1
Research Methods and Statistics
Questions and Correct Answers
critical thinking
Ans✅✅: process of evaluating claims or hypotheses and making
judgments about them on the basis of well-supported evidence
hypothesis
Ans✅✅: a prediction stated as a testable proposition, usually in the
form of an if-then statement
variables
Ans✅✅: specific factors or characteristics that are manipulated and
measured in research
data
Ans✅✅: numbers that represent research findings and provide the basis
for research conclusions
operational definition
Ans✅✅: a statement of the specific methods used to measure a
variable; a detailed explanation of the variable
theory
Ans✅✅: cluster of explanations of a phenomenon that help predict,
explain, and control that behavior
naturalistic observation
Pretest - Stuvia US
,2
Ans✅✅: method gathering descriptive information involving watching
behaviors, without interfering, as they naturally occur
case study
Ans✅✅: used to collect descriptive data through the intensive
examination of a phenomenon in a particular individual, group, or setting
(particularly useful for rare or complex phenomena)
survey
Ans✅✅: questionnaire or interview administered to a large group;
designed to obtain descriptions of peoples' behaviors/beliefs
correlational studies
Ans✅✅: research method that examines relationships between variables
in order to analyze trends in data, test predictions, etc. (they do NOT
discern cause and effect relationships)
experiment
Ans✅✅: the only research method to show causation, this involves
obtaining a random sample of subjects and using control and experimental
groups; allows a researcher to control the data-collection process
independent variable
Ans✅✅: controlled by the researcher, experienced by the control
group, this is what the researcher thinks will HAVE an effect on some
other behavior
dependent variable
Ans✅✅: behavior affected by another variable, it is observed and
measured (usually before and after and experiment takes place)
experimental group
Pretest - Stuvia US
,3
Ans✅✅: receives the critical part of the experiment (the independent
variable)
control group
Ans✅✅: provides a baseline for comparison, does not receive critical
treatment (independent variable)
experimenter bias
Ans✅✅: occurs when experimenters ask leading questions or otherwise
search for evidence that supports their hypothesis and don't look for
evidence that refutes it
random variable
Ans✅✅: a confounding variable in which uncontrolled factors affected
the dependent variable along with or instead of the independent variable
random assignment
Ans✅✅: random distribution of participants to experimental or control
groups - used to distribute the impact of uncontrolled variables
randomly, and most likely evenly, across the groups, minimizing the
chance they will distort the results
placebo effect
Ans✅✅: improvement caused by a participant's knowledge and
expectations: can be from a treatment that contains nothing known to be
helpful, but that nevertheless produces benefits because a person
believes it will be beneficial.
confounding variable
Ans✅✅: any factor that affects the dependent variable, along with or
instead of the independent variable
double-blind design
Pretest - Stuvia US
, 4
Ans✅✅: design for research in which neither the experimenter nor the
subjects know who is in the experimental or control group
sampling
Ans✅✅: the process of selecing participants for research who are
members of the population the researcher wishes to study
generalize
Ans✅✅: to apply the results of one's study to people beyond just the
researcher's sample
representative sample
Ans✅✅: a group of subjects whose characteristics fairly reflect the
characteristics of the population they belong to
random sample
Ans✅✅: a group of subjects selected froma population whose members
all had an equal chance of being selected
biased sample
Ans✅✅: a group of research subjects selected froma population whose
members did not all have an equal chance of being chosen
sampling error
Ans✅✅: part of a sampling process that results in a biased sample
convenience sample
Ans✅✅: when researchers draw participants from the populations that
are readily available to them
twin studies
Pretest - Stuvia US
Research Methods and Statistics
Questions and Correct Answers
critical thinking
Ans✅✅: process of evaluating claims or hypotheses and making
judgments about them on the basis of well-supported evidence
hypothesis
Ans✅✅: a prediction stated as a testable proposition, usually in the
form of an if-then statement
variables
Ans✅✅: specific factors or characteristics that are manipulated and
measured in research
data
Ans✅✅: numbers that represent research findings and provide the basis
for research conclusions
operational definition
Ans✅✅: a statement of the specific methods used to measure a
variable; a detailed explanation of the variable
theory
Ans✅✅: cluster of explanations of a phenomenon that help predict,
explain, and control that behavior
naturalistic observation
Pretest - Stuvia US
,2
Ans✅✅: method gathering descriptive information involving watching
behaviors, without interfering, as they naturally occur
case study
Ans✅✅: used to collect descriptive data through the intensive
examination of a phenomenon in a particular individual, group, or setting
(particularly useful for rare or complex phenomena)
survey
Ans✅✅: questionnaire or interview administered to a large group;
designed to obtain descriptions of peoples' behaviors/beliefs
correlational studies
Ans✅✅: research method that examines relationships between variables
in order to analyze trends in data, test predictions, etc. (they do NOT
discern cause and effect relationships)
experiment
Ans✅✅: the only research method to show causation, this involves
obtaining a random sample of subjects and using control and experimental
groups; allows a researcher to control the data-collection process
independent variable
Ans✅✅: controlled by the researcher, experienced by the control
group, this is what the researcher thinks will HAVE an effect on some
other behavior
dependent variable
Ans✅✅: behavior affected by another variable, it is observed and
measured (usually before and after and experiment takes place)
experimental group
Pretest - Stuvia US
,3
Ans✅✅: receives the critical part of the experiment (the independent
variable)
control group
Ans✅✅: provides a baseline for comparison, does not receive critical
treatment (independent variable)
experimenter bias
Ans✅✅: occurs when experimenters ask leading questions or otherwise
search for evidence that supports their hypothesis and don't look for
evidence that refutes it
random variable
Ans✅✅: a confounding variable in which uncontrolled factors affected
the dependent variable along with or instead of the independent variable
random assignment
Ans✅✅: random distribution of participants to experimental or control
groups - used to distribute the impact of uncontrolled variables
randomly, and most likely evenly, across the groups, minimizing the
chance they will distort the results
placebo effect
Ans✅✅: improvement caused by a participant's knowledge and
expectations: can be from a treatment that contains nothing known to be
helpful, but that nevertheless produces benefits because a person
believes it will be beneficial.
confounding variable
Ans✅✅: any factor that affects the dependent variable, along with or
instead of the independent variable
double-blind design
Pretest - Stuvia US
, 4
Ans✅✅: design for research in which neither the experimenter nor the
subjects know who is in the experimental or control group
sampling
Ans✅✅: the process of selecing participants for research who are
members of the population the researcher wishes to study
generalize
Ans✅✅: to apply the results of one's study to people beyond just the
researcher's sample
representative sample
Ans✅✅: a group of subjects whose characteristics fairly reflect the
characteristics of the population they belong to
random sample
Ans✅✅: a group of subjects selected froma population whose members
all had an equal chance of being selected
biased sample
Ans✅✅: a group of research subjects selected froma population whose
members did not all have an equal chance of being chosen
sampling error
Ans✅✅: part of a sampling process that results in a biased sample
convenience sample
Ans✅✅: when researchers draw participants from the populations that
are readily available to them
twin studies
Pretest - Stuvia US
