Scientific processes key terms

• Abstract


  A summary of a scientific report
• Aims

  The objective or purpose of the experiment
• Bias


  An inclination to a certain position or thought. For example, in hostile attribution bias, hostility or negativity is more likely to be assumed from a neutral face
• Behavioural categories

  An observational technique wherein participants' possible behaviours are separated into more specific components. This allows for operationalisation of the behaviour. For example, splitting aggression into categories of “swearing” and “punching”.
• Closed questions


  A type of question that can only be answered with a limited number of answers, usually a “yes” or “no”
• Concurrent validity


  Occurs if a test is similar to a previous test that already has well-established validity
• Confounding variable


  A type of extraneous variable that is related to the IV and has affected the results of a study
• Control variable


  Any variables that are kept constant through the experiment to prevent their effects on the dependent variable.
• Counterbalancing


  To make half of the participant sample experience the different conditions of the experiment in one order, and the other half of the participants complete it in the opposite order.
• Demand characteristics


  Changes in the participants' behaviour to comply with the hypothesis of the researcher
• Dependent variable


  The variable that changes in response to the manipulation of the IV
• Directional hypothesis


  A hypothesis that specifies the direction of the relationship in the

  experiment.
• Ecological validity


  How well results from an experiment can be applied to a real life setting
• Event sampling


  An observational technique wherein an observer records every time a

  particular behaviour or “event” occurs, usually in the form of a tally chart.
• Extraneous variables


  Variables other than the independent variable that have an effect on the dependent variable.
• Face validity


  If a test appears to be valid at first appearances, in spite of how well it works in a real world scenario.
• Falsifiability


  The quality of being able to be proven wrong. For example, the proposition "All crows are black" could be falsified by observing one white crow
• Generalisation


  To attribute information from a sample to the rest of the population
• Hypothesis


  The prediction of the outcome of the experiment
• Independent groups


  An experimental design where different groups of participants are involved in different conditions of the experiment.
• Independent variable


  The variable that is manipulated by the researcher to observe its effects on the dependent variable. For example, if you were testing the effects of anxiety on memory recall, anxiety would be the independent variable.
• Inter-observer reliability

  Multiple investigators gather information separately during an observation and compare their data for similarity after.
• Investigation effects


  Unconscious changes in the investigator's behaviour to comply with the hypothesis of the investigation
• Matched pairs


  An experimental design wherein participants in different conditions of the experiment are matched on certain variables to reduce the effect of participant variables. For example, in the Bobo doll study, children were matched on scores of aggressiveness for each condition.
• Non-directional hypothesis


  A hypothesis that does not specify the direction of the relationship of the experiment e.g. coffee will change the reaction times of participants (whether it will increase or decrease the times is not specified).
• Objectivity


  Empirical; something that is not influenced by personal feelings
• Open questions


  A type of question that does not used closed yes/no answers
• Operationalisation


  To clearly state and objectify a measurable variable
• Opportunity sampling


  A sampling technique that involves obtaining a sample via anyone that is available from the population at the time of collecting the sample. For example, handing questionnaires out to people outside a shopping mall
• Paradigm


  A basic concept or well-established belief
• Paradigm shift


  When previously accepted core concepts in a science are changed,

  usually due to the emergence of new evidence
• Peer review


  The assessment of work by other people with similar levels of expertise in that field, to provide an unbiased expert opinion of the quality of said work.
• Pilot studies


  Preliminary trial studies carried out to ensure the clarity of the study itself. For example, using a pilot questionnaire on a sample of people that give feedback on the clarity of the questions
• Population


  The group represented by a sample
• Random allocation


  To allocate participants to separate conditions using some sort of

  randomisation technique. For example, using a computer to randomly generate groups for condition A and B.
• Random sampling


  A sampling technique that involves randomly generating participants from the population by any randomisation technique. For example: random number generation from a computer, picking names out of a hat.
• Reliability


  The extent to which a test can be repeated and produce similar results
• Repeated measures


  An experimental design wherein the same participants undergo all the conditions of the experiment.
• Replicability


  The extent to which scientific procedures and findings can be repeated by other researchers
• Sample


  A smaller group that aims to be representative of a population