An extended glossary of psychological terms

Reductionism-is the argument that we can explain behaviour and experiences by

reference to only one factor, such as physiology or learning.
Validity- this refers to whether a study measures or examines what it claims to
measure or examine.
Operationalisation-Criteria and procedures established in order to measure a
theoretical concept by empirical methods.
Objective measurement- test in which the evaluator's personal opinion can't bias
the test result
Attrition- the loss of participants from a longitudinal study. Reasons for attrition
might include participants no longer wanting to take part in the study, moving away
or losing contact. When attrition occurs psychologists have to question the
representativeness of the remaining sample.
Demand Characteristics- Any aspect of a study which has an influence on
participants to do or answer what is expected of them.
Reliability- This refers to how consistent a measuring device is. A measurement is
said to be reliable or consistent if the measurement can produce similar results if
used again in similar circumstances.