Ch.'s 1 & 2

Question 1

STEM research

Answer 1

experiments that test hypotheses science, technology, engineering, &/ mathematics

Question 2

scientific method

Answer 2

an inquiry process used to systematically study, investigate, and provide explanations for observed phenomenon in the natural world

Question 3

data

Answer 3

the measurements & observations that are collected as part of a research project

often a combo of measurements & descriptions

Question 4

dependent variable

responding variable

Answer 4

what you measure in an experiment & what is affected during the experiment

responds to the independent variable; “depends” on it

can’t have a dependent variable in a scientific experiment w/out an independent variable

Question 5

entity

Answer 5

the subject, specimen, or item that is studied as part of a STEM research proj

Question 6

experiment

Answer 6

the test conducted as part of the sci method that includes a hypothesis, an independent variable, and dependent variables

Question 7

independent variable

manipulated variable

Answer 7

the variable in an experiment that is purposely changed or manipulated, either in quantity or quality, by the researcher

usually what u may think will affect the dependent variable; In some cases, u may not be able to manipulate the independent variable - may be something that’s already there & is fixed or something u would like to evaluate w/ respect to how it affects something else (Ex: how stress affects heart rate in humans

Question 8

generating ideas

Answer 8

What do I want to learn?

Question 9

Developing a research design

Answer 9

Determing variables to test and measure

identifying lab skills & lab resources

Question 10

Knowing my topic

Answer 10

Background research on:

independent & dependent variables

entity being studied

Question 11

writing the proposal

Answer 11

writing a hypothesis

performing pretrials

learning lab skills

scientific writing

addressing lab safety & ethical issues

determing best procedure

Question 12

setting up and conducting the experiment

Answer 12

organzing the lab notebook

collecting data

Question 13

statistical analysis

Answer 13

running statistics

putting data in tables & graphs

looking for patterns

Question 14

interpreting the data

Answer 14

What do the data mean?

Accepting/rejecting the hypothesis

how might the results be important in this field and others?

Question 15

report results

Answer 15

write a scientific research paper

design a poster or oral presentation

Question 16

focusing a research project

Answer 16

What entity should I study → What could I manipulate or change? → What effects could I measure? → What skills, knowledge, and tools would I need? = possible research proj

Question 17

safety

Answer 17

considerations must be made when working w/ chemicals, mold & microorganisms, electricity, radiation, and vertebrate animals - including humans

Question 18

ethics

Answer 18

the “norms of conduct that distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behavior”

main concern abt beginning researchers is that they aren’t aware of the issues that may violate the “acceptable behavior” norm → nation regulations put in place to ensure that researchers have thoroughly thought through their experimental procedures, understand the safety & ethical issues, can justify their methods, & can ensure the humane treatment of the entities being studied

Question 19

constants

Answer 19

the factors within an experiment that are kept the same for all groups or trials in an attempt to reduce the influence of extraneous variables

Question 20

control group

Answer 20

the group in an experiment that receives the exact treatment as the experimental groups except it doesn’t receive any change of the independent variable

the group to which the experimental groups are compared

sometimes can only be designated after data r collected; also, for some experiments, no control group & comparison among experimental groups = enough

Question 21

experimental groups

Answer 21

the groups or trials in an experiment that receive all the same conditions except varying amounts or qualities of the independent variable

Question 22

extraneous variable

Answer 22

an “undesirable” variable in addition to the independent variable that may influence the results of an experiment, introducing error if it is not, as much as possible, cotnrolled or significantly decreased in the research design

Question 23

focal sampling

Answer 23

a behavioral recording technique when a narrative (i.e., what is called an essay in English class) is written on every behavior of one individual or group for a set length of time

Question 24

hypothesis

Answer 24

a tentative (i.e., not final and definite) and testable proposed explanation for an observable phenomenon

purpose is to connect the manipulated changes made by the independent variable with the effects on the measurements of the dependent variable

a) one variable is tested, (b) it is clear how the changes will be measured and, (c) it includes a prediction that will be either supported or rejected by conducting the experiment

Question 25

inference

Answer 25

a conclusion, based on facts, that a person perceives to be true

Question 26

population

Answer 26

the complete collection of every item that has the same characteristics of the individuals in the sample group

Question 27

qualitative data

Answer 27

data that describe characteristics or qualities, such as color, odor, or texture -or- data that describe category frequency or ratings, such as stem sturdiness (e.g., "sturdy," "somewhat sturdy," "limp").

Question 28

quantitative data

Answer 28

data that use numbers with a unit of measurement, such as the length of an insect in millimeters (millimeter is the unit of measurement) or the weight of a projectile in kilograms (kilograms is the unit of measurement)

Question 29

sample

Answer 29

a subcollection of data that represent a larger population

Question 30

scan sampling

Answer 30

a behavioral recording technique where behaviors that occur within a sequence are recorded in the order in whcih they occur

Question 31

scan sampling

Answer 31

a behavioral recording technique where the activity of the indidvual or group is recorded only at preselected time intervals

Question 32

trial

Answer 32

the replication of experimental & control groups; used to decrease the influence of variations associated with the independent variable, researcher measurement error, and difference b/w entities studied