Research Methods Pt.3 Flashcards
What is the difference between positive and negative correlation
Positively correlated variables change in the same direction, so as one variable increases, the other one wil too, and if a variable decreases, the other one will too can example is height and waight)
Negatively correlated variables mean that if one variable increases the other decreases, and vice versa ( example is that the more you go on your phone during lectures, the lower your grades will be)
What is the “line of best fit”
A straight line on a scatterplot showing the general relationship of data points
What is a correlation coefficient
The numerical representation of the strength of the relationship between variables (r) that ranges from -1 to +1
What is a confounding variable
Other variables that may influence the correlation of other variables being measured
What are the 4 characteristics a hypothesis should have
- It should be consistent with prior observations or an existing theory
- It should be as simple as possible
- It should be specific
- It should be falsifiable
What is the difference between independent variables and dependant variables
The Independent variable is the variable the experimenter will manipulate and the dependant variable is what the experimenter counts or measures
What is a Simple random sample
When every individual in the population has an equal chance of participating
What is a stratified random Sample
When the population is divided into subgroups, then randomly takes samples from each group
What is non-random sample
When not all individuals are equally likely to participate
What is the difference between internal and external validity
Internal is if the experiment was done “right”, external is if the results of the experiment can be applied to the real world
