Chapter 3 - Three claims, four validities: interrogation tools for consumers of research

Question 1

What is the term for something that varies, it must have at least two levels or values?

Answer 1

A variable

Question 2

What is something that could potentially vary, but that has only one level in the study in question?

Answer 2

A constant

Question 3

What kind of variable is one whose levels are simple observed and recorded?

Answer 3

A measured variable

Question 4

What is a variable a researcher controls, usually by assigning study participants to different levels of that variable?

Answer 4

A manipulated variable.

Question 5

What are abstract concepts, such as “spending time socializing” and “school achievement”?

Answer 5

Conceptual variables

Question 6

A conceptual variable is sometimes called _______

Answer 6

A construct

Question 7

Conceptual variables must be carefully defined at the theoretical level, and these definitions are called _________ _________

Answer 7

Conceptual definitions

Question 8

Operational definitions of variables are also known as?

______ ______
______

Answer 8

Operational variables

Operationalizations

Question 9

To turn a concept of interest into a measured or manipulated variable.

Answer 9

Operationalize

Question 10

An argument someone is trying to make.

Answer 10

A claim.

Question 11

What kind of claim describes a particular rate or degree of a single variable?

Answer 11

Frequency claim.

Question 12

What kind of claim mentions the percentage of a variable or the number of people who engage in some activity?

Answer 12

Frequency claims.

Question 13

What kind of claim argues that one level of a variable is likely to be associated with a particular level of another variable?

Answer 13

An association claim.

Question 14

Variables that are associated are sometimes said to correlate, or _________, meaning that when variable changes, the other variable tends to change too.

Answer 14

Covary

Question 15

What kind of claim states a relationship between at least two variables.

Answer 15

An association claim.

Question 16

When you unwrap an association claim, you should find a ____________ study supporting it.

Answer 16

Correlational

Question 17

An association in which high goes with high and low goes with low.

Answer 17

A positive association, or positive correlation.

Question 18

One way to represent an association (a graph in which one variable is plotted on the y axis and the other variable is plotted on the x axis.

Answer 18

Scatterplot.

Question 19

An association in which high goes with low and low goes with high.

Answer 19

A negative association.

Question 20

An association that shows no relation between the two variables.

Answer 20

Zero association.

Question 21

How many variables are there in a frequency claim? An association claim? A causal claim?

Answer 21

Two variables.

Question 22

Which parts of speech in a claim can help you differentiate between association and causal claims?

Answer 22

They say one thing causes another, rather than saying they are related.

Question 23

What are the three criteria causal claims must satisfy?

Answer 23

1. It must establish that the two variables are correlated.
2. It must who that the causal variable came first and the outcome variable came later.
3. It must establish that no other explanations exist for the relationship.

Question 24

Term for the appropriateness of a conclusion or decision, and in general, a valid claim is reasonable, accurate and justifiable.

Answer 24

Validity.

Question 25

Term - How well a conceptual variable is operationalized.

Answer 25

Construct validity.

Question 26

Term - how well the results of a study generalize to, or represent, people or contexts besides those in the original study.

Answer 26

External validity.

Question 27

Term - Also called statistical conclusion validity, is the extent to which a study’s statistical conclusions are accurate and reasonable.

Answer 27

Statistical validity.

Question 28

This is a statistical figure, based on sample size for the study, that attempts to include the true value in the population.

Answer 28

Statistical validity.

Question 29

A statistical figure, based on sample size, that attempts to include the true value in the population.

Answer 29

Margin of error of the estimate.

Question 30

Term - meaning it comes first in time, before the other variable.

Answer 30

Temporal precedence.

Question 31

The extent to which two variables are observed to go together, is determined by the results of the study.

Answer 31

Covariance

Question 32

Term - an indication of a study’s ability to eliminate alternative explanations for the association.

Answer 32

Internal validity, or the third variable criterion.

Question 33

In the context of an experiment, the manipulated variable is called the __________ variable.

Answer 33

Independent.

Question 34

In the context of an experiment, the measured variable is called the __________.

Answer 34

Dependent