Week 1 Lectures (Good research practice)

Question 1

What are the stages of the research process

Answer 1

Initial observation
Generate theory
Generate hypothesis
Collect data to test theory
Analyse data

Question 2

What is a theory

Answer 2

A hypothesized general principle or set of principles that explains known findings about a topic and from which new hypotheses can be generated

Question 3

What is a hypothesis

Answer 3

A prediction from a theory

Question 4

What is falsification

Answer 4

The act of disproving a theory or hypothesis

Question 5

What is the criteria for an independent variable

Answer 5

The proposed cause
A predictor variable
A manipulated variable in experiments

Question 6

What is the criteria for a dependent variable

Answer 6

The proposed effect
An outcome variable
Measured in experiments

Question 7

Types of categorical measurements

Answer 7

Binary variable (Two categories)

Nominal variable (More than two categories)

Ordinal variable (More than two categories where the categories have a logical order)

Question 8

What are the types of continuous measurements?

Answer 8

Interval variable

Ratio variable

Question 9

What is an interval variable?

Answer 9

Equal intervals on the variable represent equal differences in the property being measured

Question 10

What is a ratio variable?

Answer 10

The same as an interval variable but the ratios of the scores on the scales must also make sense

Question 11

What is the definition of measurement error?

Answer 11

The discrepancy between the actual value were trying to measure and the number we use to represent that value

Question 12

What is the definition of validity?

Answer 12

Whether an instrument measures what it is set out to measure

Question 13

What is content validity?

Answer 13

Evidence that the content of a test corresponds to the content of the construct it was designed to cover

Question 14

What is ecological validity?

Answer 14

Evidence that the results of a study experiment or test can be applied, and allow inferences, to real world conditions.

Question 15

What is the definition of reliability?

Answer 15

The ability of the measure to produce the same results under the same conditions

Question 16

Test-retest reliability

Answer 16

The ability of a measure to produce consistent results when the same entities are tested at two different points in time

Question 17

What is correlational research?

Answer 17

Observing what naturally goes on in the world without directly interfering with it

Question 18

What is cross sectional research?

Answer 18

This term implies that data comes from people at diferent age points, with people representing each age point.

Question 19

What is experimental research?

Answer 19

One or more variable is systemically manipulated to see their effect on an outcome variable

Statements can be made about cause and effect

Question 20

What is a histogram/frequency distrubution?

Answer 20

A graph plotting values of observations on the horizontal axis, with a bar showing how many times each value occured in the data set

Question 21

What does a positive skew look like?

Answer 21

Scores bunched at low values with the tails pointing to high values

Question 22

What does a negative skew look like?

Answer 22

Scores bunched at high values with the tails pointing to low values

Question 23

What is kurtosis on a distribution graph

Answer 23

The ‘heaviness’ of the tales

Question 24

What does leptokurtic mean?

Answer 24

Heavy Tails

Question 25

What does platykurtic mean?

Answer 25

light tails

Question 26

What does bimodal mean?

Answer 26

There is several modes

Question 27

What does multimodal mean?

Answer 27

Having several modes

Question 28

What is the standardised measure?

Answer 28

Expressing a score in terms of how many standard deviations it is away from the mean

Question 29

What class of numbers is reffered to by the symbol N?

Answer 29

Natural counting numbers

e.g 1,2,3…

or prime numbers 2,3,5,7…

Question 30

What class of numbers are refered to by the symbol Z?

Answer 30

Intergers that include negative values e.g -3,-2,-1,0,1…

Question 31

What class of numbers are reffered to by Q?

Answer 31

Rational numbers

(numbers that can be described by a fraction of whole intergers)

Question 32

What class of numbers are reffered to by R?

Answer 32

Real numbers

Question 33

What class of numbers are reffered to by C?

Answer 33

Complex numbers

Question 34

What does it mean if a number is rational or irrational?

Answer 34

Rational = can be expressed as a fraction

Irrational = Cannot be expressed as a fraction