November 28

Wow, it feels like forever since I posted on the blog. Can you believe next week is it? This semester just flew bye. Here are the important topics we discussed in Chapters 5 and 13,

Observed measurement is comprised of true scores and error scores

Error scores are comprised of random error and measurement error

Internal v. External validity

  Measurement reliability

        Multiple administrations (test-retest)

        Internal consistency (Split-half/ intercoder reliability)

  Measurement validity  

        Content validity (Face, criterion, predictive, and construct)

        Manipulation checks

        Controlling the environment (History, sleeper, snsitization)

  Hawthorne effect

  Selection (self-selection bias, regression effect, ceiling and floor effects)

  Mortality (maturation v. intersubject bias)

  Evaluation apprehension / social desirability bias

  Researcher personal attribute effect

  Researcher unintentional expectancy effect

  Researcher observational bias (observer drift, observer bias, halo effect)

  Sampling (simple random, systematic, stratified, cluster)

                    (convenience, volunteer, purposive, quota, network)

  Ecological validity

Chi Square

     One-way v. two-way

     (Expected values)

 T-test

     Independent samples v. Paired samples

Question for thought:

  In lecture, we discussed Environmental influences (History, sleeper, and sensitization). For posting, select one of these and give an example. For example, in graduate school I have experienced many all-nighters (studying all night without sleep). This lack of sleep should make the individual tired, slow, and cranky. However, many individuals (including myself) at 7am are wired and extremely energetic. This would appear that lack of sleep increases energy. This is actually a sleeper effect. Although at 7am the individual may be bouncing off the walls, by 2pm they crash. The lack of sleep catches up with them and they later show the true effects of no sleep.

  Talk about coincidence, use an example of sleep to illustrate a sleeper effect. :)