Basic research design and program evaluation concepts for counselors tested on the National Counselor Examination.
30 cards · basic cards · AI-written, checked twice. Edit anything.
- In an experiment, what is the independent variable?
- The variable the researcher manipulates or controls.
- In an experiment, what is the dependent variable?
- The outcome variable that is measured and expected to change in response to the independent variable.
- What does internal validity refer to in a study?
- The degree to which a study shows that the independent variable, not other factors, caused the change in the dependent variable.
- What does external validity refer to in a study?
- The extent to which study results can be generalized to other people, settings, and times.
- What is the main purpose of random assignment in an experiment?
- To distribute participant differences evenly across groups so the groups are equivalent before treatment, controlling for confounding variables.
- What is a confounding variable?
- An outside variable that varies along with the independent variable and offers an alternative explanation for the results.
- What two features distinguish a true experimental design from other designs?
- Manipulation of an independent variable and random assignment of participants to groups.
- What makes a quasi-experimental design different from a true experiment?
- It involves manipulating a variable but without random assignment of participants to groups.
- What does a correlational research design examine?
- The relationship or association between two or more variables without manipulating any of them.
- Why can a correlation between two variables not prove that one causes the other?
- Because a third variable, reverse causation, or coincidence could explain the relationship instead.
- What is a Type I error in hypothesis testing?
- Rejecting a true null hypothesis (a false positive).
- What is a Type II error in hypothesis testing?
- Failing to reject a false null hypothesis (a false negative).
- What does the null hypothesis state?
- That there is no significant difference or relationship between the variables being studied.
- In most social science research, a p-value below what threshold is considered statistically significant?
- .05
- What does reliability refer to in measurement?
- The consistency or repeatability of a test's results.