7/17/2019 Language of Research Quick Reference List

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Language of Research: Quick Reference List 

Concept

•A mental image or abstract idea one holds about an object, event, or phenomenon.

Conceptualization

•The process through which we specify precisely what we mean when we use a particular term.

Conceptual Definitions

•Definitions that describe what we mean by a concept.

Construct

•Because concepts are "invented" or constructed , they are sometimes referred to as constructs.

Operationalization

•The process of moving from an abstract concept to concrete indicators that enable measurement.

Operational Definition

•Defines how a concept will be measured by specifying the attributes of interest along with rules for gathering and interpreting the measure

Variable

•A logical collection of attributes, characteristics, or qualities.

•A concept that can be measured... its empirical counterpart.

Proposition

•A statement that describes how the concepts within a theory relate to one another (i.e., why the relationships exist or how t hey work).

•It might also be known as "an axiom," or "a postulate," "a theorem," or an "empirical generalization."

Theory

•Results from weaving together what is known with conjecture (i.e., our assumptions).

•Its main functions include: organizing, explaining, and predicting.

•A set of interrelated concepts that guide how we approach or think about something.

Hypothesis

•An educated hunch, notion, or speculation.

•A statement of what we expect to find in the "real world" if our theory is correct.

•A statement re: how 2 or more variables are believed to relate to, or differ from, one another.

Theoretical Model

•An application of a theory to a specific situation (e.g., using systems theory to explain family behavior).

Research Hypothesis

•A statement re: how 2 or more variables will relate to, or differ from one another... in a given study.

Null Hypothesis

•States that no real relationship or difference exists among the variables under study.

Control Variable

•It is sometimes referred to as an extraneous variable.

•A variable the researcher is not interested in studying, but may influence the outcome.

Independent Variable

•It influences, predicts, or explains the outcome(s) of interest.

Dependent Variable

•It is what you are trying to predict or explain (i.e., the outcome of interest).