Research Terminology

Question 1

Construct Validity

Answer 1

The degree to which an instrument measures the characteristic being investigated.

Question 2

Correlation

Answer 2

a mutual relation: a pattern of variation between two phenomena in which change in one is associated with change in the other

Question 3

Dependent variable

Answer 3

the phenomenon or reaction to be tested or measured when a new stimulus, condition, or treatment is introduced.

Question 4

Control Group

Answer 4

In an experiment, this is the group of research participants that does not receive the new treatment being studied. The control group is compared to the experimental/intervention group (the group that receives the new treatment), to see if the new treatment works.

Question 5

Experimental/Intervention Group

Answer 5

In research, a collection of subjects who are matched
and compared with a control group in all relevant respects, except that they are also subject to a specific variable being tested.

Question 6

Randomized Controlled Trial

Answer 6

An experimental design that measures the effect of an
intervention by randomly assigning participants to either an experimental/intervention group or a control group. These are difficult to do in social work practice because of the ethics of
withholding treatment from those who need it during the random assignment of participants to the control group. Random assignment refers to the use of chance procedures to ensure each participant has the same opportunity to be assigned to any given group.

Question 7

Quasi-Experimental Design

Answer 7

The prefix ‘quasi’ means ‘resembling.’ So this is a design that resembles a randomized controlled trial, but does not involve the random assignment to a control group and experimental group instead, it allows the researcher to control the assignment to the treatment and control groups using some criteria other than random assignment). It is commonly used in field research where random assignment is difficult or not possible.

Question 8

Single Subject Design

Answer 8

Research where the subject serves as their own control, rather than using another individual/group.

Question 9

Retrospective Design

Answer 9

In a retrospective design, participants are asked to retrospect (literally, to ‘look back’) and try to remember what they were like at an earlier time point.
● For example, researchers could ask older teenagers how they were disciplined as kids.

Question 10

Cross-sectional Design

Answer 10

In a cross-sectional design, researchers collect data at a single point in time from participants of different ages.
● For example, researchers might hypothesize that people become more traditional in their attitudes and more resistant to social change as they get older. To study this, they might get participants in their 20s, 40s, and 60s to complete a measure of traditionalism and
then test whether there is a positive correlation between age and traditionalism.

Question 11

Longitudinal Design

Answer 11

In a longitudinal design, the same people are measured at different ages.
● For example, researchers could follow the development of babies who experienced
developmental delays.

Question 12

Cross-sequential Design

Answer 12

A cross-sequential design is a combination of cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. At the first point, groups of people from several different ages are
measured. If the design were to stop there, it would be a simple cross-sectional design, but
these groups are then followed over time, incorporating the longitudinal aspect.

Question 13

Correlation

Answer 13

A mutual relationship between two variables that are related; a change in one
variable is associated with a change in the other variable.
● For example: there is a positive correlation between height and weight. Taller people
tend to be heavier and vice versa.
● Correlation (a pattern between two variables) does not always mean causation (that one variable causes the other).
○ For example: Someone may find that children who get tutoring receive worse
grades than children who do not receive tutoring. There is a correlation between
tutoring and lower grades, but tutoring does not cause the lower grade (it is likely
that tutoring is sought out because of the child’s low grade)

Question 14

Independent Variable

Answer 14

When performing an experiment, we look at the effect the independent variable has on the dependent variable. The independent variable is the variable changed (or controlled/manipulated) in a scientific experiment.

Question 15

Dependent Variable

Answer 15

The dependent variable is the variable tested and measured in a scientific experiment. An easy way to remember this is that the dependent variable is dependent on the independent variable. As the experimenter changes the independent variable, the effect
on the dependent variable is observed and recorded

Question 16

Inter-rater Reliability

Answer 16

The degree to which different people give similar scores for the same observations; refers to the consistency of a measure

Question 17

Literature Review

Answer 17

The process of searching published work to find out what is already known about a research topic.

Question 18

Mean

Answer 18

The average value or measure of central tendency. To find the mean, add up the values
in the data set and then divide by the number of values that you added

Question 19

Median

Answer 19

The middle score. To find the median, list the values of the data set in numerical order
and identify which value appears in the middle of the list

Question 20

Mode

Answer 20

The value that occurs most frequently. To find the mode, identify which value in the data
set occurs most often

Question 21

Null Hypothesis

Answer 21

A statement that no relationship exists between study variables

Question 22

Pretest

Answer 22

A questionnaire or other data-gathering instrument administered to a subject just
before a period of inquiry that provides a baseline for comparison with the end results

Question 23

Posttest

Answer 23

A questionnaire or other data-gathering instrument administered to a subject at the
end of a specific period of inquiry.

Question 24

Pilot Study

Answer 24

A procedure for testing and validating a questionnaire or other instrument by
administering it to a small group of respondents from the intended test population. The
procedure helps determine whether the test items possess the desired qualities of
measurement and the ability to discriminate other problems before the instrument is put to
widespread use.

Question 25

Validity

Answer 25

The degree to which a tool measures what it claims to measure. For example: the
Beck Depression Inventory is supposed to measure a person’s level of depression. It has validity if it measures that. It would not have validity if, in reality, it measures a person’s level of anxiety and not their level of depression

Question 26

Internal Validity

Answer 26

The confidence that can be placed in the cause-and-effect relationship in a study

Question 27

External Validity

Answer 27

The extent to which an effect in research can be generalized to other populations, settings, and treatment variables

Question 28

Concurrent Validity

Answer 28

The extent to which the results of a particular test, or measurement, correspond to those of a previously established measurement for the same construct.
You want to make sure the test accurately measures what it is supposed to measure.
One way to do this is to look for other tests that have already been found to be valid
measures of your construct, administer both tests, and compare the results of the tests
to each other.

Question 29

Predictive Validity

Answer 29

This involves testing a group of subjects for a certain construct, and then comparing them with results obtained at some point in the future. For example: You
want to predict the risk factors for High School Dropout. You create a survey for 10th
graders and then later look at high school dropout rates of the surveyed students to see if the results predicted dropping out

Question 30

Reliability

Answer 30

Reliability is the overall consistency of a measure. Higher reliability indicates a
measure will produce statistically similar results under consistent experimental conditions. Ex. If two different social workers administer the same interview to a client, do they get the same
results?

Question 31

Objective Data

Answer 31

Objective data is data that you can measure. This includes things like age, the number of times a behavior occurred, blood pressure, temperature, etc. Objective data should be
an unbiased observation/measurement.

Question 32

Subjective Data

Answer 32

Subjective data is data that is given from the viewpoint of the client (or someone in the client’s life) and that is not measurable. This includes things like how a person feels or their pain level. This is someone’s personal evaluation

Question 33

Qualitative Research

Answer 33

Systematic investigations that include inductive, in-depth studies of individuals, groups, organizations, or communities. They focus on the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of decision making to better understand human behavior

Question 34

Quantitative Research

Answer 34

Systematic investigations that include descriptive or inferential
statistical analysis