STAT 210 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Descriptive Statistics, Dependent And Independent Variables, Empiricism
Document Summary
Empiricism: using direct observation to obtain knowledge. Empirical approach: based on making observations of individuals or objects of interest. Generalizations based on everyday observations are often misleading. When researchers systematically use the empirical approach to acquire knowledge, we say that they are engaging in empirical research, which is planned in advance. Researchers develop research questions and then plan whom, how, when, and under what circumstances to observe. Flawed research can be just as misleading as everyday observations often are. A primary function of statistical analysis is organizing and summarizing large amounts of data. Subjects: traditional term for the individuals being studied. Participants has been used in more recent decades because it implies the individuals have freely consented to participate in the research. Respondents: mostly used when individuals respond to a survey. Examinees: sometimes used in reference to participants who have taken an examination, such as an achievement test.
