Lecture 2 - Science and Measurement Flashcards
Scientific method
The means by which scientists validate their opinions, hypotheses, theories etc.
Procedure of Scientific method
- Identify question of interest
- Collect relevant information and formulate a testable hypothesis
- Design a study where hypothesis can be tested
- Analyze data; make tentative conclusions
- Report findings
Falsifiability
An experimental circumstance that can falsify your data; potential to disprove
Deductive argument
An argument that relies on valid premises in order for an argument to be deduced (from those premises) –>
Inductive argument
An argument based on past or present evidence is used to infer premises about the future –> estimating, generalizing
Inductive reasoning
Used in science to produce theories, can never prove inductive conclusions
Evidence
Something used to disprove scientific findings
Fact
An observation about the world
Hypothesis
A thought that is testable
Theory
A collection of true hypotheses that are conclusive
Law
A detailed description of how something happens (pure mechanics, no explanation)
Dependent variable
Chosen variable that’s being studied
Independent variable
Variable being changed
Measurement
A description of the variable in terms of the operations used to establish or measure that variable
Variable (extra)
An element that is subject to change; can be more than one measurement, represented by one description
Histogram
A graph that can represent a variable with more than one data inputs
Density plot
Shows where the most common data points are
Probability distribution
A math equation that gives the probabilities of occurrence of different possible outcomes for an experiment
Central tendency
The most typical value of a data set
Mode
The value that occurs with the greatest frequency
Median
The middle number in an ordered set
Normal distribution
Values tend to focus on a central point, creating a bell curve
Negative skew
Skewed left; long tail points left
Positive skew
Skewed right; long tail points right
Descriptive research
Describes only observational data; cannot determine causation
Correlational research
Looks for relationships between variables; tries to make generalizations
Experimental research
Manipulates variables in a controlled manner to isolate the cause of the phenomena
Naturalistic observation
Recording real-world settings without manipulation
External validity
The extent to which we can generalize findings to real-world settings
Case studies
Research that examines one or a selected few individuals over an extended amount of time
Random sampling
a procedure that ensures that everyone has an equal chance of being chosen to participate
Validity
The extent to which a measure assesses what it claims to measure
Correlational designs
Used to examine the relationship between variables
Correlation coefficient
A measure of the degree to which two variables are related (denoted as “ r “). Has a value between - 1 and 1
