Intro Flashcards
(19 cards)
Scientific method
- Research
- Find a problem
- Make a hypothesis
- Experiment
- Compile data
- Form conclusion
- Maybe find an answer
- Maybe find another problem
What is a variable
A variation within a class of objects eg. eye color
What is a constant
A characteristic with no variations within a class of objects eg. grade level of 9th graders
Inference
An explanation that tries to make sense of your observations
Influenced by your experiences/prior knowledge
Hypothesis
An “educated guess”
Can be written in the form if.. then.. because…
quantitative variable
conceptualized and analyzed in distinct categories with no continuum implied (height)
categorical variable
does not vary in degree, amount, or quantity but are qualitatively different (political party)
(no middle ground or in between measurement)
independent variable
is what the researcher studies to see its relationship or effects
x axis
dependent variable
what is being influenced by the independent variable
y axis
quantitative data
data consisting of numbers and measurements
eg. heart rate
speed of car
qualitative data
data consisting of verbal descriptions or info gathered without numbers
eg. color of blood
accuracy vs. percision
accuracy: how close a measurement is to the accepted volume
precision: how close a series of measurements are to one another
what are significant digits
they are used to indicate the percision of a measured number to express the precession of a calculation with measured numbers
3 types of scientific inquiry:
controlled experiment, observational study, and correlational study
controlled experiment
when you control the independent variable to find out what change (if any) occurs in the dependent variable/
observational study
the careful watching and recording a subject to gather scientific info to answer a question
correlational study
a study in which an investigator looks at the relationship between 2 variables
positive correlation
indicates a direct relationship between variables
and increase in 1 variable corresponds to an increase in the other one
negative correlation
indicates an inverse relationship
an increase in one variable corresponds to a decrease in the other variable
