined?

A

Strength is the degree of accuracy with which you can predict values on one dimension from the values on the other

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6
Q

How is the strength of a correlation represented?

A

By a number called the correlation coefficient (r)

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7
Q

What r value (correlation coefficient) is used for strong correlations?

A

0.6 to 0.8

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8
Q

What r value (correlation coefficient) is used for moderately strong correlations?

A

0.3 to 0.5

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9
Q

What r value (correlation coefficient) is used for weak correlations?

A

Below 0.3

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10
Q

What is the definition of statistical significance?

A

The likelihood of an effect occurring by chance alone

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11
Q

What is the definition of clinical (practical) significance?

A

When an association is large enough to have some practical importance

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12
Q

What is the definition of causality?

A

A relationship such that variation in one dimension produces variation in another

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13
Q

What is the definition of the third variable problem?

A

The possibility that an unmeasured variable caused variations in both of two correlated variables

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14
Q

What is the definition of the experimental method?

A

The method in which one variable is manipulated to test for causal influence on another variable

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15
Q

What are the two defining characteristics of experimental research?

A
  1. One variable is manipulated
    2.
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16
Q

What is the manipulated variable called?

A

The independent variable

17
Q

What is the definition of the independent variable?

A

The variable manipulated in an experiment and tested as the cause in a cause-effect relationship

18
Q

What is the definition of experimental control?

A

The holding constant of variables that are not being manipulated

19
Q

What is the definition of random assignment?

A

The process of putting people randomly into groups of an experiment so that their characteristics balance put across groups

20
Q

What is the definition of a dependent variable?

A

The variable measured as the outcome of an experiment; the effect in a cause-effect relationship

21
Q

What is a good rule of thumb for determining that a study is correlational?

A

any time when groups represent “naturally occurring differences” or are formed on the basis of some “characteristic that you measure”

22
Q

What are the two drawbacks of experimental research?

A
  1. It is sometimes unclear which aspect of the manipulation was important
  2. Experiments usually occur over a short timeframe
23
Q

What does Underwood, 1975 believe is the only way to really understand personality?

A

To look at naturally occurring differences between people

24
Q

What is the definition of a multi factor study?

A

A study with two (or more) predictor variables

25
Q

What is the definition of experimental personality research?

A

A study involving a personality factor and an experimental factor

26
Q

What is the definition of main effect?

A

A finding in which the effect of one predictor variable is independent of other variables

27
Q

What is the definition of an interaction?

A

A finding in which the effect of one predictor variable differs depending on the level of another predictor variable.

28
Q

What are the two aspects of interactions?

A
  1. To find an interaction it is necessary to study more than one factor at a time.
  2. Interactions have many forms