Chapter 3

Question 1

something that varies; must have at least 2 levels

Answer 1

variable

Question 2

something that could potentially vary but that has only one level in the study in question

Answer 2

constant

Question 3

one whose levels are simply observed and recorded

Answer 3

measured variable

Question 4

a variable a researcher controls, usually by assigning study participants to the different levels of the variable

Answer 4

manipulated variable

Question 5

abstract concepts, such as “spending time socializing” and “school achievement”; variable of interest

Answer 5

conceptual variables

Question 6

a variable of interest, stated at an abstract level, usually defined as part of a formal statement of a psychological theory

Answer 6

construct

Question 7

to turn a concept of interest into a measured or manipulated variable

Answer 7

operationalize

Question 8

describe a particular rate or degree of a single variable; “2 out of 5,” “15%”

Answer 8

frequency claims

Question 9

argues that one level of a variable is likely to be associated with a particular level of another variable

Answer 9

association claim

Question 10

when one variable changed, the other variable tends to change too (related)

Answer 10

correlate

Question 11

a study that includes two or more variables, in which all of the variables are measured; can support an association claim

Answer 11

correlational study

Question 12

argues that one of the variables is responsible for changing the other

Answer 12

causal claim

Question 13

is linked to, is at higher risk for, is associated with, is correlated with, prefers, are more/less likely to, may predict, is tied to, goes with

Answer 13

association claim verbs

Question 14

causes, affects, may curb, exacerbates, changes, may lead to, makes, sometimes makes, hurts, promotes, reduces, prevents, distracts, fights, worsens, increases, trims, adds

Answer 14

causal claim verbs

Question 15

the appropriateness of a conclusion or decision, and (in general) this claim is reasonable, accurate, and justifiable

Answer 15

validity

Question 16

an indication of how well a variable was measured or manipulated in a study

Answer 16

construct validity

Question 17

an indication of how well the results of a study generalize to, or represent, individuals contexts besides those in the study itself

Answer 17

external validity

Question 18

statistical figure based on sample size for the study that attempts to include the true value in the population

Answer 18

margin error of the estimate

Question 19

the extent to which a study’s statistical conclusions are accurate and reasonable

Answer 19

statistical validity

Question 20

“false positive” result in the statistical inference process, in which researchers conclude that there is an effect in a population, when there really is none

Answer 20

Type 1 error

Question 21

“miss” in the statistical inference process, in which researchers conclude that their study has not detected an effect in a population, when there really is one

Answer 21

Type 2 error

Question 22

the extent to which two variables are observed to go together is determined by the results of a study

Answer 22

Covariance

Question 23

variable that comes first in time before the other variable

Answer 23

temporal precedence

Question 24

an indication of a study’s ability to eliminate alternative explanations for the association

Answer 24

internal validity

Question 25

in an experiment, the variable that is measured

Answer 25

dependent variable (DV)

Question 26

in an experiment, the variable that is manipulated

Answer 26

independent variable (IV)