Process of uncertainty management

Question 1

What are the two types of uncertainty?

Answer 1

Methodological and statistical

Question 2

Methodological uncertainty is related to what?

Answer 2

the confidence that our research design and procedure allows us to answer the research question

Question 3

In methodological uncertainty, which souces need to be considered?

Answer 3

Internal and external

Question 4

Are methods for managing uncertainty inter-related?

Answer 4

yes

Question 5

Surveys or quasi-experiments normally leave residual internal uncertainty about what?

Answer 5

the causal relationship between variables

Question 6

Appropriately designed experiments may leave residual external uncertainty about what?

Answer 6

the researcher’s ability to generalise their findings

Question 7

What is descriptive uncertainty?

Answer 7

not all P’s provide exactly the same response

Question 8

What is inferential uncertainty?

Answer 8

may not be completely confident that the IV is the only thing affecting the DV

Question 9

What are sources of descriptive uncertainty?

Answer 9

Inter-individual differences (variation in responses between individuals)
Intra-individual differences (variation in responses within individuals)
Measurement error (variation in responses due to inconsistent measurement)

Question 10

If the probability is low that the observed data is a result of a random process…

Answer 10

there is less inferential uncertainty

Question 11

What is a trade-off?

Answer 11

being sure about some things increases uncertainty about others

Question 12

Example of a trade-off

Answer 12

If we reduce descriptive uncertainty by using a very homogeneous sample of participants, we may increase external uncertainty about the applicability of our findings