Glossary page 6 Flashcards
reliability consistency
reliability means that the findings of research are
consistently replicable
reliability (in the context of diagnosis of mental illness)
each time a diagnostic
or classification system is used it should produce the same result, that is, it
should be consistent
replicability
this means that a study can be repeated in exactly the same way
representative
the extent to which something (usually a sample) shares the
main characteristics of a wider group (ususally the target population)
researcher reliability
the extent to which the researcher behaves consistently in
the research situation
sample bias
this occurs when some members of the target population are more
likely to be chosen to be in the sample than others
schema
an organised body of information about some aspect of the world or a
framework for thinking about the world
secondary insomnia
insomnia that is a secondary consequence of another
problem – for example, pain or depression
sex
refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and
women, such as breast, testes and physical size
sexual dimorphism
differences in behaviour, anatomy and physiology between
the sexes
sexual selection
this is an important process in explaining evolution; it means
that characteristics and traits that increase reproductive success (either by
making individuals attractive to the opposite sex or by helping them
compete for mates with members of the same sex) are naturally selected
significant
a result is significant statistically if it is unlikely to have occurred by
chance
sleep apnoea
when an individual experiences a disruption of normal breathing
when asleep
social desirability
social desirability is the tendency of people to respond to a
situation or to questions in a way that they think will be viewed favourably
by other people – for example, they may exaggerate good things about
themselves and put less emphasis on the ‘not so good’
somnambulism
another name for sleep walking
