Task 7

Question 1

Causal relationship can be …-directional or …-directional

Answer 1

Undirectional
A→B but NOT B→A

1. Flowers open, because the sun has risen
2. The sun rises, not because flowers open

Bidirectional
A→B and B→A
1. There are fewer rabbits, because there are a lot of foxes.
2. There are fewer foxes, because there are fewer rabbits

Question 2

What do you know about correlational relationships?

Answer 2

There is no causal link established (yet)

Change in one variable occur together with changes in a second variable

=the covary

Question 3

What defines correlational research? Name 4 characteristics

Answer 3

1. is non-experimental
2. no variables are manipulated
3. can determine: direction, magnitude and form of correlation
4. Value of Predictor Variable predicts value of Criterion Variable

Question 4

Explanier the Third-Variable Problem

Name an example

Answer 4

Two variables covary, because they are both influenced by the same third (hidden) variable

Example: There is a moderate correlation between sunscreen use and skin cancer. The amount of strong sunlight is the third variable.

Question 5

Explanier the directional problem

Name an example

Answer 5

The challenge of determining with factor causes which

Example: Watching violence on TV might cause people to have violent tendencies. People with violent tendencies might be drawn to watch violence on TV

Question 6

When do you use correlational research?

Answer 6

for fast identification of potential causal relationships

if variables are not manipulatable (e.g. ethical reason)

for research on naturally occurring phenomena (seasons, wether)

Question 7

What are extraneous variables?

Answer 7

they are outside of the experimental design but still influence the dependent variable
can be controllable: calculator used at exam
can be uncontrollable: difference in skill
each study has thousands

Question 8

Which use does a control / placebo group have?

Answer 8

is often included to determine if true effect exists

Question 9

What does a random assignment do?

Answer 9

Solves problem of uncontrollable extraneous variables, because it balances differences out between groups

Question 10

Name 6 criterion for causation

Answer 10

• Strong association
• Consistent association
• Independent V precedes outcome
• Outcome increases with increase of Independent V
• Causation is plausible
(can also apply for quasi-experiments)
-exclude alternative explanations

Question 11

What are Quasi-Independent variables? What do they do?

Answer 11

• Natural groups (gender)

* Reduces error variance

Question 12

What is demonstration?

Answer 12

• Only one treatment condition
• Can demonstrate how something plays
out under certain conditions. →Both cannot establish causality

Question 13

When do you use developmental design?

Answer 13

• to establish relationship between change in behavior and chronological age
• Age cannot be randomly assigned
• Therefore, design is considered to be
correlational or as having a quasi- independent variable

Question 14

What are you doing by using cross-sectional design?

Answer 14

• Measuring different age groups on a specific outcome variable
• Allows for efficient data collection
• Generation effects: age groups might
be influenced by events of their time

Question 15

What is a longitudinal Design?

Answer 15

here you following a group of people over time

clearly shows developmental changes

Question 16

What are the problems of a longitudinal design?

Answer 16

• Cross-generational effects: results
might not apply to a different generation
• Subject mortality (if nonrandom)
• Carry over effects
• History

Question 17

What is an extraneous variable?

Answer 17

• Any variable outside of the experimental set up that EITHER influences the Independent or Dependent variable
• So any variable that could influence the experiment but is not included can be considered extraneous (Lurking, Confounder, Mediator, Moderator)

Question 18

What is a confounder?

Answer 18

Any variable that influences BOTH the Independent and Dependent variable of your experiment

Reason why correlational research cannot establish causation (there could always be a unknown confounder)

Question 19

What is the moderator?

remember the term sub groups

Answer 19

• A third-variable that influences the relationship between two variables
• Can be the source of interactions (but not for everyone)
There is a relationship between stress (IV) and dpression (DV) But this relationship lack for people with a strong support system (moderator)

Question 20

What is a mediator?

remember the term via

Answer 20

• Mediator: a third variable that explains the indirect relationship of the independent and dependent variable
• (“man in the middle” via=durch)
if the relationship between independent variable and mediator and the relationship between mediator and dependent variable exists; the relationship between independent and dependent variable can be become meaningless

Question 21

What is meant by common response (think about third variable problem)
Wut is a lurking variable?

Answer 21

A correlation of two variables can be because of causal relationship or a lurking variable (Third- Variable).
The lurking variable can be the actual reason for changes in the explanatory and dependent variable and there is no actual relationship between explanatory and dependent (Common response)
Example: There is an association, but no causal relationship between use of sunscreen and skin cancer. Both factors are influenced by amount of strong sunlight.

Question 22

What is a confounder?

Answer 22

The lurking variable can also be a confounder. Both the explanatory and dependent variable do have a connection, but they are both influenced by a third variable

Question 23

when do extraneous variables become confound?

Answer 23

Extraneous variables only become confound if it systematically varies with the two variables that are studied

Question 24

What is the conceptual confound?

Answer 24

occurs if cause and consequence overlap

you can not conclude that A leads to B, if A and B are partly the same

Question 25

What is the difference of a experimental and a quasi experimental design?

Answer 25

The difference is that participants ate NOT randomly assigned to conditions

comparing smokers versus non-smokers