| A | B |
|---|
| arithmetic mean | average calculated by adding up a set of quantities and dividing the sum by the total number of quantities in the set |
| case study | detailed description of a particular individual being studied or treated |
| coefficient of correlation | measure of correlation that ranges in value from -1.00 to +1.00 |
| control condition | a comparison condition in which submects are not exposed to the same treatment as in the experimental condition |
| correlation | measure of how strongly two variables are related to one another |
| correlational study | descriptive study that looks for a consistent relationship between two phenomena |
| cross-sectional study | study in which subjects of different ages are compared at a given time |
| dependent variable | variable that an experimenter predicts will be affected by manipulations of the independent variable |
| descriptive methods | methods that yield descriptions of behavior but not necessarily causal explanations |
| descriptive statistics | statistics that organize and summarize research data |
| double-blind study | experiment in which neither the subjects nor the researcher know which subjects are in which group until after the results are obtained |
| experiment | controlled test of a hypothesis in which the researcher manipulates one variable to discover its effect on another |
| experiment effects | unintended changes in subjects' behavior due to cues inadvertently given by the experimenter |
| hypothesis | statement that attempts to predict or account for a set of pehnomena |
| independent variable | variable that an experimenter manipulates |
| inferential statistics | statistical tests that allow researchers to assess how likely it is that their results occurred merely by chance |
| longitudinal study | study in which subjects are followed and periodically reassessed over time |
| meta-analysis | procedure for combining and analyzing data from many studies |
| negative correlation | association between increases in one variable and decreases in another |
| norms | established standards of performance |
| observational study | study in which the researcher carefully and systematically observes and records behavior without interfering with the behavior |
| operational definition | precise definition of a term in a hypothesis, which specifies the operations for observing and measuring the process being defined |
| placebo | inactive substance or fake treatment used as a control in an experiment |
| positive correlation | association between increases in one variable and increases in another |
| principle of falsifiability | principle that a scientific theory must make predictions specific enough to expose it to possible disconformation |
| psychological tests | procedures used to measure and evaluate personality traits, emotional states, aptitudes, interests, abilities and values |
| random assignment | procedure for assigning people to experimental and control groups in which each person has the same probability as any other of being assigned to a given group |
| range | measure of spread of scores, calculated by subtracting the lowest score from the highest score |
| reliability | the consistency, from one time and place to another, of scores derived from a test |
| representative sample | group of subjects selected from a population for study in order to estimate characteristics of the population |
| single-blind study | experiment in which subjects do not know whether they are in an experimental or control group |
| social constructionism | view that there are no universal truths about human nature |
| standardize | to develop uniform procedures for giving and scoring a test |
| statistically significant | term used to refer to a result that is extermely unlikely to have occurred by chance |
| surveys | questionnaires and interviews that ask people directly about their experiences, attitudes or opinions |
| theory | organized system of assumptions and principles that purports to explain a specified set of phenomena |
| validity | ability of a test to measure what it was designed to measure |
| variables | characteristics of behavior or experience that can be measured or described by a numeric scale |
| variance | measure of the dispersion of scores around the mean |
| volunteer bias | shortcoming of findings derived from a sample of volunteers instead of a representative sample |
