Chapter 2

Question 1

Science

Answer 1

Approach that involves the understanding, prediction, and control of some phenomenon of interest

Question 2

Hypothesis

Answer 2

Prediction about relationship(s) among variables of interest

Question 3

Disinteredness

Answer 3

Characteristic of scientists, who should be objective and uninfluenced by biases or prejudices when conducting research

Question 4

Expert witness

Answer 4

Witness in a lawsuit who is permitted to voice opinions about organizational practices

Question 5

Research design

Answer 5

Provides overall structure for the research study and allows investigations to conduct scientific research on a phenomenon of interest

Question 6

Experimental design

Answer 6

Participants are randomly assigned to different conditions

Question 7

Quasi-experimental design

Answer 7

Participants are assigned to different conditions, but random assignment to conditions is not possible

Question 8

Nonexperimental design

Answer 8

Does not include any “treatment” or assignment to different conditions

Question 9

Observational design

Answer 9

Researcher observes employee behavior and systematically records what is observed

Question 10

Survey design

Answer 10

Research strategy in which participants are asked to complete a survey or questionnaire

Question 11

Quantitative methods

Answer 11

Rely on tests, rating scales, questionnaires, and physiological measures and yield numerical results

Question 12

Qualitative methods

Answer 12

Rely on observations, interviews, case studies, and analysis of diaries or written documents and produce flow diagrams and narrative descriptions of events or processes

Question 13

Introspection

Answer 13

Early scientific method where the participant was also the experimenter, recording their experiences by completing experimental tasks

Question 14

Triangulation

Answer 14

Approach in which researchers seek converging information from difference sources

Question 15

Generalize

Answer 15

Applying the results from one study or sample to other participants or situations

Question 16

Experimental control

Answer 16

When possible confounding influences that might make results less reliable or harder to interpret are eliminated

Question 17

Statistical control

Answer 17

Using statistical techniques to control for the influence of certain variables
-allows researchers to concentrate exclusively on the primary relationships of interest

Question 18

Descriptive statistics

Answer 18

Stats that summarize, organize, and describe a sample of data

Question 19

Measure of central tendency

Answer 19

Stats that indicate where the center of distribution is located (mean, median, and mode)

Question 20

Variability

Answer 20

The extent to which scores in a distribution vary

Question 21

Skew

Answer 21

The extent to which scores in a distribution are lopsided or tent to fall on the left or right side of the distribution

Question 22

Mean

Answer 22

Arithmetic average of the scores in a distribution

-sum all scores and divide by sample size

Question 23

Mode

Answer 23

Most common or frequently occurring score in a distribution

Question 24

Median

Answer 24

Middle score in a distribution

Question 25

Inferential statistics

Answer 25

Stats used to aid the researcher in testing hypotheses and making inferences from sample data to a larger sample or population

Question 26

Statistical significance

Answer 26

Indicates the probability of the observed statistic is less than the stated significance level adopted by the researcher (p

Question 27

Statistical power

Answer 27

Likelihood of finding a statistically significant difference when a true difference exists

Question 28

Measurement

Answer 28

Assigning numbers to characteristics of individuals or objects according to rules

Question 29

Correlation coefficient

Answer 29

Statistic assessing the bivariate, linear association between two variables

Question 30

Scatterplot

Answer 30

Graph used to plot the scatter of scores on two variables; used to display the correlational relationship btwn two variables

Question 31

Regression line

Answer 31

Straight line that best fits the scatterplot and describes the relationship btwn the variables in the graph (the slope of the line)

Question 32

Linear

Answer 32

Relationship btwn two variables that can be depicted by a straight line

Question 33

Nonlinear

Answer 33

Relationship btwn two variables that cannot be depicted by a straight line

Question 34

Multiple correlation coefficient

Answer 34

Statistic that represents the overall linear association btwn several variables (cognitive ability, personality, and experience) on the one hand and a single variable (job performance) on the other hand

Question 35

Meta-analysis

Answer 35

Statistical method for combining and analyzing the results from many studies to draw a general conclusion about relationships among variables

Question 36

Statistical artifacts

Answer 36

Characteristics (small sample size, unreliable measures) of a study that distort the observed research

Question 37

Micro-research

Answer 37

Study of individual behavior

Question 38

Macro-research

Answer 38

Study of collective behavior

Question 39

Meso-research

Answer 39

Study of the interaction of individual and collective behavior

Question 40

Reliability

Answer 40

Consistency or stability of a measure

Question 41

Validity

Answer 41

Accuracy of inferences made based on test or performance data; also addresses whether a measure accurately and completely represents what was intended to be measured

Question 42

Test-retest reliability

Answer 42

Type of reliability calculated by correlating measurements taken at time 1 with measurements taken at time 2

Question 43

Equivalent forms reliability

Answer 43

Type of reliability calculated by correlating measurements from a sample of individuals who complete two different forms of the same test

Question 44

Internal consistency

Answer 44

Form of reliability that assesses how consistently the items of a test measure a single construct

Question 45

Generalizability theory

Answer 45

Sophisticated approach to the question of reliability that simultaneously considers all types of error in reliability estimates

Question 46

Predictor

Answer 46

Test chosen or developed to assess attributes identified as important for successful job performance

Question 47

Criterion

Answer 47

Describes important aspects or demands of the job; the variable that we predict when evaluating the validity of a predictor

Question 48

Criterion-related validity

Answer 48

Validity approach that is demonstrated by correlating a test score with a performance measure; improves researchers confidence in the inference that people with higher test scores have higher performance

Question 49

Validity coefficient

Answer 49

Correlation coefficient between a test score (predictor) and a performance measure (criterion)

Question 50

Predictive validity design

Answer 50

Criterion-related validity design in which there is a time lag btwn collection of the test data and the criterion data

Question 51

Concurrent validity design

Answer 51

Criterion-related validity design in which there is no time lag btwn gathering the test scores and the performance data

Question 52

Content-related validation design

Answer 52

Design that demonstrates that the content of the selection procedure represents an adequate sample of important work behaviors and activities and/or worker KSAO's defined by the job analysis

Question 53

Construct validity

Answer 53

Validity approach in which investigators gather evidence to support decisions or inferences about psychological constructs

Question 54

Construct

Answer 54

Psychological concept or characteristic that a predictor is intended to measure -Ex: intelligence, personality, leadership