Empiricism & Science
This approach is the belief that accurate knowledge of the world is gained by observing it.
Empiricism
Using one’s senses to learn about the properties of an event or object.
Observation
The complete collection of participants who might possibly be measured.
Population
A relationship where both variables increase or decrease together.
A property that can have more than one value.
Variable
This is the procedure for using empirical evidence to establish facts.
The Scientific Method
A description of a property in measurable terms.
Operational Definition
A partial collection of people drawn from a population.
Sample
A relationship where one variable increases as the other decreases.
A Negative Correlation
The variable that is manipulated by the researcher.
Independent Variable (X)
A hypothetical explanation of a natural phenomenon.
Theory
This characteristic of a measurement tool means it produces stable and consistent results.
Reliable/Reliability
A graphical representation showing how often each measurement occurs.
Frequency Distribution
The statistic (r) that measures the strength and direction of a correlation.
Correlation Coefficient
The variable that is measured in an experiment.
Dependent Variable (Y)
A falsifiable prediction made by a theory.
This characteristic means the test measures what it is supposed to measure.
Valid/Validity
What are the measures of central tendency?
Mean, Median, and Mode
The problem that occurs when a third variable causes two others to appear related.
Third-Variable Problem (Z)
Assigning participants to conditions by chance.
Random Assignment
This step of the scientific method involves analyzing data and drawing conclusions.
Step 4: Analyze the data and draw conclusions
Observing people unobtrusively in their natural environments.
Naturalistic Observation
Range and standard deviation measure this aspect of data.
Variability
A correlation observed naturally in the real world (e.g., height and weight).
Natural Correlation
An attribute of an experiment that allows causal conclusions to be drawn.
Internal Validity