Study Guide Flashcards
Weak Research Designs
One-group posttest only
One-group pretest posttest design
Posttest only design with nonequivalent groups
What makes a research design weak?
Lack of a control group that can be used as a comparison and lack of control of many extraneous variables
Strong Research Designs
Posttest-only control-group design
Pretest-posttest control-group design
Strengths of a within participants design
- Participants act as their own control group
- All participants are in all conditions
- Requires less participants
Weaknesses of a within participants design
- Participants have to go through various tests
- Possible sequencing effects
Matching
Using any of a variety of techniques for equating participants on one or more variables
Yoked-Control
A research design used in operant conditioning experiments in which matched research subjects are yoked (joined together) by receiving the same reinforcement but with different contingencies
Sequencing Effects
Potential confounding influences in experiments where subjects are exposed to multiple conditions
Counterbalancing
A technique used to control sequencing effects
Factorial Design and Interactions
A statistical analysis procedure used to determine their separate and joint effects on the DV
Double-Blind
Neither the experimenter nor the research participant is aware of the treatment condition administered to the participant
Partial Blind
A method whereby knowledge of each researcher’s treatment conditions is kept from the experimenter through as many stages of the experiment as possible
Time-Series
A time series is a series of data points indexed in time order
Regression Discontinuity
A design that assigns participants to groups based on their scores on an assignment variable and assesses the effect of a treatment by looking for a discontinuity in the groups regression line
Single-Case Design
Research design in which a single participant or single group of individuals is used to investigate the influence of a treatment condition
Baselines
The target behavior of the participant in its naturally occurring state or prior to presentation of the treatment
ABA Design
A single-case design in which the response to the treatment condition is compared to the baseline responses recorded before and after treatment
ABAB Design
A single-case design in which the response to the treatment condition is compared to the baseline responses recorded before and after treatment (Reintroduction of the treatment)
Multiple Baseline Design
A single-case design in which the treatment condition is successively administered to several target participants, target outcomes, or target settings
Changing Criterion Design
An experimental design in which an initial baseline phase is followed by a series of treatment phases consisting of successive and gradual changing criteria for reinforcement or punishment
Central Tendency
A central or typical value for a probability distribution
Sampling Distributions
The theoretical probability distribution of the values of a statistic that would result if you selected all possible samples of a particular size from a population
Hypothesis Testing
The branch of inferential statistics focused on determining when the null hypothesis can or cannot be rejected in favor of the alternative hypothesis
Correlations
Indication of the strength and direction of linear relationship between two quantitative variables
Partial Correlations
The correlation between two quantitative variables controlling one or more variables
Confidence Intervals
An interval estimate inferred from sample data that has a certain probability of including the true population perameter
Post Hoc Tests
Follow-up tests to one-way ANOVA when that categorical IV has three or more levels; used to determine which parts of the means are statistically different
Parametric
A numerical characteristic of a population
Chi-Square
Statistical test used to determine if a relationship observed in a contingency table is statistically significant
Two-Way ANOVA
Statistical test used when you have one quantitative DV and two categorical IVs
Effect Size
The magnitude of the relationship between two variables in a population
Power
The probability of rejecting a false-null hypothesis
Type I Error
Rejection of a true null hypothesis; false positive
Type II Error
Failure to reject a false null hypothesis; false negative
Descriptive Validity
The factual accuracy of the account reported by the researcher
Theoretical Validity
Degree to which the theory or explanation fits the data
Interpretive Validity
Accurately portraying the participants’ subjective viewpoints and meanings
Internal Validity
The correctness of inferences made by researchers about cause and effect
Phenomenology
Qualitative research method where the researcher attempts to understand and describe how one ore more participants experiment a phenomenon
Case-Study
Qualitative research method in which the researcher provides a detailed description and account of one or more cases
Ethnography
Qualitative research method that focuses on the discovery and description of the culture of a group of people
Mixed-Methods Design
Type of research quantitative and qualitative data or approaches are combined in a single research study
Research Misconduct
Fabricating, falsifying, or plagiarizing the proposing, performing, reviewing, or reporting of research results
Ethical Dilemma
The investigator’s conflict in weighing the potential cost to the participant against the potential gain to be accrued from the research project
IRB
Institutional Review Board
Informed Consent
Informing the research participant of all aspects of the study that might influence his or her willingness to volunteer or participate
Deception
Giving the participant a bogus rational for the experiment
Debriefing
A post experimental discussion or interview about the details of the study, including explanation for the use of any deception
Coercion
The practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats
Replication
The replication of the results of a study in a new study
Levels of Measurement
Nominal
Ordinal
Interval
Ratio
Convergent/Concurrent Validity
Degree to which test scores obtained at one time correctly relate to the scores on a known criterion obtained at approximately the same time
Criterion Validity
The extent to which a measure is related to an outcome
Discriminant Validity
Validity evidence based on the degree to which the focal test scores do not correlate with measures of different constructs
Predictive Validity
Degree to which scores obtained at one time correctly predict the scores on a criterion at a later time
Face Validity
Judgement of whether the items appear to represent the construct and whether the test or instrument looks valid
Content Validity
The extent to which items, tasks, or questions on a test adequately represent the construct
Construct Validity
The extent to which a construct is adequately represented by the measures used in a research study
External Validity
Degree to which the study results can be generalized to and across other people, settings, treatments, outcomes, and times
Ecological Validity
The degree to which the results of a study can be generalized across settings or environmental conditions
Population Validity
Degree to which the study results can be generalized to and across the people in the target population
Demand Characteristics
Any cues available in an experiment, such as instructions, rumors, or setting characteristics, that influence the responses of participants
Experimenter Effects
Actions and characteristics of researchers that influence the responses of participants
History Effects
Any event that can produce an outcome, other than the treatment condition, that occurs during the study before posttest measurement
Maturation Effects
Any physical or mental change that occurs with the passage of time and effects dependent variable scores
Attrition
Loss of participants because they don’t show up or they drop out of the research study
Testing/Practice Effects
Changes in a person’s score on the second administration of a test resulting from having previously practiced or taken the test
Regression Artifacts
Effects that appear to be due to the treatment but are due to regression to the mean
Confounding Variables
An extraneous variable that if not controlled for will eliminate the researcher’s ability to claim that the IV causes changes in the DV
Moderators
Variable that changes or “moderates” the relationship between other variables
Mediators
Variable that occurs between two other variables in a causal chain; it’s an intervening variable
