Obtaining Data
10 videos • 68 views • by Fourth Z This is Playlist 4 in the Introduction to Behavioral and Social Statistics series. We do not use statistics to obtain data. We collect samples of units (these units are participants in social and behavioral research), we either leave the sample intact or divide it into groups depending on the design of our study, and then we measure these units, such as when we obtain a response from a participant. The reason knowing about these processes is so important to our understanding of statistics is because the sampling and design at the outset of the study directly relates to the conclusions we can make at the end of the study. We always seek to understand cause and effect relationships among variables, but not all studies provide us the information we need to make cause and effect claims. We also would like to know where to apply our conclusions, and that has to do with how we obtained our samples. In short, what we say at the end does not just depend on the results of our statistical analysis; it depends on what we do at the beginning of our study. The anticipated learning outcomes for this playlist are these: 1. You can contrast populations and samples. 2. You can describe different types of samples and explain the advantages and disadvantages of each type. 3. You can select simple random and stratified random samples from a sampling frame. 4. You can describe various types of bias associated with sampling and explain what leads to bias. 5. You can explain the difference between observational studies and experiments. 6. You can describe the types of variables that are present in research studies. 7. You can identify the elements of well-designed experiments and explain why each of these elements are important. 8. You can select participants for experimental conditions using both completely randomized and block designs. 9. You can describe the key differences between a true experiment and a quasi-experiment.