Causation & Research Designs Key Terms
Test Your Knowledge! Match the term to the Definition Go to the next slide to see if you are correct Test Your Knowledge! Match the term to the Definition Go to the next slide to see if you are correct
Causal Explanations Cause Idiographic causal explanations Nomothetic causal explanations Explanations for general cause/effect relationships Explanations for an individual series of events Explanation for a characteristic or event
Causal Explanations Cause Idiographic causal explanations Nomothetic causal explanations Explanations for general cause/effect relationships Explanations for an individual series of events Explanation for any characteristic or event Cause = Explanation for any characteristic or event Idiographic causal explanations = Explanations for general cause/effect relationships Nomothetic causal explanations = Explanations for an individual series of events
Effects Placebo Effect Hawthorne Spurious A precedes B but it not the cause of B All groups change because they are being studied Improvement results because person assumes they will get better
Effects Placebo Effect Hawthorne Spurious A precedes B but it not the cause of B All groups change because they are being studied Improvement results because person assumes they will get better Placebo Effect = Improvement results because person assumesthey will get better Hawthorne = All groups change because they are being studied Spurious = A precedes B but it not the cause of B
Groups Experiment Group Control Group Statistical Control Receives intervention Just “normal” events occur to group Statistical manipulation to test relationships between variables
Groups Experiment Group Control Group Statistical Control Receives intervention Just “normal” events occur to group Statistical manipulation to test relationships between variables Experiment Group = Receives intervention Control Group = Just “normal” events occur to group Statistical Control = Statistical manipulation to test relationships between variables
Creating Groups Matching Random Assignment Selection bias Controls some characteristics in “natural” groups Attrition or other affects reduces the equivalency of groups Group selection like picking names out of a hat
Creating Groups Matching Random Assignment Selection bias Controls some characteristics in “natural” groups Attrition or other affects reduces the equivalency of groups Group selection like picking names out of a hat Matching = Controls some characteristics in “natural” groups Random Assignment = Group selection like picking names out of a hat Selection bias = Attrition or other affects reduces the equivalency of groups
Designs Cohort Quasi-Experimental True Experiment Random group assignments and controls used to identify cause-effect “Natural” groups used; short term experiment “Natural” groups used; long term evaluation
Designs Cohort Quasi-Experimental True Experiment Random group assignments and controls used to identify cause-effect “Natural” groups used; short term experiment “Natural” groups used; long term evaluation Cohort = “Natural” groups used; long term evaluation Quasi-Experimental = “Natural” groups used; short term experiment True Experiment = Random group assignments and controls used to identify cause-effect