Key Science Skills Flashcards
Biased sample
a sample that is not representative of its corresponding population and/or for which everyone in a population of interest does not have an equal chance of being selected
Case Study
a detailed in-depth account of some behaviour or phenomenon of interest in a particular individual or group or situation
Advantage: provide highly detailed info about phenomenon being studied
Disadvantages: results can’t be generalised
Conclusion
a statement describing whether or not the hypothesis was supported by the research data; usually based upon inferential statistics
Confidentiality
the principle, based on a person’s right to privacy, that any information gathered about a participant during research must not be revealed without that person’s consent
Confounding variables
extraneous variables whose influence are uncontrolled and vary systematically with the iv, cloud the ability to determine the true relationship between the iv and dv
Control group
the group of participants in an experiment who receive no experimental treatment or intervention in order to serve as a baseline for comparison
Controlled variables
variables other than the IV that a researcher controls in an investigation, to ensure that changes in the DV are solely due to changes in the IV
Convenience sampling
any sampling technique that involves selecting readily available members of the population, rather than using a random or systematic approach
Advantage: time effective
Disadvantage: unlikely to produce representative sample
Correlational study
a research study that examines the strength of any correlation between two factors of interest or sets of observations
Counterbalancing
arranging the order in which the conditions of a repeated measures experiment are experienced by participants so that each condition occurs equally often in each position
Debriefing
the principle whereby the researcher must explain to participants what the study really involved once it has been completed
Deception
researcher should avoid deliberately misleading participants & should provide enough info to let them choose whether they participate
in cases where prior knowledge can confound the results, researcher may misinform participants so they don’t know the purpose of the study
^prevents expectancy effects, providing that adequate debriefing occurs after it has been completed
Dependent Variable
the variable the researcher measures in an experiment for changes it may experience due to the effect of the IV
Aim
a statement outlining the purpose of an investigation
Hypothesis
a testable prediction about the outcome of an investigation
(it was hypothesised that…)
Population
the group of people who are the focus of the research and from which the sample is drawn
Controlled experiment
a type of investigation in which the causal relationship between two variables is tested in a controlled environment
the effect of the IV on the DV is tested while aiming to control all other variables
Advantages: follows strictly controlled procedure so can be repeated to check results
Disadvantage: often only conducted in a lab so may not reflect real life
Independent variable (IV)
the variable for which quantities are manipulated by the researcher, and te variable that is assumed to have a direct effect on the DV
Fieldwork
any research involving observation and interaction with people and environments in real-world settings, conducted beyond the laboratory
Experimental group
the group of participants in an experiment who are exposed to a manipulated IV
Within-subjects design
an experimental design in which participants complete every experimental condition
