Ch. 2 Key Terms Flashcards
observation
observing something or someone carefully or in order to gain information
hypothesis
proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.
prediction
the prediction of future behavior
experiment
scientific procedure undertaken to make a discovery, test a hypothesis, or demonstrate a known fact.
variable
not consistent or having a fixed pattern
experimental group
the group of participants who are exposed to the independent variable
control group
standard to which comparisons are made in an experiment
data
facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis.
correlation
mutual relationship or connection between two or more things
statistics
collecting and analyzing numerical data in large quantities
mean
intend to convey, indicate, or refer to (a particular thing or notion)
distribution
the action of sharing something out among a number of recipients
probability
the extent to which something is probable
sample
small part or quantity intended to show what the whole is like
risk
situation involving exposure to danger
model
an informative representation of an object, person or system
conceptual model
abstract, psychological representations of how tasks should be carried out.
mathematical model
an abstract model that uses mathematical language to describe the behavior of a system
value
the importance, worth, or usefulness of something
decision-making model
the action or process of making decisions, especially important ones
