Foundations: Methods and Approaches

Question 1

Experiment

Answer 1

An investigation seeking to understand relations of cause and effect

Question 2

Independent variable

Answer 2

The manipulated variable

Question 3

Dependent variable

Answer 3

What is measured

Question 4

Control variable

Answer 4

Factor remaining constraint in both groups

Question 5

Experimental group

Answer 5

Groups receiving or reacting to the independent variable (being experimented on)

Question 6

Control group

Answer 6

Does not receive the independent variable

Question 7

Population

Answer 7

Group of interest (to be studied)

Question 8

Single-blind design

Answer 8

The subjects do not know whether they are in the control or experimental group

Question 9

Double-blind design

Answer 9

Neither the subjects nor the researcher knows who is in the two groups

Question 10

Correlational research

Answer 10

Assessing the degree of association between two or more variables or characteristics of interest that occur naturally

Question 11

Longitudinal studies

Answer 11

Studies that occur over long periods of time with the same subject

Question 12

Cross-sectional studies

Answer 12

Study that is designed to test a wide array of subjects from different background to increase generalizability

Question 13

Confounding variable

Answer 13

An unknown factor is playing a role

Question 14

Case studies

Answer 14

Intensive psychological studies of single individuals

Question 15

Conceptual definition

Answer 15

The theory or issue being studied

Question 16

Operational definition

Answer 16

Used to clarify what is meant by each variable or how it is defined or measured so that the research can be repeated

Question 17

Internal validity

Answer 17

The certainty with which the results of an experiment can be attributed to the manipulation of the independent variable rather than to some other

Question 18

External validity

Answer 18

The extent to which the findings of a study can be generalized to other contexts in the “real world”

Question 19

Descriptive statistics

Answer 19

Summarizes data

Question 20

Inferential statistics

Answer 20

Allows researchers to test hypotheses about data and determine how confident they can be in their inferences about the data

Question 21

Mean

Answer 21

Arithmetic average of a set of numbers

Question 22

Mode

Answer 22

The most frequently occurring value in the data set

Question 23

Median

Answer 23

The number that falls exactly in the middle of a distribution of numbers

Question 24

Range

Answer 24

The difference between the lowest and highest scores

Question 25

Variability

Answer 25

How much the numbers in the set differ from one another

Question 26

Standard deviation

Answer 26

Measures a function of the average dispersion of numbers around the mean

Question 27

Positive skew

Answer 27

Most values are on a lower end, but there are some exceptionally large values

Question 28

Negative skew

Answer 28

Most values are on the higher end, but there are some exceptionally small scores

Question 29

Correlational coefficient

Answer 29

A numerical value that indicates the degree and direction of the relationship between two variables

Question 30

Sample size

Answer 30

The number of observations or individuals measured

Question 31

Null hypothesis

Answer 31

A treatment had no effort in an experiment

Question 32

Alternative hypothesis

Answer 32

The treatment did have an effect

Question 33

Type I error

Answer 33

The null is true; reject the null

Question 34

Type II error

Answer 34

The null is false; fail to reject

Question 35

Informed concent

Answer 35

Agree to participate in the study only after being told what participation entails; allowed to leave the experiment at any time

Question 36

Debriefing

Answer 36

Participants are told the exact purpose of this participation in the research and do any deception that may have been used in the process of the experimentation

Question 37

Random selection

Answer 37

When participants are randomly selected to be part of a study

Question 38

Random assignment

Answer 38

When participants are randomly assigned to be part of the control group of experimental group in the experiment

Question 39

Representative sample

Answer 39

When the sample group in the study represents all the different people in the population

Question 40

Confirmation bias

Answer 40

The tendency to seek information that aligns with our point of view and dismiss information that challenges our beliefs