1. Causation & Research Designs
Key Terms

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Groups Experiment Group Control Group Statistical Control
Receives intervention
Just “normal” events occur to group
Statistical manipulation to test relationships between variables

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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