Category 1
The most frequently occurring scores in a distribution
Mode
The average number of the scores in a distribution
Mean
The middle number in a distribution
Median
The difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution
Range
A computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score
Standard Deviation
What is called when a potential volunteer must be told about the procedure and give approval to participate without any pressure?
Informed Consent
After participating in a research study, the participants must experience this with the researcher to explain the true nature of the study.
Debriefing
What is it called when a researcher can not share specific data or observations that can be connected with an individual. They also need to make sure that all information is secure so that no identities are revealed
Confidentiality
What is the name of an inactive substance given to control groups in order to compare to the experimental groups? (An example of one could be a sugar pill.)
Placebo
This is a method of learning about the world through observations, proposing explanations for observations, developing theories, and making predictions
Scientific Method
What is the term used when gathering information by observing and recording behavior naturally?
Naturalistic Observation
This is an experimental procedure in which both the participants and research staff are ignorant about whether the research participants have received the treatment or the placebo.
Double-blind Procedure
This is the experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.
Independent Variable
This is the variable that is observed, measured or recorded in an experiment.
Dependant Variable
This is a testable prediction about processes that can be observed and measured.
Hypothesis
This is the type of research when a researcher is looking at the relationship between two variables, they are not manipulating anything. This can be gathered by surveys and questionnaires
Correlational Research
This is the type of research when the researcher is actually manipulating variables. These have IV’s and DV’s.
Experimental Research
In research, what is it called when you define a variable by stating how the variable is measured?
Operational Definition
The name of the group that holds EVERYONE that the researchers want to generalize about.
Population
In an experiment this is a select group of the population.
Sample
What is it called when you assign participants to experimental and control conditions by chance?
Random Assignment
What are the variables outside of the researchers control that might affect the results?
Confound Variables
What is it called when everyone has an equal chance of being included in an experiment?
Random Sample
This validity refers to how generalizable the findings are. This validity is typically associated with random sampling
External Validity
This validity refers to the amount of certainty that the IV influenced the DV. This validity is typically associated with random assignment.
Internal Validity