Variable
It is something that varies.
Values
Levels
Constant
Something that could potentially vary but that has only one level in the study in question.
Measured Variables
These are observed and record its levels. They can be concrete or abstract.
Manipulated Variables
These are controlled by experiments by determining it levels by assigning participants to the different levels of that variable.
Conceptual definitions
A researcher's definition of a variable at an abstract level.
Operational definitions
The process of turning a concept of interest into a measured or manipulated variable.
Claim
The argument someone is trying to make.
Frequency Claim
How often or the percentage of something that happens.
Association Claim
It suggests that the two variables are related, but they do not cause one another.
Causal Claim
The verb or action suggests that one variable brings about another reaction in another.
Frequency Claim
One variable. Always measured.
Anecdotal
They do not report the results of a study. Rather they tell an illustrative study.
Correlate
When one variable changes, the other tends to change as well.
Association Claim
Two variables. Measured.
Positive Association
High and High. Low and low.
Scatterplot
One variable is plotted on the y-axis and the other variable is plotted on the x-axis. Each dot represents one participant in the study.
Negative Association
High low. Low high.
Zero Association
No association between the variables.
Curvilinear Association
The level of one variable changes its pattern as the other variable increases.
Predict
Using association to make our estimates more accurate.
Association
It helps us make predictions by reducing the size of our prediction errors. The stronger it is, the more accurate our predictions are.
Construct Validity
When you ask how well a study measured or manipulated a variable, you are testing this.
Construct Validity
It is concerned how accurately a researcher has operationalized each variable.
Generalizability
How well do those participants represent the population they are supposed to represent?
External Validity
How well the results of the study generalize to, or represent, people and contexts besides those in the study itself.
Statistical Validity
It is the extent to which those statistical conclusions are accurate and reasonable.
Type I Error
Saying there is a relationship when there is not.
Type II Error
Saying there is not a relationship when there is.
Internal Validity
In a relationship between one variable and another, the degree to which we can say that A, rather than some other variable is responsible for the affect on B.
Covariance
One of the three rules for establishing causation, stating that the proposed causal variable must vary systematically with changes in the proposed outcome variable.
Temporal Precedence
The variable comes first in time, before the other variable.
Experiment
One variable is manipulated and the other is measured. Used for causal claims.
Independent Variable
Manipulated variable.
Dependent Variable
Measured variable.
Random Assignment
Each person has a equal to chance to be in either group.
Polls
They are ill suited to establishing temporal precedence.