Statistics – Study Guide,
Data Analysis, Practice
Questions & Answers
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Rationales
Included
, empirical evidence scientific evidence obtained by careful observation and experimentation
ex. specific data from an experiment to show that productivity is higher when a
morning break is given. Empirical evidence is not a hunch or an opinion, but rather
data gathered by doing specific research.
IRB (Institutional Review Board) Board that reviews research proposals for ethical violations/procedural errors
Rule of Falsifiability In order for a claim to be scientifically tested and proved true, there must be
identifiable evidence that could prove the claim false.
Hypothesis A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables.
Researchers would then devise a plan to test their hypothesis.
ex. If a morning break is given, then workers will have higher productivity
random sample a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal
chance of inclusion
ex. "draw names out of a hat" to get a random sample
representative sample a sample that accurately reflects the characteristics of the population as a whole.
This can be achieved by getting an accurate random sample from the target
population
random assignment The process of assigning participants to experimental conditions so that all
participants have an equal chance of being assigned to any of the conditions or
groups in the study.
ex. draw names out of a hat to determine who will be in the group of people that get
morning breaks and the group of people that don't
Experimental Method A method of investigation used to demonstrate cause-and-effect relationships by
purposely manipulating one factor (the IV) thought to produce change in another
factor (the DV).
Replicate To repeat a study or experiment
operational definition a precise description of how the variables in a study will be manipulated or
measured. Operational definitions are absolutely necessary to be able to replicate
an experiment. If another person doesn't know exactly what the original
experimenter did, how could they ever repeat the experiment?
variable A factor that can change in an experiment