Unit 1 Modules 7-8

Question 1

Why is it important to understand basic statistics in psych?

Answer 1

Statistics help us see and interpret what the unaided eye might miss

Question 2

Define descriptive statistics

Answer 2

numerical data used to measure and describe characteristics of groups. Includes measures of central tendency and measures of variation

Question 3

Define histogram

Answer 3

A bar depicting a frequency distribution

Question 4

Define mode

Answer 4

the most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution

Question 5

Define mean

Answer 5

the arithmetic average of a distribution, obtained by adding the scores and then dividing by the number of scores

Question 6

Define median

Answer 6

the middle score in a distribution; half the scores are above it and half are below it

Question 7

Define range

Answer 7

The difference between the highest and lowest in a distribution

Question 8

Define standard deviation

Answer 8

A computed measure of how much scores vary around mean scores

Question 9

What does it mean when data has a skewed distribution? How does this happen? Why could this be misleading?

Answer 9

A representation of scores that lack symmetry around their average value. This happens when a distribution is lopsided. The data is not close to the measure of central tendency.

Question 10

Why is a standard deviation the most useful way of measuring how much scores deviate from one another?

Answer 10

It better gauges whether scores are packed together or dispersed because it uses information from each score.

Question 11

Define normal curve

Answer 11

(normal distribution) a symmetrical, bell shaped curve that describes the distribution of many types of data; most scores fall near the mean (about 68% fall within one standard deviation of it) and fewer and fewer near the extremes

Question 12

Define inferential statistics

Answer 12

numerical data that allow one to generalize/infer from sample data the probability of something being true of a population.

Question 13

What three principles should you keep in mind to make sure your generalizations are reliable?

Answer 13

Representative samples are better than biased samples, less-variable observation are more reliable than those that are more variable.

Question 14

What is the number that psychologists stick to-for results to be statistically significant their odds of occurring by chance are less than ___%?

Answer 14

5

Question 15

What is culture? Why does culture and gender matter in psychology?

Answer 15

The enduring behaviors, ideas, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next

Question 16

What are the four basic ethical principles developed by the American Psychological Associations (APA) that guide researchers with human participants.

Answer 16

1) Informed consent. 2) Protect them from physical or emotional harm and discomfort. 3) Keep participants info confident. 4) Debrief people

Question 17

Define informed consent

Answer 17

an ethical principle that research participants be told enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate

Question 18

Define debriefing

Answer 18

the postexperimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its particpants

Question 19

What is IRB? What does it do?

Answer 19

Institutional review board. Screens research proposals and safe guards participants’ well being.