Stats Terms

Question 1

Case Study

Answer 1

Intensive investigation of a single person, institution, agency, community or other social unit. Case studies differ from observational studies in that the latter is only concerned with current behaviors while case studies provide descriptions of behaviors that occur over time

Question 2

Criterion-referenced scores

Answer 2

to determine if a student has benefitted from an educational program, you would most likely want to determine how much of the information presented in the program has been retained and/or to what degree participation in the program has improved the individual’s performance on a task, so criterion referred scores tell you how well an examinee did in absolute terms (ex. how many questions he answered correctly)

Question 3

Norm-referenced scores

Answer 3

ex. standard scores, percentile ranks

Question 4

Standard scores

Answer 4

typer of norm referenced score

Question 5

Descriptive Statistics

Answer 5

used to describe and summarize the data. A researcher might use a table of a graph, Ex. to summarize the set of test scores she has collected in a research studt

Question 6

Inferential statistics

Answer 6

used to draw conclusions about relationships between independent and dependent variables. A researcher would use an inferential statistical test to determine whether or not the relationship between variables she has found in a research study is statistically significant.

Question 7

Variable

Answer 7

A variable is any characteristic, behavior, event, of other phenomenon that is capable of varying, or existing in at least two different states, conditions, or levels. Ex. gender, anxiety, depression

Question 8

Contants

Answer 8

When a characteristic is restricted to a single state of condition

Question 9

Independent Variable

Answer 9

A variable is independent (IV) when it is believed to affect or alter status on another variable (DV). The IV is sometimes called the “treatment” or “intervention” and is symbolized with the letter X. In a research study subjects are assigned to different groups representing different levels of the IV.

Question 10

Dependent Variable

Answer 10

A DV variable is when status on that variable seems to “depend on” another variable (the IV) the DV is considered the outcome of the treatment, is measured by pretests and posttests, and is symbolized with the letter Y.

Question 11

Control group

Answer 11

No treatment or placebo group

Question 12

Descriptive research

Answer 12

Is conducted primarily to collect data about variables rather than to test hypotheses about the relationship between variables. Ex. How things are, observational studies, surveys, archival research, and case studies

Question 13

Experimental research

Answer 13

Conducted specifically to test hypotheses about the effects of one or more independent variables on one or more dependent variables. Experimental research is classified as true experimental or quasi-experimental

Question 14

One-way ANOVA

Answer 14

is the appropriate statistical test when a study includes one independent variable and two or more dependent groups

Question 15

Factorial ANOVA

Answer 15

the appropriate statistical test when a study involves two or more independent variables