Behavioral Statistics
Terms
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- Frequency Distribution
- A record of the frequence of scores located in each response category of what's being measured
- Interval Scale
- Ordered equidistant categories having an infinite # of intermediate values and an arbitrary zero point
- Correlation Method
- Observing the naturally occuring relationship b/w two or more variables (as one variable changes, how does the other change?) ex: shoe size and height
- Construct
- Hypothetical concepts (abstract ideas)
- Experimental Method
- Cause and effect relationship; requires manipulation of at least one variable & measuring another variable
- Hypothesis
- Specific testable prediction about the relationship b/w 2 or more variables.
- Nominal Scale (Categorical)
- Category with different names. No quantitative distinctions; numbers may serve as labels
- Ordinal Scale (ordered)
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Category names (or #'s) are represented in an ordered sequence of magnitude; numbers have very limited quantitative properties
ex: attractiveness, job performance - Ratio Scale
- Interval scale with an absolute zero point (absence of construct) ex: Kelvin, time
- Cumulative Frequency
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Add the frequency at and below each score.
- Scientific Method
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1. Describe the question/problem.
2. Design study->collect data.
3. Analyze data, draw conclusions.
4. Revise theories. - Operational definition
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Defining a construct by the manner in which the variable is used and measured.
ex: What does intelligence look like (IQ) - Key elements in any distribution
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1. Set of possible scores
2. The frequency of scores at each category - Variable
- characteristic that changes or is different from one individual to the next (something that is measured)
- Grouping Guidelines
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1. Have about 10 intervals
2. Interval widths must be equals
3. Use simple numbers for interval widths
4. The lower limit of the interval should be a multiple of the interval widths (ex: 2,4,5,10)
5. Highest &/or lowest interval should not have a zero frequency - Experimental Group
- Receives the treatment level of the Ind. Var.
- Apparent Limit
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The actual limits of each interval (w/ gaps)
ex: 6.5-6.9 - Real (Exact) Limit
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Limits of the entire interval (closing the gaps)
-always represented with one more place past the decimal that the apparent limit - Confounding Variable
- Uncontrolled variable that can systematically vary with the ind. var.
- Midpoint
- In the exact middle of the interval
- Quasi-Experiment
- Nonmanipulated Ind. Var.
- Random Assignment
- For each participant, equal chance for assignment to each condition (Holds extraneous variables constant)
- Statistics
- A set of methods and rules for organizing summarizing and interpreting information.
- Control Group
- Does not receive the treatment level of the Ind. Var.;gets treatment or gets placebo treatment
- Independant Variable
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The variable that is manipulated (or controlled)
ex: different groups; positive vs. negative words - Dependent Variable
- The variable that is observed/measured.
- Inferential Statistic
- Procedures used to generalize the characteristic of a sample of a population (Infer to the population)
- Theory
- Integrated set of principles that explain all the facts and predicts observed events.
- Qualitative Difference
- Change in kind/quality ex: eye color, different drugs
- Continuous Variable
-
Variable with an infinite # of possible intermediate values b/w any two values, qualitative differences.
ex: time, distance, weight - Quantitative Difference
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Change of amount
ex: different amounts of drugs - Discrete Variable
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A)Represents seperate categories for each level of the variable with no intermediate values
B) Qualitative differences
ex:gender, # of students - Parameter
- Numerical value that describes a characteristic of a population.
- Population
- Set of individual of interest in a particular study.
- Random Sampling
- Process of obtaining a sample that requires every individual in the population has equal chance of selection (representatives of whole population)
- Statistic
- Numerical value that describes a characteristic of a sample
- Sample
- Set of individuals selected from a population who are intended to represent the population in research study.
- Sampling Error
- The numeric difference that usually exists b/w the sample statistic & population parameter ex) voting prediction, (aka: margin of error)
- Descriptive Statistics
- Procedures used to summarize, organize, and simplify data (describe)