Chapter 2 Research Methods

Question 1

Experimental Method

Answer 1

carefully controlled scientific procedure involving the manipulation of variables to determine
cause and effect. The experimental method enables researchers to determine cause-and-effect
relationships.

Question 2

Independent Variable

Answer 2

The factor that is manipulated or controlled by the experimenter.

Question 3

Dependent Variable

Answer 3

The factor that is measured by the experimenter. It is affected by, depends on the independent variable.

Question 4

Experimental Group

Answer 4

Group that is exposed to the independent variable

Question 5

Control Group

Answer 5

Group exposed to all experimental conditions, except the independent variable.

Question 6

Confounding Variable

Answer 6

Variables that have an unwanted influence on the outcome of an experiment.

Question 7

Double-Blind Study

Answer 7

procedure in which neither the researcher nor the participant knows which group received the
experimental treatment. Designed to reduce experimenter bias.

Question 8

Case Study

Answer 8

in-depth examination of a single research participant.

Question 9

CORRELATION RESEARCH

Answer 9

researcher observes or measures two or more naturally occurring variables to find the
relationship between them. In correlation research, the researcher does not directly manipulate the
variables

Question 10

CORRELATION COEFFICIENT

Answer 10

numerical value from +1.00 to -1.00 that indicates the strength and direction of the relationship
between two variables.

Question 11

Mean

Answer 11

measure of central tendency that provides the average score. Any change in the highest score in a
distribution must result in a change in the mean.

Question 12

Median

Answer 12

Measure of central tendency that divides a frequency distribution exactly in half

Question 13

Mode

Answer 13

measure of central tendency that identifies the most frequently occurring score in a distribution.

Question 14

Standard Deviation

Answer 14

measure of variability that indicates the average differences between the scores and their mean.

Question 15

Normal Distribution

Answer 15

bell-shaped curve, describing the spread of a characteristic throughout a population. In a normal
distribution, half the scores fall at or above the mean and half the scores fall at or below the mean.

Question 16

POSITIVELY SKEWED DISTRIBUTION

Answer 16

Contains a preponderance of scores on the low end of the scale. The mean will be higher than the
median in a positively skewed distribution.

Question 17

Negatively Skewed Distribution

Answer 17

Contains a preponderance of scores on the high end of the scale. The mean will be lower than the
median in a negatively skewed distribution.

Question 18

P-Value

Answer 18

The probability of concluding that a difference exists when in fact the difference does not exist. A
statistically significant difference is a difference not likely due to chance. By consensus, a
statistically significant difference is one that would show up only 5 percent of the time or less. The
smaller the p-value the more significant the results.