Methods terms Flashcards
Measurement Scales
The different ways to categorize and quantify variables in research, including nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scales.
Levels
The different values or categories of an independent variable in an experiment.
Conditions
The specific experimental setups or groups that participants are assigned to in a study, such as control and experimental conditions.
Confounds
Variables that unintentionally vary along with the independent variable, making it difficult to determine the true cause of an effect.
Random Assignment
The process of assigning participants to experimental conditions in a way that ensures each participant has an equal chance of being in any condition, reducing bias.
Matching
A technique in which participants are paired or grouped based on similar characteristics to control for potential confounding variables.
Selection Bias
Systematic differences between groups in a study due to non-random assignment, which can threaten the study’s validity.
Attrition
The loss of participants from a study over time, which can lead to biased results if those who drop out differ systematically from those who remain.
Control Group
A group in an experiment that does not receive the independent variable, used as a baseline for comparison with the experimental group.
Comparison Group
A group that receives an alternative treatment or different condition, used to compare the effects of the primary experimental condition.
Standardization
The process of keeping procedures, instructions, and scoring methods consistent across all participants to ensure reliability.
Practice Effects
Improvements in performance due to repeated exposure to the same test or task rather than actual learning or treatment effects.
Order & Sequence Effects
The impact that the order of presenting experimental conditions has on participant responses, which can introduce bias.
Counterbalancing
A method used to control for order effects by varying the sequence of conditions across participants.
Randomization
The use of random processes to assign participants to conditions, present stimuli, or order tasks, minimizing bias.
“Blind” Procedure
A method where participants (single-blind) or both participants and researchers (double-blind) are unaware of critical aspects of the experiment to reduce bias.
Placebo Effects
Changes in participants’ behavior due to their expectations of treatment rather than the treatment itself.
Demand Characteristics
Cues in an experiment that lead participants to guess the study’s purpose and change their behavior accordingly.
Compliance Effects
Changes in participant behavior due to their desire to conform to perceived researcher expectations.
Observer Bias
When researchers’ expectations or beliefs influence their observations or interpretations of participant behavior.
Inter-Rater Reliability
The degree to which multiple observers or raters consistently agree in their assessments of the same behavior or data.
