CH2:Research Methods

intensive investigation of the behavior & mental processes associated with a specific person or situation

condition of an experiment that exposes participants to the treatment

research design in which participants don't know whether they are in the experimental group or control group

factor the researcher manipulates in a controlled experiment (the cause)

measure of central tendency for distribution, score that occurs more often than any other

the difference between the highest & lowest values in a frequency distribution

constraints the experimenter places on the experiment to ensure each subject has the same exact conditions

measure of central tendency for a distribution score that seperates upper half of scores from lower half

researcher allowing his or her expectations to affect the outcome of a study

experimental procedure in which both researchers & participants are uninformed about the nature of the independent variable being administered

repetition of the methods used in a previous experiment to see whether the same methods will yield the same results

questions are asked to subjects, can't be skewed or biased towards an answer

condition of an experiment that contrasts with the experimental condition & serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment

bar graph depicting a frequency distribution, height of bars-frequency of a group of scores

study when a representative cross section of the population is tested or surveyed at one specific time

type of study where one group of subjects is followed & observed for an extended period of time (years)

prediction how two or more factors are likely to be related or the outcome of a scientific study, testable idea

five-step process for empirical investigation of a hypothesis under conditions designed to control biases & subjective judgments

measure of central tendency, used to describe a set of data-calculated by adding all scores and dividing by number of scores

the behavior or mental process that is measured in an experiment or quasi-experiment (effect)

researcher allowing personal beliefs to affect outcome of a study

psychologists accept a difference between groups as "real" when the probability is 5%

spread or dispersion of a set of research data or distribution

variables that have an unwanted influence on the outcome of an experiment

type of research that is mainly statistical in nature (determines the relationship between 2 varibales)

sample group of subjects selected by chance (without biased selection techniques)

perception of a relationship where none exists

research where researcher controls all the conditions & direct manipulates the conditions & independent variable

number between -1 & +1 expressing the degree of relationship between two variable

statistical techniques used to asses if the results of a study are reliable or if they are simply the result of chance

relationship between variables, where changes in one variable are reflected in changes in the other variable

measure of variability that indicates the average difference between the scores and their mean

sample obtained so that it reflects the distribution of important variables in the larger population where the researchers are interested

summary chart, showing how frequently each of the various scores in a set of data occurs

percentage of scores at or below a particular score

measurement of DV when random assignment to groups is not possible

research method where the subjects are observed in their natural environment

description of the specific procedure used to determine the presence of a variable, exact operations

bell-shaped curve, describing the spread of a characteristic throughout a population

statistical procedures used to describe characteristics & responses of groups of subjects

research method where a cross section of the population is chosen then each cohort is followed for a short period of time

experimental resuls caused by expectations alone

division of the sample into groups so that every individual has an equal chance of being put in any group or condition