Core social science research method vocabulary, including experiments, quasi-experiments, and observational studies.
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- What is the primary characteristic of a randomized controlled trial (RCT)?
- Random assignment of participants to treatment and control groups
- Define internal validity
- The extent to which a study accurately demonstrates a causal relationship between variables
- What is a confounding variable?
- A third variable that affects both the independent and dependent variables, creating a spurious relationship
- What is a quasi-experiment?
- A study with an independent variable manipulation but without random assignment to conditions
- Define external validity
- The extent to which research findings can be generalized to other populations, settings, and times
- What is a control group?
- A group of participants not exposed to the independent variable, used as a baseline for comparison
- What is selection bias?
- Systematic differences in characteristics between those selected and those not selected for a study
- Define effect size
- A numerical measure of the magnitude of the difference or relationship between variables
- What is a cohort study?
- An observational study that follows a group of people sharing a defining characteristic over time
- What is a case-control study?
- An observational study that compares people with an outcome to those without it, looking back at exposure history
- Define the null hypothesis
- A statistical hypothesis that assumes there is no relationship or effect between variables being tested
- What is a cross-sectional study?
- An observational study that examines variables in a population at a single point in time
- Define statistical significance
- A result is unlikely to occur by chance alone, typically denoted by a p-value below 0.05
- What is random sampling?
- A method where every member of the population has an equal and known probability of being selected
- Define measurement validity
- The extent to which an instrument accurately measures what it claims to measure
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