Ch2 Flashcards
(14 cards)
What are the two steps in the scientific method?
a. Developing a model to explain a part of the world.
b. Testing the model using empirical data.
What is a model?
A model is a simplified representation of reality
What do model tools do?
i. Generate testable predictions (hypotheses).
ii. Help understand complex phenomena
What are models useful for?
Analysis and forecasting
What is empirical evidence used for?
Empirical evidence (data) is used to verify how well a model explains reality.
What is a hypothesis?
A hypothesis is a prediction that can be tested with data.
What is a mean?
Mean is the average of a set of numbers.
What is a median?
Median is the middle value when the numbers are sorted
What is correlation?
Two variables move together, but one does not necessarily cause the other.
What is negative correlation?
Variables move in opposite directions.’
What is positive correlation?
Positive correlation: Both variables move in the same direction.
What is causation?
One variable directly causes a change in another.
What are controlled experiments?
Subjects are randomly assigned to treatment and control groups.
What are natural experiments?
Assignment to groups happens by circumstance, not by design.
