PSYC 60 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Operational Definition, Thermodynamic Potential, Confounding
Document Summary
Reduce error by increasing sample size, random selection. Correlational method two variables observed to see if there"s a relationship; doesn"t prove causality. Experimental method designing experiments to determine causality. Confounding variable uncontrolled, source of error in interpretation. Quasi-experimental method no actual manipulation, groups defined by natural variables such as age or gender. Between subjects characteristic that varies between subjects. Within subjects characteristic that varies with time. Prejudice, anxiety, self-esteem: operational definition states how conceptual variable will be manipulated or measured. Continuous variables divisible into an infinite number of categories, ex. age, temp. Ordinal ordering important, ex. freshman to senior. Interval numbers used but zero is not meaningful (absence) , ex. temp. Ratio numbers used but zero is a value, ex. height, weight, speed. Interval/ratio histogram, polygon: histogram 10 intervals, include 0 o. Normal one peak, symmetrical: mean=median=mode, mean
