Research Methodology

Question 1

Research

Answer 1

A scientific process that involves the careful collection of data

Question 2

Scientific Method

Answer 2

A systematic and dynamic procedure of observing and measuring phenomena, used to achieve the goals of description, prediction, control, and explanation

Involves an interaction among research, theories, and hypotheses

Question 3

Theory

Answer 3

A model of interconnected ideas or concepts that explains what is observed and makes predictions about future events

Based on empirical evidence

Question 4

Hypothesis

Answer 4

A specific, testable predictionc narrower than the theory it is based on

Question 5

Replication

Answer 5

Repetition of a research study to confirm the results

Question 6

Variable

Answer 6

Something in the woerld that can vary and that a researcher can manipulate (change), measure (evaluate), or both

Question 7

Independent Variable

Answer 7

The variable that gets manipulated in a research study

Question 8

Dependent Variable

Answer 8

The variable that gets measured in a research study

Question 9

Operational Definition

Answer 9

A definition that qualifies (describes) and quantifies (measures) a variable so the variable can be understood objectively

Question 10

Descriptive Research

Answer 10

Research methods that involve observing behavior to describe that behavior objectively and systematically

Question 11

Case Study

Answer 11

A descriptive research method that involves the intensive examination of an unusual person or organization

Question 12

Participant Observation

Answer 12

A type of descriptive study in which the researcher is involved in the situation

Question 13

Naturalistic Observation

Answer 13

A type of descriptive study in which the researcher is a passive observer, separated from the situation and nmaking no attempt to change or alter ongoing behavior

Question 14

Reactivity

Answer 14

The phenomenon that occurs when knowledge that one is being observed alters the behavior being observed

Question 15

Observer Bias

Answer 15

Systematic errors in observation that occur because of an observer’s expectations

Question 16

Experimenter Expectancy Effect

Answer 16

Actual change in the behavior of the people or nonhuman animals being observed that is due to the expectations of the observer

Question 17

Data

Answer 17

Measurable outcomes of research studies

Question 18

Self-Report Methods

Answer 18

Methods of data collection in which people are asked to provide information about themselves, such as in surveys or questionnaires

Question 19

Correlational Studies

Answer 19

A research method that describes and predicts how variables are naturally related in the real world, without any attempt by the researcher to alter them or assign causation between them

Question 20

Positive Correlation

Answer 20

A relationship between two variables in which both variables either increase or decrease together

Question 21

Negative Correlation

Answer 21

A relationship between two variables in which one variable increases when the other decreases

Question 22

Zero Correlation

Answer 22

A relationship between two variables in which one variable is not predictably related to the other

Question 23

Directionality Problem

Answer 23

A problem in correlational studies when the researchers find a relationship between two variables but cannot determine which variable may have caused changes in the other variable

Question 24

Third Variable Problem

Answer 24

A problem that occurs when the researcher cannot directly manipulate variables and as a result cannot be confident that another unmeasured variable is not the actual cause of differences in the variable of interest

Question 25

Experiment

Answer 25

A research method that tests causal hypotheses by manipulating and measuring variables

Question 26

Experimental Group

Answer 26

The participants in an experiment who receive the treatment

Question 27

Control Group

Answer 27

The participants in an experiment who receive no intervention or who receive an intervention that is unrelated to the independent variable being tested

Question 28

Confound

Answer 28

Anything that affects a dependent variable and that may unintentionally vary between the experimental conditions of a study

Question 29

Population

Answer 29

Everyone in the group the experimenter is interested in

Question 30

Sample

Answer 30

A subset of a population

Question 31

Random Assignment

Answer 31

Placing research participants into the conditions of an experiment in such a way that each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any level of the independent variable

Question 32

Selection Bias

Answer 32

In an experiment, unintended differences between the participants in different groups

Question 33

Culturally Sensitive Research

Answer 33

Studies that take into account the role that culture plays in determining thoughts, feelings, and actions

Question 34

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

Answer 34

Groups of people responsible for reviewing proposed research to ensure that it meets the accepted standards of science and provides for the physical and emotional well-being of research participants

Question 35

Construct Validity

Answer 35

The extent to which variables measure what they are supposed to measure

Question 36

External Validity

Answer 36

The degree to which the findings of a study can be generalized to other people, settings, or situations

Question 37

Internal Validity

Answer 37

The degree to which the effects observed in an experiment are due to the independent variable and not confounds

Question 38

Reliability

Answer 38

The degree to which a measure is stable and consistent over time

Question 39

Accuracy

Answer 39

The degree to which an experimental measure is free from error

Question 40

Descriptive Statistics

Answer 40

Statistics that summarize the data collected in a study

Question 41

Central Tendency

Answer 41

A measure that represents the typical response of the behavior of a group as a whole

Question 42

Mean

Answer 42

A measure of central tendency that is the arithmetic average of a set of numbers

Question 43

Median

Answer 43

A measure of central tendency that is the value in a set of numbers that falls exactly halfway between the lowest and highest values

Question 44

Mode

Answer 44

A measure of central tendency that is the most frequent score or value in a set of numbers

Question 45

Variability

Answer 45

In a set of numbers, how widely dispersed the values are from each other and from the mean

Question 46

Standard Deviation

Answer 46

A statistical measure of how far away each value is, on average, from the mean

Question 47

Scatterplot

Answer 47

A graphical depiction of the relationship between two variables

Question 48

Correlation Coefficient

Answer 48

A descriptive statistic that indicates the strength of the relationship between two variables

Question 49

Inferential Statistics

Answer 49

A set of assumptions and procedures used to evaluate the likelihood that an observed effect is present in the population from which the sample was drawn

Question 50

Meta-Analysis

Answer 50

A "study of studies" that combines the findings of multiple studies to arrive at a conclusion