EXPPSYCHAPTER7 Flashcards
_____is the variable (antecedent
condition) an experimenter intentionally manipulates.
The ____ of an______are the values of the IV
created by the experimenter.
independent variable (IV)
Levels
is the outcome measure the
experimenter uses to assess the change in behavior produced
by the independent variable.
The _____ depends on the value of the
independent variable.
dependent variable
_____ specifies the exact meaning of a
variable in an experiment by defining it in terms of observable
operations, procedures, and measurements.
For example, the _____ of anxiety could be in
terms of a test score, withdrawal from a situation, or activation of
the sympathetic nervous system.
operational definition
_____ assigns items to two or more distinct categories
that can be named using a shared feature but does not measure
their magnitude.
Example: Gender, Hair Color
nominal scale
____ measures the magnitude of the dependent
variable using ranks but does not assign precise values.
This scale allows us to make statements about relative speed,
but not precise speed, like a runner’s place in a marathon
ordinal scale
____ measures the magnitude of the dependent
variable using equal intervals between values with no absolute
zero point.
Example: degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit and Sarnoff and
Zimbardo’s (1961) 0-100 scale.
interval scale
____measures the magnitude of the dependent variable
using equal intervals between values and an absolute zero.
This scale allows us to state that 2 meters are twice as long as 1
meter.
Example: distance in meters or time in seconds.
ratio scale
_____refers to the consistency of experimental operational
definitions and measured operational definitions.
Example: a bathroom scale should display the same
weight if you measure yourself three times in the same minute.
It is when you are able to replicate a study
Reliability
_____is the degree to which observers agree
in their measurement of the behavior.
Example: the degree to which three observers agree when
scoring the same personal essays for optimism.
Interrater reliability
____ means the degree to which a person’s
scores are consistent across two or more administrations of a
measurement procedure.
Example: highly correlated scores on the Wechsler Adult
Intelligence Scale-Revised when it is administered twice, 2 weeks
apart.
Test-retest reliability
____ measures the degree to which different
parts of an instrument (questionnaire or test) that are designed
to measure the same variable achieve consistent results.
Inter-item reliability
____means the operational definition accurately
manipulates the independent variable or measures the
dependent variable.
Validity
is the degree to which the validity
of a manipulation or measurement technique is
self-evident. This is the least stringent form of
validity.
For example, using a ruler to measure pupil size.
Face validity
____means how accurately a
measurement procedure samples the content
of the dependent variable.
Example: an exam over chapters 1-4 that only
contains questions about chapter 2 has poor
______
Content validity
means how accurately a
measurement procedure predicts future
performance.
Example: the ACT has _____ if these
scores are significantly correlated with college
GPA.
Predictive validity
_____is how accurately an operational
definition represents a construct.
____is usually verified by comparing the test
to other tests that measure similar qualities to see how
highly correlated the two measures are.
Example: a construct of abusive parents might include their
perception of their neighbors as unfriendly.
Construct validity
is the degree to which changes in the dependent
variable across treatment conditions were due to the independent
variable.
______establishes a cause-and-effect relationship
between the independent and dependent variables.
Internal validity
occurs when an extraneous variable systematically
changes across the experimental conditions.
Example: a study comparing the effects of meditation and prayer on
blood pressure would be ____ if one group exercised more.
Confounding
TYPE OF THREAT
____ occurs when an event outside the experiment threatens
internal validity by changing the dependent variable.
Example: subjects in group A were weighed before lunch while those
in group B were weighed after lunch.
History threat
TYPE OF THREAT
is produced when physical or psychological
changes in the subject threaten internal validity by changing the DV.
Example: boredom may increase subject errors on a proofing task
Maturation threat
TYPE OF THREAT
occurs when prior exposure to a measurement
procedure affects performance on this measure during the
experiment.
Example: experimental subjects used a blood pressure cuff daily,
while control subjects only used one during a pretest measureme
famiiarity of the subjects to the test being administered
Testing threat
TYPE OF THREAT
is when changes in the measurement
instrument or measuring procedure threatens internal validity.
Example: if reaction time measurements became less accurate
during the experimental than the control conditions.
the difference between the time given to answer the questions on group A and group B due to conflict in schedule
Instrumentation threat
TYPE OF THREAT
occurs when subjects are assigned
to conditions on the basis of extreme scores, the measurement
procedure is not completely reliable, and subjects are retested
using the same procedure to measure change on the dependent
variable.
Statistical regression threat
TYPE OF THREAT
occurs when subjects drop out of
experimental conditions at different rates.
Example: even if subjects in each group started out with comparable
anxiety scores, drop out could produce differences on this variable.
one or some of the respondents withdraw during the procedure
Subject mortality threat
_____ occur when a selection threat combines
with at least one other threat (history, maturation, statistical
regression, subject mortality, or testing).
Selection interactions
The _____ of an APA research report describes the
Participants, Apparatus or Materials, and Procedure of the
experiment.
This section provides the reader with sufficient detail (who, what,
when, and how) to exactly replicate your study.
Method section
___of an APA research report is appropriate
when the equipment used in a study was unique or specialized, or
when we need to explain the capabilities of more common
equipment so that the reader can better evaluate or replicate the
experiment.
Apparatus section
