Back to AI Flashcard MakerPsychology /AP® Psychology Research Methods Part 4
AP® Psychology Research Methods Part 4
This deck covers key concepts in research methods for AP® Psychology, including measures of variability, correlation, hypothesis testing, and ethical guidelines.
When most of the scores are compacted on one side of the bell curve, the distribution is said to be __________.
skewed; Positively skewed distributions include a lot of small values and negatively skewed distributions include a lot of large values.
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
When most of the scores are compacted on one side of the bell curve, the distribution is said to be __________.
skewed; Positively skewed distributions include a lot of small values and negatively skewed distributions include a lot of large values.
Define and list the three types of: measures of variablity
Measures of variability describe the dispersion of scores for a set of research data. 1. range 2. variance 3. standard deviation
Define in terms of variability: range
difference between the largest score and the smallest score
What do variance and standard deviation measure?
average difference between each score and the mean of the data set; Taller, narrow curves have less variance than short, wider curves.
What is a z score (a.k.a. standard score)?
allows for comparison between different scales; subtract mean from each score and divide by standard deviation; mean has a z score of zero
Define: percentile score
percentage of scores at or below a particular score between 1 and 99; Example: If you are in the 70th percentile, 70% of the scores are the same as or...
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
When most of the scores are compacted on one side of the bell curve, the distribution is said to be __________. | skewed; Positively skewed distributions include a lot of small values and negatively skewed distributions include a lot of large values. |
Define and list the three types of: measures of variablity | Measures of variability describe the dispersion of scores for a set of research data. 1. range 2. variance 3. standard deviation |
Define in terms of variability: range | difference between the largest score and the smallest score |
What do variance and standard deviation measure? | average difference between each score and the mean of the data set; Taller, narrow curves have less variance than short, wider curves. |
What is a z score (a.k.a. standard score)? | allows for comparison between different scales; subtract mean from each score and divide by standard deviation; mean has a z score of zero |
Define: percentile score | percentage of scores at or below a particular score between 1 and 99; Example: If you are in the 70th percentile, 70% of the scores are the same as or below yours. |
Define: Pearson correlation coefficient | statistical linear measure of the relationship between two sets of data; varies from -1 to +1; helps to make predictions about variables |
Name the correlation coefficient for each and describe the relationship: 1. perfect positive correlation 2. no relationship 3. perfect negative correlation | 1. r = +1; direct relationship: as one variable increases or decreases, the other does the same 2. r = 0; no relationship 3. r = -1; inverse relationship: as one variable increases or decreases, the other does the opposite |
What type of graph plots single points to show the strength and direction of correlations? | scatterplot |
What is the term for the line on a scatterplot that follows the trend of the points? | line of best fit or regression line |
Define: inferential statistics | 1. used to interpret data and draw conclusions 2. indicate generalizability to population 3. indicate real relationship, not due to chance |
What is the difference between a null and an alternative hypothesis? | Null hypotheses state that a treatment had no effect, while alternative hypotheses state the treatment did have an effect in the experiment. |
What is the difference between a Type I and Type II error? | Type I errors, or false positives, occur if the researcher rejects a true null hypothesis. Type II errors, or false negatives, occur if the researcher fails to reject a false null hypothesis. |
The variable p represents __________. | statistical significance |
When is a finding statistically significant? | when the probability (alpha) that the finding is due to chance is less than 1 in 20 (p < 0.05); Said another way, when you are 95% confident that the result was not due to chance |
What method statistically combines the results of several research studies to reach a conclusion? | meta-analysis |
Why did the American Psychological Association (APA) implement ethical guidelines? | Guidelines were set in place in the late 20th century to stress responsibility and morality in research and clinical practice; Dangerous and inhumane experiments such as Harlow's rhesus monkeys, Zimbardo's prison role-playing, and Milgram's shock test led to the implementation of rules |
What are the purposes of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)? | approve research being conducted at their particular institution; require participants give informed consent after hearing the risks and procedures; require debriefing of participants afterward with results of research; ensure humane and ethical treatment of animal and human subjects |
__________ psychology is practical and designed for real world application, while __________ psychology is focused on research of fundamental principles and theories. | Applied; basic |