Research Methods: Chapters 6 Flashcards
What is Central Tendency in Descriptive Statistics?
A single value that represents the typical value of a dataset.
Tells us where the data hovers but not the spread.
Mean, Median, and Mode
What Central Tendencies do the 4 Scales of Measurements use?
Nominal - Mode
Ordinal - Mode & Median
Interval/Ratio Mode, Median, & Mean
What are Mean, Median, and Mode and how do you find them?
Mean (average) - the average value of a set of numbers. Add the scores and divide by the number of scores.
Median - the middle value in a dataset when arranged in ascending order. If the amount of scores is even, add two most middle scores and divide by 2.
Mode - signifying the most common observation within the data. The value that appears most frequently in a data set.
What is Variability in Descriptive Statistics?
The amount of spread in the distribution of scores.
Range, Variance, and Standard Deviation
What are Range, Variance, and Standard Deviation and how do you find them?
Range - a measure of variability that represents the difference between the highest and lowest score.
Variance - measures the spread or dispersion of data points around the mean
- Subtract the mean from each score (deviation)
- Square each of those values (squared deviations)
- Add up all of the squared deviations ( sums of squares)
- Divide by your sample size minus 1 (N-1)
Standard Deviation - a measure of how spread out or dispersed a set of data is. Take the variance and square root it.
What are Z Scores, and how do you find them?
How many standard deviations a data point is away from the mean of a distribution.
Z = (X-M)/SD
What are standard Response Sets?
- Acquiescence (yay-saying)
- When people respond with “yes” or “strongly agree” to every question rather than reading and answering honestly.
- Fence sitting (playing it safe)
- When people answer in the middle of the scale, especially when being asked controversial questions.
How do we avoid standard Response Sets?
- Rephrasing Questions
- Reverse order the Likert Scale
How to Obtain Honest Responses
Individuals are more likely to like if they don’t trust the researcher/observer. Honest responses can be expected if the researcher:
- Is open and honest about the purpose and use of the research
- Commit to providing feedback about the results
- Assures confidentiality
Why is the wording of questions in surveys important?
So that participants understand and feel confident responding.
- Potential problems that stem from difficulty understanding
- Unfamiliar Technical Terminology
- Vague or Imprecise Terms
- Ungrammatical Sentence Structure
- Phrasing that Overloads Working Memory
What should we avoid when creating survey questions?
- Double-barreled questions
- Asks about two or more distinct issues or topics within a single question but only allows for a single answer.
- Loaded or leading questions
- Using terms that may cause participants to answer a specific way.
- Negative Wording
What are the types of questions/responses found in surveys?
- Closed- and Opened-ended questions
- Rating Scales
- Semantic differential scale
- Nonverbal scales
What is a Likert Scale and Semantic Differential Format?
- Likert Scales are labeled with the specific terms: Strongly Agree, Agree, Neither Agree nor Disagree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree.
- Semantic Differential Scales are a survey tool that measures attitudes and perceptions by using opposite adjectives and asking respondents to rate something
What is Funneling?
When surveying with open & closed responses, we should start with open-ended questions first.
What is Reactivity?
A change in behavior when study participants know another person is watching. Usually, participants react by being on their best, or worst, behavior rather than displaying their typical behavior.
What is a Masked Design (Blind Design)?
When the observer is unaware of the purpose of the study and the condition to which the participants have been assigned.
What is an Observer Bias and Observer Effects?
An Observer Bias occurs when observers’ expectations influence their interpretation of the participants’ behaviors or the outcomes of the study.
Observer Effects occur when observers inadvertently change the behavior of those they are observing, such that participant behavior changes to match observer expectations.
