Terms : Hide Images
| 478920774 | Coefficient of determination | The percentage of variation in one variable that can be predicted based on the other variable. | |
| 478920775 | Frequency distribution | An orderly arrangement of scores indicating the frequency of each score or group of scores. | |
| 478920776 | Frequency polygon | A line figure used to present data from a frequency distribution. | |
| 478920777 | Histogram | A bar graph that presents data from a frequency distribution. | |
| 478920778 | Null hypothesis | In inferential statistics, the assumption that there is no true relationship between the variables being observed. | |
| 478920779 | Positively skewed distribution | A distribution in which scores pile up at the low end of the scale. | |
| 478920780 | Scatter diagram | A graph in which paired X and Y scores for each subject are plotted as single points. | |
| 478920781 | Anecdotal evidence | Personal stories about specific incidents and experiences. | |
| 478920782 | Case study | An in-depth investigation of an individual subject. | |
| 478920783 | Confounding of variables | A condition that exists whenever two variables are linked together in a way that makes it difficult to sort out their independent effects. | |
| 478920784 | Control group | Subjects in a study who do not receive the special treatment given to the experimental group. | |
| 478920785 | Correlation | The extent to which two variables are related to each other. | |
| 478920786 | Correlation coefficient | A numerical index of the degree of relationship between two variables. | |
| 478920787 | Data collection techniques | Procedures for making empirical observations and measurements. | |
| 478920788 | Dependent variable | In an experiment, the variable that is thought to be affected by the manipulation of the independent variable. | |
| 478920789 | Descriptive statistics | Statistics that are used to organize and summarize data. | |
| 478920790 | Double-blind procedure | A research strategy in which neither subjects nor experimenters know which subjects are in the experimental or control groups. | |
| 478920791 | Experiment | A research method in which the investigator manipulates a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observes whether any changes occur in a second variable as a result. | |
| 478920792 | Experimental group | The subjects in a study who receive some special treatment in regard to the independent variable. | |
| 478920793 | Experimenter bias | A phenomenon that occurs when a researcher's expectations or preferences about the outcome of a study influence the results obtained. | |
| 478920794 | Extraneous variables | Any variables other than the independent variable that seem likely to influence the dependent variable in a specific study. | |
| 478920795 | Hypothesis | A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables. | |
| 478920796 | Independent variable | In an experiment, a condition or event that an experimenter varies in order to see its impact on another variable. | |
| 478920797 | Inferential statistics | Statistics that are used to interpret data and draw conclusions. | |
| 478920798 | Journal | A periodical that publishes technical and scholarly material, usually in a narrowly defined area of inquiry. | |
| 478920799 | Mean | The arithmetic average of the scores in a distribution. | |
| 478920800 | Median | The score that falls exactly in the center of a distribution of scores | |
| 478920801 | Mode | The score that occurs most frequently in a distribution. | |
| 478920802 | Nearsightedness | A vision deficiency in which close objects are seen clearly but distant objects appear blurry | |
| 478920803 | Operational definition | A definition that describes the actions or operations that will be made to measure or control a variable. | |
| 478920804 | Participants | Subjects | |
| 478920805 | Placebo effects | The fact that subjects' expectations can lead them to experience some change even though they receive an empty, fake, or ineffectual treatment. | |
| 478920806 | Population | The larger collection of animals or people from which a sample is drawn and that researchers want to generalize about. | |
| 478920807 | Random assignment | The constitution of groups in a study such that all subjects have an equal chance of being assigned to any group or condition. | |
| 478920808 | Replication | The repetition of a study to see whether the earlier results are duplicated. | |
| 478920809 | Research methods | Differing approaches to the manipulation and control of variables in empirical studies. | |
| 478920810 | Response set | A tendency to respond to questions in a particular way that is unrelated to the content of the questions. | |
| 478920811 | Sample | The collection of subjects selected for observation in an empirical study. | |
| 478920812 | Sampling bias | A problem that occurs when a sample is not representative of the population from which it is drawn. | |
| 478920813 | Social desirability bias | A tendency to give socially approved answers to questions about oneself. | |
| 478920814 | Standard deviation | An index of the amount of variability in a set of data. | |
| 478920815 | Statistical significance | The condition that exists when the probability that the observed findings are due to chance is very low. | |
| 478920816 | Statistics | The use of mathematics to organize, summarize, and interpret numerical data. See also Descriptive statistics, Inferential statistics. | |
| 478920817 | Subjects | The persons or animals whose behavior is systematically observed in a study. | |
| 478920818 | Survey | A descriptive research method in which researchers use questionnaires or interviews to gather information about specific aspects of subjects' behavior. | |
| 478920819 | Theory | A system of interrelated ideas that is used to explain a set of observations. | |
| 478920820 | Variability | The extent to which the scores in a data set tend to vary from each other and from the mean. | |
| 478920821 | Variables | Any measurable conditions, events, characteristics, or behaviors that are controlled or observed in a study. |
