Terms Flashcards
repeated-measures
A study design where the same people are tested multiple times.
Ex: A researcher tests how a group of people perform on a memory test before and after sleeping.
factorial designs
A study design with two or more factors (independent variables) to see how they work together.
Ex: A study looking at how both exercise (factor 1) and sleep (factor 2) affect memory performance.
Between-subjects ANOVA
A test comparing the results of different groups of people.
Ex: Comparing the test scores of three different groups of students who studied in different environments (library, home, park).
Repeated measures ANOVA
A test comparing the same group of people at different times or under different conditions.
Ex: Testing how people’s reaction times change before and after practicing a task for a week.
F ratio
A number used in ANOVA tests to decide if there are differences between groups.
Ex: In an ANOVA comparing test scores between three groups, if the F ratio is large, it means the groups are very different from each other.
factor
An independent variable that is tested in an experiment.
Ex: In a study on exercise and weight loss, the “exercise” variable is a factor.
main effect
The effect of one factor by itself, ignoring other factors.
Ex: The main effect of exercise on weight loss, without considering diet.
interaction
When two factors work together to produce a different effect than either would alone.
Ex: The effect of exercise on weight loss may be different depending on whether someone also follows a strict diet.
cross-over interaction
A type of interaction where the effects of two factors reverse at different levels.
Ex: In a study of exercise and sleep, exercise might help improve memory for one group, but hurt it for another group who had poor sleep.
test-retest reliability
How consistent a test is when given to the same people at different times.
Ex: If you take a math test today and get a score of 90%, and take the same test next week and score 90% again, the test has high test-retest reliability.
internal consistency
How well the questions on a test measure the same thing.
Ex: If a survey asks several questions about happiness and people who rate high on one question rate high on others, the test has good internal consistency.
replication
Repeating a study to make sure the results are accurate.
Ex: A researcher repeats an experiment on how caffeine affects attention to confirm the original findings.
external validity
Whether the results of a study can be applied to real-world situations.
Ex: A study on exercise in a lab with college students may not apply to older adults in the community.
generalizability
The extent to which study results can apply to larger populations or different situations.
Ex: A study on college students might not generalize to teenagers in high school.
ecological validity
Whether the study closely matches real-world situations.
Ex: A study on shopping habits in a store is ecologically valid because it happens in a real shopping environment.
significance
When results are unlikely to be due to chance, often shown by a p-value less than 0.05.
Ex: If a study finds a strong effect of a new drug on blood pressure with a p-value of 0.01, it means the result is statistically significant.
peer review
When experts check a study before it is published to make sure it is accurate and reliable.
Ex: Before publishing a new research paper, other scientists review it to make sure the methods and conclusions are sound.
