Task 7: Puzzles Flashcards
The two major activities in scientific studies are
exploratory data collection / analysis and hypothesis testing.
Causal relationship happens when
change in one variable directly or indirectly influences change in another variable.
Causal relationships require
experimental data, therefore they are an observable and measurable link.
Causal relationships can be:
Unidirectional (A influences be and not vice versa)
or bidirectional.
A correlational relationship signifies that
changes in one variable accompany changes in another, but proper tests have not been conducted to show that either variable causes changes in the other.
A correlational relationship is a
suggested or apparent link that does not require experimental data.
Variable covary:
one variable tends to be accompanied by specific changes in another.
When approaching an correlational research, one should
determine whether two or more variables covary, and if so, establish directions/magnitudes/forms of observed relationships.
Characteristics of a correlational research:
- is a non-experimental research
- there is no attempt to manipulate variables
- the third-variable problem
- the directionality problem which appears because sometimes the direction of the causality may be hard to determine
- helps us gather data in the early stages of a design
- offers a rich source of hypotheses
- used when there is an inability to manipulate the variables (unethical or impossible to)
- relating naturally occurring variables (hurricanes)
The predictor variable is
the variable used to predict.
The criterion variable is
the variable whose value is being predicted.
An experimental research is
the manipulation of one or more independent variables (set by the experimenter) and control over extraneous (external origin) variables.
Characteristics of experimental research:
- one can observe and measure the dependent variable
- the group receiving treatment = experimental group
- group with no treatment = control groups
- gain control over extraneous variables (but they are not the focus of the experiment)
Demonstration:
exposing a group of subjects to only one treatment condition.
A confounding variable is
the one that varies along with your independent variable, or a variable that the researcher failed to control and eliminate, damaging the internal validity of an experiment.
