| A | B |
|---|
| correlational research | research designed to discover relationships among variables and to allow the prediction of future events from present knowledge |
| descriptive research | research designed to provide a snapshot of the current state of affairs |
| experimental research | research in which initial equivalence among research participants in more than one group is created, followed by a manipulation of a given experience for these groups and a measurement of the influence of the mainpulation |
| multiple regression | a statistical technique, based on correalation coefficients among variables, that allows predicting a single outcome variable from more than one predictor variable |
| pearson correlation coefficient | symbolized by the letter r, a statistic indicating the strength and direction of a linear relationship.The value of the correlation coefficient ranges from r= -1.00 to r= +1.00 |
| arithemtic mean | aymbolized by the letter M, the most commonly used measure of central tendency |
| case studies | a descriptive record of one or more individual's experiences and behaviour |
| common-causal variable | a variable that is not part of the research hypothesis bu that causes both the predictor and the outcome variable and thus produces the observed correlation between them |
| dependent variable | in an experiment, the measured variable that is expected to be influenced by the experimental manipulation |
| independent variable | in an experiment, the causing variable that is created(manipulated) by the experimenter |
| median | the score in the center of the distribution, meaning that 50% of the scores are greater than the median and 50% of the scores are less than the median |
| mode | the value or values that occur most frequently in a variable's distribution |
| naturalistic observation | research based on the observation of everyday events |
| normal distribution | a data distribution that is shaped like a bell |
| population | in a descriptive research design, the people that the researcher wishes to know about |
| random assignment to conditions | a procedure used in experimental research designs in which the condition that each participant is assigned to is determined through a random process |
| research design | an approach used to collect, analyze, and interpret data |
| sample | the people chosen to participate in a research project |
| scatter plot | a visual image of the relationship between two variables |
| spurious relationships | a relationship between two variations in which a common-causal variable produces and "explains away" the relationship |
| standard deviation | symbolized by the letter s, the most commonly used measure of the dispersion of a variable's distribution |
| survey | a measure administered either through interviews or written questionaires to get a picture of the beliefs or behaviours of a sample of people of interest |
