PSY100H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Inter-Rater Reliability, Ecological Validity, Shyness
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PSY100H1 Full Course Notes
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An integral feature of scientific practice is the use of careful observation, measurement, and manipulation of variables. A variable is the object, concept or event being measured. Just like the term, theory, the term research is used very loosely in everyday discourse. Five characteristics of quality scientific research are: Based on measurements that are objective, valid, and reliable; it can be generalized; it uses techniques that reduce bias (projection); it is made public; it can be replicated. To say that a measurement is objective is to say that within a margin of error the measurement is consistent across instruments and observers. Consistency (don"t contradict eachother), coherence (speak the same language), and convergence (independently come to the same result) as markers of reality. In order to check for consistency and coherence, we need to be able to compare different results according to the same measurements. Consider if you wanted to study if shyness causes loneliness.
