WEEK #2 - research methods Flashcards

1
Q

in order to generate a hypothesis what needs to be identified/established ?

A

the variables in question need to be identified and an operational definition for each variable needs to be established

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2
Q

why is the operational definition important ?

A

as it permits for the accurate measurement of the variable

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3
Q

define a variable :

A

a quantity or quality that varies across people or situations

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4
Q

define quantitate variable :

A

a quantity that is typically measured by assigning a number to each individual

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5
Q

what are some examples of quantitative variables ?

A

height, weight, speed, distance, etc.

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6
Q

defne categorial variable :

A

a quality that is typically measured by assigening a category label to each individual

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7
Q

what are some examples of categorical variables ?

A

academic major, nationality or occupation

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8
Q

what is the definition of operational ?

A

a definition of the variables cannot be directlyerms of precisely how it is to be measured

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9
Q

TRUE OR FALSE

most variables cannot be directly observed or measured ?

A

TRUE

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10
Q

TRUE OR FALSE

most variables can be operationally defined in may ways which is why it is important to have it defined at the outset

A

TRUE

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11
Q

what is sampling ?

A

smaller group to use for designated research in a given product

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12
Q

what must researchers identify when sampling ?

A

the population of interest and draw a smaller subset of the population (called the sample) to study

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13
Q

define population :

A

all individuals of interest

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14
Q

how many sampling methods are there ?

A

5

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15
Q

what are the 5 sampling methods ?

A
  • simple random sampling
  • systematic sampling
  • convenience sampling
  • closer sampling
  • stratified sampling
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16
Q

define simple random sampling :

A

every mender of the population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample

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17
Q

define systematic sampling :

A

the list of participants is “counted off”

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18
Q

define convenience sampling :

A

individuals who happen to be nearby and willing to participate

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19
Q

define cluster sampling :

A

divides the population into groups called clusters or blocks. the cluster/blocks are then randomly selected and everyone within that cluster is selected

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20
Q

define stratified sampling :

A

divides the population into groups based on a specific characteristic (a sample is taken from each of these strata using either random, systematic, or convenience sampling)

21
Q

when is experimental research used ?

A

to test casual relationships between variables to explain a phenomenon

22
Q

what happens with experimental research ?

A

one or more variables are manipulated whole controlling for extraneous variables and then the manipulated variables are measured to determine how they affected the participants

23
Q

how many types of experimental variables are there ?

A

4

24
Q

what are the four experimental variables ?

A
  • independent variables
  • dependent variables
  • extraneous variables
  • confounds
25
Q

define independent variables :

A

the variable being manipulated

26
Q

define dependent variables :

A

the variable being measured

27
Q

define extraneous variables :

A

any variable other than the dependent variable

28
Q

define confounds :

A

a specific type of extraneous variable that systematically varies along with the variables under investigation and therefore provides an alternative explanation for the results

29
Q

why must confounding variables betaken into consideration ?

A

to ensure they are controlled for

30
Q

what is non-experimental research used to describe ?

A

characteristics of people, relationships between variables and using those relationships to make predictions

31
Q

define non-experimental research :

A

variables are not manipulated, rather they are measured and/or observed as they naturally occur

32
Q

TRUE OR FALSE

non-experimental does mean nonscientific ?

A

FALSE

non-experimental does NOT mean nonscientific as it can be used to describe and predict but cannot be used to make the casual conclusions as in the case of experimental research

33
Q

what are the three examples of descriptive statistics ?

A

1) measures of central tendency
2) measures of dispersion
3) correlation coefficient

34
Q

define measures of central tendencies :

A
  • mean (the average of a distribution of scores)
  • mode (the most frequently occurring score in distribution
  • median (the midpoint of a distribution of scores
35
Q

define measures of dispersion :

A
  • range (measures the distance between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution)
  • standard deviation (measures the average distance of scores from the mean)
  • variance (the standard deviation square)
36
Q

define the correlation coefficient :

A
  • used to describe the strength and direction f the relationship between two variables)
  • the values of a correlation coefficient can range from -1.00 (the strongest possible negative relationship) to +1.00 (the strongest possible positive relationship)
37
Q

what can inferential statistics be used for ?

A

to draw conclusions about a population based on data for a sample

38
Q

when do researchers use inferential statistics ?

A

to determine whether their effects are statistically significant

39
Q

what is a statistically significant effect ?

A

is one that is unlikely die to random chance and therefore likely represents a real effect in the population

40
Q

what are the two types of mistakes can be made with inferential statistics ?

A
  • type 1 errors
  • type 2 errors
41
Q

what are type 1 errors ?

A

false positive

42
Q

what are type 2 errors ?

A

false negatives

43
Q

TRUE OR FALSE

the results of a single study cannot conclude with certainty that a theory is true, rather it can support, refute or modify the theory based on the results

A

TRUE

44
Q

TRUE OR FALSE

if the results are NOT statistically significant and consistent with the hypothesis and the theory that was used to generate the hypothesis, then researchers can conclude that the theory is supported

A

FALSE

if the results ARE statistically significant and consistent with the hypothesis and the theory that was used to generate the hypothesis, then researchers can conclude that the theory is supported

45
Q

TRUE OR FALSE

if the results are not consistent with the hypothesis and the hypothesis is disconfirmed in a systematic empirical study, then the theory has been weakened

A

TRUE

46
Q

what does confirming a hypothesis strengthen ?

A

a theory but it can never prove a theory as a disconfirming case … can never be ruled out

47
Q

what can disconfirming a hypothesis disprove ?

A

the theory it was derived from (however it could also mean that some unstated but relative minor assumption of the throw was not met)

48
Q

TRUE OR FALSE

statistics are probabilistic in nature and because all esebarcg studies have flaws there is no such thing as scientific proof, there is only scientific evidence

A

TRUE

49
Q

TRUE OR FALSE

“absence of evidence is evidence of absence”

A

FALSE

“absence of evidence is not evidence of absence”