Research Methods: Chapter 1
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- ad hoc hypothesis
- A conjecture or speculation developed on the spto to explain a result.
- analogical rhetoric
- Visualizing one thing in terms of another.
- a priori method
- The use of individual powers of pure reason and logic as a basis of explanation.
- behavior
- What someone does or how someone acts.
- behavioral science
- A general term that encompases scientific disciplines in which empirical inquiry is used to study motivation, cognition, and behavior.
- control group
- A condition with which the effects of the experimental or test condition are compared.
- correlational research
- Another common name for relational research, that is, research in which two or more variables or conditions are measured and related to one another.
- empricial
- Describing controlled observatiion and measurement.
- empirical reasoning
- A use of logic and evidence.
- experimental research
- An empirical investigation in which the objective is a causal explanation.
- method of authority
- The acceptance of an idea as valid because it is stated by someone in a position of power or authority.
- method of tenacity
- Clinging stubbornly to an idea because it seems obvious or is "common sense."
- methodological pluralism
- The use of multiple methods of controlled observation in science.
- principle of drunkard's search
- The gathering of data in a convenient place but not a relevant one.
- pseudoscience
- Bogus claims masquerading as scientific facts.
- psychophysics
- The study of the relationship between physical stimuli and our experience of them.
- random assignment
- A synonym for randomization.
- random selection
- Another name for random sampling.
- relational research
- An empirical investigation in which the objective is to identify relations among variables.
- replicate
- To rpeat or uplicate a scientific observation.
- rhetoric
- The language of a given field, which in science encompasses the proper use of technical terms.
- scientific method
- A general approach or outlook (rather than a single method) emphasizing the use of empirical reasoning.
- theoretical ecumenism
- The use of more than one relevant theoretcial perspective, in order to foster a holistic picture.