Key Terms Used In Scientific Research Flashcards
What is the age effect?
Effect due to the age of the respondent.
What is the cohort effect?
Effect due to the cohort or generation of the respondent.
What is a correlational study?
Study in which one observes the relation between two variables, often at a single point in time.
What is a cross-sectional study?
Study in which the data are collected at one point in time, usually from a cross section of different age groups.
What is data in the context of scientific examination?
Information (e.g., thoughts, feelings, behaviors) collected for the purpose of scientific examination.
What are demand characteristics?
The ways participants of an experiment can influence the outcome of a study.
What is a dependent variable?
Variable that is expected to be influenced by manipulation of the independent variable; the effect.
What is empiricism?
Basis of scientific method that involves the collection of information via one of the major senses (usually sight).
What are experimenter effects?
Ways in which the experimenter can intentionally or unintentionally influence the results of a study.
What is the experimental method?
Research method in which the investigator manipulates one variable and observes its effect on another variable.
What is external validity?
The confidence that the results from an experiment generalize to the real world.
What are facts in the context of data?
Statements made about data.
What are field experiments?
Experiments in which the investigation is taken into the environment where the behavior to be studied naturally occurs.
What is a hypothesis?
Prediction that a certain outcome will occur under a specific set of conditions.
What is an independent variable?
Variable manipulated during an experiment; the cause.
What is internal validity?
The confidence that the true cause of the effect is being studied.
What is a longitudinal study?
Study in which data are collected at multiple time points.
What is meta-analysis?
A statistical tool used to synthesize the results of studies.
What is a negative correlation?
Correlation in which the level of one variable increases and the level of the other variable decreases.
What is a positive correlation?
Correlation in which the levels of both variables increase or the levels of both variables decrease at the same time.
What is random assignment?
Method of assignment in which each participant has an equal chance of being exposed to each condition.
What is random selection/random sampling?
Method of selecting a sample in which each member of the population has an equal chance of being a participant in the study.
What is replication in research?
Repetition of a study, often with different measures of the independent variable and the dependent variable.
What is selection bias?
Result of participants not being randomly sampled or not being randomly assigned to condition.
What is social desirability response bias?
A demand characteristic; ways in which participants behave in experiments to give socially desirable answers.
What is a stimulus/target variable?
Variable that can be manipulated in an experiment.
What is a subject variable?
Variable that is a permanent characteristic of the person (subject) and may affect the person’s response to another variable.
What is a theory?
Abstract generalization that provides an explanation for a set of facts.
