Chapter 1 Flashcards
-Are often defined as facts and figures, such as average income, crime rate, birth rate, basketball batting averages, and so on.
-Informative and time saving because they condense large quantities of information into few simple figures.
-a set of mathematical procedures for organizing, summarizing and interpreting information.
Statistics
-the entire group that a researcher wishes to study
-the entire set of the individuals of interest for a particular
research question.
Population
-a set of individuals selected from a population, usually intended to
represent the population in a research study.
Sample
-Something that can change or have different values
-is a characteristic or condition that changes or has different values for different individuals.
Variable
-Score or raw score
Data/Datum
-Measurements or observation
Data
-is a collection of measurements or observations.
Data set
-a single measurement or observation
Datum
-is a value, usually a numerical value, that describes a population. A
parameter is usually derived from measurements of the individuals in the population
Parameter
-is a value, usually a numerical value, that describes a sample. A statistic is usually derived from measurements of the individuals in the sample.
Statistic
-are statistical procedures used to summarize, organize, and
simplify data.
Descriptive Statistics
-consist of techniques that allow us to study samples and
then make generalizations about the populations from which they were selected.
Inferential statistics
is the naturally occurring discrepancy, or error, that exists
between a sample statistic and the corresponding population parameter.
Sampling Error
two different variables are observed to determine
whether there is a relationship between them.
Correlational Method
Experimental method`s Two characteristics that differentiate experiments from other types or research studies:
-Manipulation
-Control
Experimental Characteristics where, The researcher manipulates one variable by changing its value from one level to another. A second variable is observed (measured) to determine whether the manipulation causes changes to occur.
Manipulation
Experimental Method characteristics where, The researcher must exercise control over the research situation to ensure that other, extraneous variables do not influence the relationship being
examined.
Control
The two general categories of variables that researchers must consider:
-Participant Variables
-Environmental Variables
These are characteristics such as age, gender, and
intelligence that vary from one individual to another.
Participant Variables
-These are characteristics of the environment such
as lighting, time of day, and weather conditions.
Environmental Variables
Three Basic techniques to control other variables
-Random Assignment
-Matching
-Holding them constant
A technique which each participant has an
equal chance of being assigned to each of the treatment conditions.
Random Assignment
Technique ensure equivalent groups or equivalent environmental
Matching
Technique that the researcher can be certain that one group
is not noticeably older than another.
Holding them constant
-one variable is manipulated while another variable
is observed and measured. To establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the two variables, an experiment attempts to control all other variables to prevent them from influencing the results.
Experimental Method
-Variable that is manipulated by the researcher.
Independent Variable
the variable that is observed to assess the effect of the
treatment.
Dependent Variable
in this, the individuals do not receive the experimental treatment.
Instead, they either receive no treatment or they receive a neutral, placebo treatment.
Control Condition
The individuals in the control condition are
often called
Control Group
In this the individuals do receive the experimental treatment
Experimental Condition
In a nonexperimental study, the “independent” variable that is used to create the
different groups of scores
quasi-independent variable
are internal attributes or
characteristics that cannot be directly observed but are useful for describing and
explaining behavior.
Constructs
identifies a measurement procedure (a set of operations)
for measuring an external behavior and uses the resulting measurements as a
definition and a measurement of an internal construct.
Operational Definition
consists of separate, indivisible categories. No values can
exist between two neighboring categories.
Discrete Variable
-there are an infinite number of possible values that fall between any two observed values
-divisible into an infinite number of fractional parts.
Continous Variable
-are the boundaries of intervals for scores that are represented on a continuous number line.
-separating two adjacent scores is located
exactly halfway between the scores.
Real Limit
-at the top of the interval
Upper real limit
is at the bottom of the interval
Lower real limit
-consists of a set of categories that have different names.
Nominal scale
-consists of a set of categories that are organized in an ordered sequence.
Ordinal Scale
-consists of ordered categories that are all intervals of exactly the same size
Interval scale
-an interval scale with the additional feature of an absolute zero point
Ratio scale
