Scientific Approach
Reliability and Validity
Psychological Measurement
Threats to Validity
Various and Sundry
100
Testable predictions derived from one or more theories
What is a hypothesis
100
A predictor variable that is manipulated in a true experiment
What is an independent variable
100
Ordered scale with equal distances between categories where zero is arbitrary
What is an interval scale
100
For example, asking TV Guide users whether they would forego ever watching TV again
What is selection bias
100
Scale categories that let participants know what the numbers mean
What is an anchor
200
Approach to hypothesis testing that attempts to invalidate or disconfirm a theory
What is falsification
200
Specific way in which a variable is measured or manipulated in a specific study
What is an operational variable
200
Tendency for participants to agree with items
What is acquiescence bias
200
For example, beginner's luck followed by normative success
What is regression to the mean
200
Variable that could vary but has only one level in a particular study
What is a constant
300
An inductive technique that builds a theory from the unique experiences of experts
What is the practitioner's rule of thumb
300
Degree to which experimenter is sure the IV caused a change in the DV
What is internal validity
300
For example, "please rate how much you believe students should have graded exams every day"
What is a floor effect
300
For example, 50% of participants complete mentally taxing condition, whereas 80% complete non-taxing condition
What is heterogenous attrition
300
Taking multiple measurements to cancel out and reduce influences/errors
What is aggregation
400
Rule enforced by IRBs that no undue pressure should be placed on participants to take part in studies
What is freedom from coercion
400
Consistency between items in a scale, typically measured with Cronbach's alpha
What is internal reliability
400
Determination of whether participants can translate their feelings into numbes/values
What is a response phase
400
For example, studying differently when testing your expectation that caffeine helps your ability to learn
What is experimenter bias
400
Issue with correlations where variable C might explain relationship between variables A and B
What is the third-variable problem
500
A deductive technique that begins with set of intuitive assumptions and derives logical consequences from these basic principles
What is hypothetico-deductive
500
According to John Stuart Mill, condition for establishing causality whereby first variable must precede changes in second
What is temporal sequence
500
Alternative form of measurement that asks participants to indicate amount, frequency, or probability in a direct and obvious way
What is an absolute scale
500
Variable that is held constant, such that IV and DV may only be associated under those specific conditions
What is an artifact
500
Mnemonic for remembering threats to validity
What is MRS SMITH
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