Stats Terms Flashcards
Case Study
Intensive investigation of a single person, institution, agency, community or other social unit. Case studies differ from observational studies in that the latter is only concerned with current behaviors while case studies provide descriptions of behaviors that occur over time
Criterion-referenced scores
to determine if a student has benefitted from an educational program, you would most likely want to determine how much of the information presented in the program has been retained and/or to what degree participation in the program has improved the individual’s performance on a task, so criterion referred scores tell you how well an examinee did in absolute terms (ex. how many questions he answered correctly)
Norm-referenced scores
ex. standard scores, percentile ranks
Standard scores
typer of norm referenced score
Descriptive Statistics
used to describe and summarize the data. A researcher might use a table of a graph, Ex. to summarize the set of test scores she has collected in a research studt
Inferential statistics
used to draw conclusions about relationships between independent and dependent variables. A researcher would use an inferential statistical test to determine whether or not the relationship between variables she has found in a research study is statistically significant.
Variable
A variable is any characteristic, behavior, event, of other phenomenon that is capable of varying, or existing in at least two different states, conditions, or levels. Ex. gender, anxiety, depression
Contants
When a characteristic is restricted to a single state of condition
Independent Variable
A variable is independent (IV) when it is believed to affect or alter status on another variable (DV). The IV is sometimes called the “treatment” or “intervention” and is symbolized with the letter X. In a research study subjects are assigned to different groups representing different levels of the IV.
Dependent Variable
A DV variable is when status on that variable seems to “depend on” another variable (the IV) the DV is considered the outcome of the treatment, is measured by pretests and posttests, and is symbolized with the letter Y.
Control group
No treatment or placebo group
Descriptive research
Is conducted primarily to collect data about variables rather than to test hypotheses about the relationship between variables. Ex. How things are, observational studies, surveys, archival research, and case studies
Experimental research
Conducted specifically to test hypotheses about the effects of one or more independent variables on one or more dependent variables. Experimental research is classified as true experimental or quasi-experimental
One-way ANOVA
is the appropriate statistical test when a study includes one independent variable and two or more dependent groups
Factorial ANOVA
the appropriate statistical test when a study involves two or more independent variables