Chapter 2

Question	Answer
Theory	A broad idea or set of closely related ideas that attempts to explain observations and to make predictions about future observations.
Hypothesis	An educated guess that derives logically from a theory; a prediction that can be tested.
Prediction	A statement about the specific expectation for the outcome of a study.
Variable	Anything that can change.
Operational Definition	A definition that provides an objective description of how a variable is going to be measured and observed in a particular study.
Replication	Repeating a study in a new sample to see if results are the same as in previous work. A direct replication employs the very same methods as the original study. A conceptual replication employs different methods to test the same prediction.
Meta-Analysis	A statistical procedure that summarizes a large body of evidence from the research literature on a particular topic, allowing the researcher to assess the strength of the relationship between the variables.
Descriptive Research	Research that determines the basic dimensions of a phenomenon--defining what it is, how often it occurs, and so on.
Case Study / Case History	An in-depth look at a single individual.
Correlational Research	Research that examines the relationship between variables in order to find out whether and how two variables change together.
Third Variable Problem	The circumstance in which a variable that has not been measured accounts for the relationship between two other variables. Third variables are also known as confounds.
Cross-Sectional Design	A type of correlational study in which variables are measured at a single point in time.
Longitudinal Design	A special kind of systematic observation, used by correlational researchers, that involves obtaining measures of the variables of interest in multiple waves over time.
Experiment	A carefully regulated procedure in which the researcher manipulates one or more variables believed to influence some other variables.
Random Assignment	The assignment of participants to experimental groups by chance to reduce the likelihood that a study's results will be due to preexisting differences between groups.
Independent Variable	A manipulated experimental factor; the variable that the experimenter changes to see what its effects are.
Dependent Variable	The outcome; the variable that may change in an experiment in response to changes in the independent variable.
Confederate	A person who is given a role to play in an experiment so that the social context can be manipulated.
Experimental Group	The participants in an experiment who receive the drug or other treatment under study; those who are exposed to the change that the independent variable represents.
Control Group	The participants in an experiment who are as much like the experimental group as possible and who are treated in every way like the experimental group for a manipulated factor, the independent variable.
External Validity	The degree to which an experimental design actually reflects the real-world issues it is supposed to address.
Internal Validity	The degree to which changes in the dependent variable are due to the manipulation of the independent variable.
Experimental Bias	The influence of the experimenter's expectations on the outcome of the research.
Demand Characteristic	Any aspect of a study that communicates to the participants how the experimenter wants them to behave.
Research Participant Bias	In an experiment, the influence of participants' expectations and of their thoughts on how they should behave, on their behavior.
Placebo Effect	A phenomenon in which the expectation of the participants, rather than the actual treatment, produces an outcome.
Placebo	In a drug study, a harmless substance that has no physiological effect, given to participants in a control group so that they are treated identically to the experimental group except for the active agent.
Double-Blind Experiment	An experimental design in which neither the experimenter not the participants are aware of which participants are in the experimental group and which are in the control group until the results are calculated.
Population	The entire group about which the investigator wants to draw conclusions.
Sample	The subset of the population chosen by the investigator for study.
Random Sample	A sample that gives every member of the population an equal chance of being selected.
Naturalistic Observation	The observation of behavior in a real-world setting.
Descriptive Statistics	Mathematical procedures that are used to describe and summarize sets of data in a meaningful way.
Mean	A measure of central tendency that is the average for that sample.
Median	A measure of central tendency that is the middle score in a sample.
Mode	A measure of central tendency that is the most common score in a sample.
Range	A measure of dispersion that is the difference between the highest and lowest scores.
Standard Deviation	A measure of dispersion that indicates how much the scores in a sample differ from the mean in the sample.
Inferential Statistics	Mathematical methods that are used to indicate whether the data sufficiently support a research hypothesis.
What are the five steps of the Scientific Method?	1. Observe 2. Hypothesize 3. Test 4. Conclusions 5. Evaluate
What are the three types of research?	Descriptive Correlational Experimental
What is the "Goal" of Descriptive Research?	To describe a phenomenon.
What is the "Goal" of Correlational Research?	To identify relationships.
What is the "Goal" of Experimental Research?	To determine causation.
Correlation _____ equal causation.	does not
What is a solution to bias and expectations during research?	Double-Blind Experiment (Recite Definition)
What are the Measures of Central Tendencies?	Mean Median Mode
What are the Measures of Dispersion?	Range Standard Deviation

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