Psych 242 UIC exam 2 study guide Questions
with Correct Answers
The three qualifications of science
1. Systematic Empiricism
2. Empirical Questions
3. Public Knowledge
The three qualifications of an Experiment
1. Manipulation of IV:
ex:-sweet or bitter drink
2. All other variables held constant:
ex:-room, chairs, temperature, mood of research, same
3. Random assignment to groups:
-if the IV is not manipulated, it is not an experiment!
-if all the other variables are not held constant, it is not an experiment
-if participants are not randomly assigned to groups, it is not an experiment
-Have to have ALL three features in order for it to be an experiment
Correlation does not imply:
causation! (Just because two variables are correlated, does not mean one caused the other!)
Reliability vs Validity for measurement
,Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure (whether the results can be reproduced under
the same conditions). Validity refers to the accuracy of a measure (whether the results really do
represent what they are supposed to measure).
What is a population?
The ENTIRE group about which we are trying to draw conclusions
-E.g., Sensation-seeking and extroversion
-Who does this apply to?
•Everybody
What is a sample?
-A small subset of the population that a researcher studies
-Ideally representative of the population
-Simple random sample
Sampling the ENTIRE population at random... can be impossible
What is an independent variable? (IV) What are the conditions/levels of an IV?
researcher observes. If an experiment compares an experimental treatment with a control
treatment, then the independent variable (type of treatment) has two levels: experimental and
control.
What is a dependent variable (DV)?
Subjects responses
Between vs within designs
, Between-subjects (or between-groups) study design: different people test each condition, so that
each person is only exposed to a single user interface.
Within-subjects (or repeated-measures) study design: the same person tests all the conditions
(i.e., all the user interfaces).
What is a theory?
An established model or framework for how or why a phenomenon occurs
What is a hypothesis?
Hypotheses used in empirical studies to test theory...specific prediction about a study (hypothesis
is NOT a theory)
What is a phenomenon?
Phenomenon = An occurrence that has been studied empirically (i.e., through research)
-e.g., why do apples fall off trees? Why do objects fall to the ground when I drop them?
-Newton: gravity
Can theories ever be proven? Why not?
Like all knowledge in science, no theory can ever be completely certain, since it is possible that
future experiments might conflict with the theory's predictions.
Why are theories important?
•Help us organize our knowledge
•Help us predict future occurrences of phenomena
with Correct Answers
The three qualifications of science
1. Systematic Empiricism
2. Empirical Questions
3. Public Knowledge
The three qualifications of an Experiment
1. Manipulation of IV:
ex:-sweet or bitter drink
2. All other variables held constant:
ex:-room, chairs, temperature, mood of research, same
3. Random assignment to groups:
-if the IV is not manipulated, it is not an experiment!
-if all the other variables are not held constant, it is not an experiment
-if participants are not randomly assigned to groups, it is not an experiment
-Have to have ALL three features in order for it to be an experiment
Correlation does not imply:
causation! (Just because two variables are correlated, does not mean one caused the other!)
Reliability vs Validity for measurement
,Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure (whether the results can be reproduced under
the same conditions). Validity refers to the accuracy of a measure (whether the results really do
represent what they are supposed to measure).
What is a population?
The ENTIRE group about which we are trying to draw conclusions
-E.g., Sensation-seeking and extroversion
-Who does this apply to?
•Everybody
What is a sample?
-A small subset of the population that a researcher studies
-Ideally representative of the population
-Simple random sample
Sampling the ENTIRE population at random... can be impossible
What is an independent variable? (IV) What are the conditions/levels of an IV?
researcher observes. If an experiment compares an experimental treatment with a control
treatment, then the independent variable (type of treatment) has two levels: experimental and
control.
What is a dependent variable (DV)?
Subjects responses
Between vs within designs
, Between-subjects (or between-groups) study design: different people test each condition, so that
each person is only exposed to a single user interface.
Within-subjects (or repeated-measures) study design: the same person tests all the conditions
(i.e., all the user interfaces).
What is a theory?
An established model or framework for how or why a phenomenon occurs
What is a hypothesis?
Hypotheses used in empirical studies to test theory...specific prediction about a study (hypothesis
is NOT a theory)
What is a phenomenon?
Phenomenon = An occurrence that has been studied empirically (i.e., through research)
-e.g., why do apples fall off trees? Why do objects fall to the ground when I drop them?
-Newton: gravity
Can theories ever be proven? Why not?
Like all knowledge in science, no theory can ever be completely certain, since it is possible that
future experiments might conflict with the theory's predictions.
Why are theories important?
•Help us organize our knowledge
•Help us predict future occurrences of phenomena
