Variables and Measurement
This term refers to the specific way a researcher defines and measures a concept in a study.
What is operational definition?
This ethical principle requires that participants be fully informed about the study and voluntarily agree to participate.
What is informed consent? (acceptable: principle of respect for persons)
This type of research examines the relationship between two or more variables without manipulating them.
What is correlational research?
This concept refers to the degree to which a study can confidently establish a cause-and-effect relationship between variables.
What is internal validity?
This measure of central tendency represents the middle value when all scores are arranged in order.
What is median?
In an experiment, this type of variable represents the outcome that is measured.
What is dependent variable?
This concept refers to the extent to which research findings can be generalized beyond the specific study sample to other settings, populations, or times.
What is external validity?
This design collects data from participants at a single point in time rather than over a period.
What is cross-sectional?
In factorial designs, this refers to the overall effect of one independent variable on the dependent variable, averaged across all levels of the other independent variable(s).
What is main effect?
This statistic indicates how much scores vary around the mean in a dataset.
What is standard deviation (acceptable: variance)?
This type of reliability assesses whether items on a scale are consistent with each other in measuring the same construct.
What is internal consistency reliability?
This sampling technique selects every nth individual from a list after a random starting point.
What is systematic random sampling?
This concept refers to a researcher’s ongoing critical self-awareness about how their own background and assumptions may influence the research process.
What is reflexivity?
This design exposes the same participants to all conditions of an experiment rather than assigning them to only one condition.
What is within-subjects (or repeated-measure) design?
In hypothesis testing, this assumption is always the starting point and states that there is no effect or difference between groups.
What is null hypothesis?
This level of measurement involves ranking response options but does not assume equal intervals between ranks.
What is ordinal variable?
This sampling method randomly selects existing groups from a population and includes all individuals within those selected groups.
What is cluster sampling?
These are unintentional cues in a research setting that may lead participants to guess the study’s purpose and change their behavior.
What is demand characteristics?
This procedure ensures that participants have an equal chance of being placed in any experimental condition, reducing bias.
What is random assignment?
In hypothesis testing, this error occurs when a researcher concludes there is an effect when, in reality, there is none.
What is Type 1 error?
This type of validity is demonstrated when a measure correlates strongly with other measures of the same construct.
What is convergent validity?
This sampling method involves dividing the population into subgroups and then selecting a set number of participants from each subgroup
What is quota sampling?
This occurs when the effect of an independent variable on a dependent variable is transmitted through a third variable.
What is mediation?
This occurs when the strength or direction of a relationship between two variables changes depending on the level of a third variable.
What is moderation (or interaction)?
This statistical technique predicts a continuous outcome using two or more predictor variables.
What is multiple regression?