W1 Chapter 2.2 - Establishing Relationships among Variables

Question 1

What is the definition of a variable?

Answer 1

A dimension along which two or more variations exist

Question 2

What are the two reasons why it is important to go beyond case studies?

Answer 2

1. Generalisability
2. The need to examine a range of variability

Question 3

What are the two kinds of relationships between variables?

Answer 3

1. Correlation
2. Causality

Question 4

What are the two aspects of a correlation relationship?

Answer 4

1. Direction
2. Strength

Question 5

How is correlation “strength” defined?

Answer 5

Strength is the degree of accuracy with which you can predict values on one dimension from the values on the other

Question 6

How is the strength of a correlation represented?

Answer 6

By a number called the correlation coefficient (r)

Question 7

What r value (correlation coefficient) is used for strong correlations?

Answer 7

0.6 to 0.8

Question 8

What r value (correlation coefficient) is used for moderately strong correlations?

Answer 8

0.3 to 0.5

Question 9

What r value (correlation coefficient) is used for weak correlations?

Answer 9

Below 0.3

Question 10

What is the definition of statistical significance?

Answer 10

The likelihood of an effect occurring by chance alone

Question 11

What is the definition of clinical (practical) significance?

Answer 11

When an association is large enough to have some practical importance

Question 12

What is the definition of causality?

Answer 12

A relationship such that variation in one dimension produces variation in another

Question 13

What is the definition of the third variable problem?

Answer 13

The possibility that an unmeasured variable caused variations in both of two correlated variables

Question 14

What is the definition of the experimental method?

Answer 14

The method in which one variable is manipulated to test for causal influence on another variable

Question 15

What are the two defining characteristics of experimental research?

Answer 15

1. One variable is manipulated
   2.

Question 16

What is the manipulated variable called?

Answer 16

The independent variable

Question 17

What is the definition of the independent variable?

Answer 17

The variable manipulated in an experiment and tested as the cause in a cause-effect relationship

Question 18

What is the definition of experimental control?

Answer 18

The holding constant of variables that are not being manipulated

Question 19

What is the definition of random assignment?

Answer 19

The process of putting people randomly into groups of an experiment so that their characteristics balance put across groups

Question 20

What is the definition of a dependent variable?

Answer 20

The variable measured as the outcome of an experiment; the effect in a cause-effect relationship

Question 21

What is a good rule of thumb for determining that a study is correlational?

Answer 21

any time when groups represent “naturally occurring differences” or are formed on the basis of some “characteristic that you measure”

Question 22

What are the two drawbacks of experimental research?

Answer 22

1. It is sometimes unclear which aspect of the manipulation was important
2. Experiments usually occur over a short timeframe

Question 23

What does Underwood, 1975 believe is the only way to really understand personality?

Answer 23

To look at naturally occurring differences between people

Question 24

What is the definition of a multi factor study?

Answer 24

A study with two (or more) predictor variables

Question 25

What is the definition of experimental personality research?

Answer 25

A study involving a personality factor and an experimental factor

Question 26

What is the definition of main effect?

Answer 26

A finding in which the effect of one predictor variable is independent of other variables

Question 27

What is the definition of an interaction?

Answer 27

A finding in which the effect of one predictor variable differs depending on the level of another predictor variable.

Question 28

What are the two aspects of interactions?

Answer 28

1. To find an interaction it is necessary to study more than one factor at a time.
2. Interactions have many forms