2.12-2.22: Identifying Good Research & Using Statistics to Analyze Results & Conducting Research Ethically

Question 1

The appropriateness or accuracy of a conclusion or decision

Answer 1

Validity

Question 2

The specific assessment of how accurately the operationalizations used in a study capture the variables of interest

Answer 2

Construct validity

Question 3

The degree to which a measure yields consistent results each time it is administered

Answer 3

Reliability

Question 4

The degree to which it is reasonable to generalize from a study’s sample of its population of interest

Answer 4

External validity

Question 5

The ability of a study to rule out alternative explanations for a relationship between two variables; one of the criteria for supporting a causal claim

Answer 5

Internal validity

Question 6

An alternative explanation for a relationship between two variables; specifically, in an experiment, when two experimental groups accidentally differ on more than just the independent variable, which causes a problem for internal validity

Answer 6

Confound

Question 7

A graph or computation that describes the characteristics of a bath of scores, such as its distribution, central tendency, or variability

Answer 7

Descriptive statistics

Question 8

A descriptive statistic that takes the form of a bar graph in which the possible scores on a variable are listed on the x-axis and the total number of people who had each score is plotted on the y-axis

Answer 8

Frequency distribution

Question 9

A numerical estimate of the strength of the relationship between two variables. It can take the form of a correlation coefficient or, for an experiment, the difference between two group means divided by the standard deviations of the two groups

Answer 9

Effect size

Question 10

A set of procedures used to estimate whether a pattern of results represents a true relationship or difference in the population

Answer 10

Inferential statistics

Question 11

A process of inference that applies rules of logic and probability to estimate whether the results obtained in a study’s ample are the same in a larger population

Answer 11

Statistical significance

Question 12

A process in which researchers locate all of the studies that have tested the same variables and mathematically average them to estimate the effect size of the entire body of studies

Answer 12

Meta-analysis

Question 13

A local panel of researchers, teachers, citizens, and other who determine whether a research study lives up to the community’s ethical standards

Answer 13

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Question 14

An application of the ethical principle of autonomy, in which a researcher explains the procedures of a study, including its risks and potential benefits, to the potential participants, who then decide whether to take part

Answer 14

Informed consent

Question 15

A statistically significant finding that does not reflect a real effect

Answer 15

False positive

Question 16

A questionable research practice in which researchers create an after-the-fact hypothesis about an unexpected research result, making it appear as if they predicted it all along

Answer 16

HARKing (Hypothesizing after the results are known)

Question 17

A family of questionable data analysis techniques, such as adding participants after the results are initially analyzed, looking for outliers, or trying new analyses in order to obtain a p value of just under .05, which can lead to nonreplicable results

Answer 17

p-hacking

Question 18

The practice of sharing one’s data, hypotheses, and materials freely so others can collaborate, use, and verify the results

Answer 18

Open science

Question 19

A researcher’s public statement of a study’s expected outcome before collecting any data

Answer 19

Preregistration