Chapter 2 Key Terms

Question 1

archival research

Answer 1

method of research using past records or data sets to answer various research questions, or to search for interesting patterns or relationships

Question 2

attrition

Answer 2

reduction in number of research participants as some drop out of the study over time

Question 3

cause-and-effect relationship

Answer 3

changes in one variable cause the changes in the other variable; can be determined only through an experimental research design

Question 4

clinical or case study

Answer 4

observational research study focusing on one or a few people

Question 5

confirmation bias

Answer 5

tendency to ignore evidence that disproves ideas or beliefs

Question 6

confounding variable

Answer 6

unanticipated outside factor that affects both variables of interest, often giving the false impression that changes in one variable causes changes in the other variable, when, in actuality, the outside factor causes changes in both variables

Question 7

control group

Answer 7

serves as a basis for comparison and controls for chance factors that might influence the results of the study—by holding such factors constant across groups so that the experimental manipulation is the only difference between groups

Question 8

correlation

Answer 8

relationship between two or more variables; when two variables are correlated, one variable changes as the other doesc

Question 9

correlation coefficient

Answer 9

number from -1 to +1, indicating the strength and direction of the relationship between variables, and usually represented by r

Question 10

cross-sectional research

Answer 10

compares multiple segments of a population at a single time

Question 11

debriefing

Answer 11

when an experiment involved deception, participants are told complete and truthful information about the experiment at its conclusion

Question 12

deception

Answer 12

purposely misleading experiment participants in order to maintain the integrity of the experiment

Question 13

deductive reasoning

Answer 13

results are predicted based on a general premise

Question 14

dependent variable

Answer 14

variable that the researcher measures to see how much effect the independent variable had

Question 15

double-blind study

Answer 15

both the researchers and participants are unaware in the study

Question 16

empirical

Answer 16

grounded in objective, tangible evidence that can be observed time and time again, regardless of who is observing

Question 17

experimental group

Answer 17

group designed to answer the research question; experimental manipulation is the only difference between the experimental and control groups, so any differences between the two are due to experimental manipulation rather than chance

Question 18

experimenter bias

Answer 18

researcher expectations skew the results of the study

Question 19

falsifiable

Answer 19

able to be disproven by experimental results

Question 20

generalize

Answer 20

inferring that the results for a sample apply to the larger population

Question 21

hypothesis

Answer 21

testable prediction, i.g. “if-then statement”

Question 22

illusory correlation

Answer 22

seeing relationships between two things when in reality no such relationship exists

Question 23

independent variable

Answer 23

variable influenced or controlled by the experimenter, in a sound experimental study

Question 24

inductive reasoning

Answer 24

conclusions are drawn from observations

Question 25

IACUC (institutional animal care and use committee)

Answer 25

committee of admins, scientists, vets etc. that review proposals for research involving animals

Question 26

inter-rater reliability

Answer 26

measure of agreement among observers on how they record and classify a particular event

Question 27

longitudinal research

Answer 27

studies in which the same group of individuals is surveyed or measured repeatedly over an extended period of time

Question 28

negative correlation

Answer 28

two variables change in different directions, with one becoming larger as the other becomes smaller; a negative correlation is not the same thing as no correlation

Question 29

operational definition

Answer 29

description of what actions and operations will be used to measure the dependent variables and manipulate the independent variables

Question 30

peer-reviewed journal article

Answer 30

article read by several other scientists (usually anonymously) with expertise in the subject matter, who provide feedback regarding the quality of the manuscript before it is accepted for publication

Question 31

placebo effect

Answer 31

peoples expectations or beliefs influencing or determining their experience in a situation

Question 32

positive correlation

Answer 32

two variables change in the same direction

Question 33

random sample

Answer 33

every member of population has equal chance of being selected

Question 34

single-blind study

Answer 34

experiment where researcher knows, but participants are unaware