Chapter 2 Key Terms [Research & Study] Flashcards
empiricism
the belief that accurate knowledge can be acquired through observation
scientific method
a procedure for finding truth by using empirical evidence
theory
a hypothetical explanation of a natural phenomenon
hypothesis
a falsifiable predictable made by a theory
empirical method
a set of rules and techniques for observation
operational definition
a description of a property in concrete, measurable terms
instrument
anything that can detect the condition to which an operational definition regers
validity
the goodness with which a concrete event defines a property
reliability
the tendency for an instrument to produce the same measurement whenever it is used to measure the same thing
power
an instrument’s ability to detect small magnitudes of the property
demand characteristics
those aspects of an observation setting that cause people to behave as they think someone else wants or expects
naturalistic observation
a technique for gathering scientific information by unobtrusively observing people in their natural environments
double-blind
an observation whose true purpose is hidden from both the observer and the person being observed (avoids observer bias)
variable
a property whose value can vary across individuals or over time
correlation
two variables are said to “be correlated” when variations in the value of one variable are synchronized with variations in the value of the other
natural correlations
a correlation observed in the world around us
third-variable correlation
two variables are correlated only because each is casually related to a third variable
third-variable problem
the fact that a casual relationship between two variables cannot be inferred from the naturally occurring correlation between them because of the ever-present possibility of third-variable correlation
experiment
a technique for establishing the casual relationship between variables
manipulation
changing a variable in order to determine its casual power
independent variable
the variable that is manipulated in an experiment
experimental group
the group of people who are exposed to a particular manipulation, as compared to the control group, in an experiment
contrl group
the group of people who are not exposed to the particular manipulation, as compared to the experimental group, in an experiment
dependent variable
the variable that is measured in a study
self-selection
a problem that occurs when anything about a person determine whether he or she will be included in the experimental or control group
random assignment
a procedure that lets chance assign people to the experimental or control group
internal validity
an attribute of an experiment that allows it to establish causal relationships
external validity
an attribute of an experiment in which variables have been defined in a normal, typical, or realistic way
population
a complete collection of participants who might possibly be measured
sample
a partial collection of people drawn from a population
case method
a procedure for gathering scientific information by studying a single individual
random sampling
a technique for choosing participants that ensures that every member of a population has an equal chance of being included in the sample
informed consent
a written agreement to participate in a study made by an adult who has been informed of all the risks that participation may entail
debriefing
a verbal description of the true nature and purpose of a study
