Making statistics intuitive
A polynomial is a mathematical expression made of variables, numbers, and whole-number exponents. These terms are combined with plus and minus signs. You can add, subtract, and multiply the parts, but you can’t divide by a variable. The variable is sometimes called an indeterminate. [Read more…] about Polynomials Explained: Definition, Degree & Factoring
A within-subjects design is an experimental design where each participant experiences all treatment conditions in the experiment. The analysis compares how the same person performs under different conditions. This experimental design is also called a dependent group or repeated measures design. [Read more…] about Within Subjects Design in Experiments Explained
Irrational numbers are real numbers that cannot be written as a fraction of two integers. That means you can’t write it as p/q, where p and q are whole numbers and q isn’t zero. [Read more…] about Irrational Numbers: Definition & Examples
Observer bias occurs when a researcher’s expectations, opinions, or past experiences influence what they notice or record in a study. It’s also known as observation bias. [Read more…] about Observer Bias: Definition, Examples & Minimizing
Pi is one of the most famous numbers in mathematics. It’s the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. In other words, it’s the number you get when you divide the circumference by the diameter. The circumference is the length of the circle’s perimeter while the diameter is its width through the central point. We denote the value of this ratio using the Greek letter π. [Read more…] about What Is Pi? Understanding the Number & Symbol
A between-subjects design is a type of experiment that tests different treatment conditions on separate groups of people. After the experiment, researchers compare group outcomes to determine whether they differ. Statisticians also refer to this method as a between-group or independent measures design. [Read more…] about Between Subjects Design in Experiments Explained
The slope formula helps you determine how steep a line is on a graph. The slope value tells you whether a line rises or falls when you go from left to right and its steepness. It compares how much the line goes up or down (the rise) to how much it moves sideways (the run). [Read more…] about Slope Formula: How to Find the Slope of a Line
Demand characteristics in psychology research are clues about a study’s research objectives. These clues give participants an idea of what the researchers hope to find and can cause them to change how they act or answer. Demand characteristics are only a concern in research involving human subjects. Hence, it’s a particularly big problem in psychology. It is a form of Response Bias. [Read more…] about Demand Characteristics in Psychology Studies
The square root of a number is a value that, when multiplied by itself, gives the original number.
In other words, if you know that 6 × 6 = 36, then 6 is the square root of 36. [Read more…] about Square Root Explained
A randomized block design (RBD) is a prospective experimental design that helps reduce uncontrolled variability that could obscure or distort meaningful treatment effects. Typically, these designs control for nuisance factors, which are variables that can affect the outcome, but they are not the researcher’s primary interest. When experimenters know about specific nuisance factors, they can use blocking to minimize their impact. An RBD helps manage nuisance variability by grouping similar subjects into blocks before randomizing treatments within each block. [Read more…] about Randomized Block Design in Experiments Explained
Prime numbers are natural numbers greater than 1 that have exactly two factors: 1 and itself. A prime can be divided evenly only by itself and 1. For example, 2, 3, 5, and 7 are prime numbers because they are evenly divisible by themselves and 1. [Read more…] about Prime Numbers Explained
PEMDAS allows you to solve math problems containing multiple operations. Following the correct order of operations is crucial, otherwise you’ll get the wrong answer! [Read more…] about PEMDAS Explained: Order of Operations in Math
A Gantt chart is a visual tool that helps plan and track projects over time. It’s a type of bar chart that shows tasks on the left vertical axis and a timeline across the top horizontal axis. Each task appears as a horizontal bar, stretching from the start date to the end date. This setup makes it easy to see what needs to be done, when tasks should start and finish, and how different parts of a project connect. [Read more…] about Gantt Charts: A Simple Guide
Interval notation is a shorthand way to describe a range of numbers without writing out long inequalities. Instead of listing every number in a set, we use a compact format that shows the smallest and largest values in the range.
Interval notation looks like ordered pairs, but they don’t represent a single point. Instead, they describe a set of numbers between two endpoints.
In this post, you’ll learn what interval notation is, its benefits, how to write it for different cases, and how to represent intervals on a number line. You’ll also see examples of unions and intersections of intervals and how they relate to inequalities. [Read more…] about What Is Interval Notation? A Beginner’s Guide
The quadratic formula is a method for finding the solutions of a quadratic equation. The solutions are also known as the roots or zeros of the quadratic equation because they are the X-values that produce zeros when you enter them into the equation. [Read more…] about Quadratic Formula: What It Is, How It Works & Examples
A factorial design is an experimental design that simultaneously assesses more than one factor. By evaluating multiple factors at the same time, this design uncovers not only individual effects but also how factors interact. With this technique, each experimental run involves a random combination of factor values in a structured setting. [Read more…] about Factorial Design Explained: Testing Multiple Factors
Social desirability bias is the tendency for research participants to answer questions in a way that portrays them in a favorable light rather than providing completely honest responses. Typically, this bias occurs when participants answer questions to look better in the eyes of the researchers performing the study. It is a form of response bias, primarily affecting studies that use surveys and structured interviews to obtain self-reported information from the participants. However, it can occur in any study where the participants know researchers are watching. This bias reduces a study’s validity because the participants concealing their genuine opinions and behaviors. [Read more…] about Social Desirability Bias: Definition & Examples
A point estimate is a single value that best estimates a population parameter. Point estimation uses a random sample to estimate the population value. For example, the sample mean estimates the population mean. [Read more…] about Point Estimate Overview: Finding & Meaning
Response bias occurs in studies when participants tend to provide inaccurate answers to questions. Societal norms and psychological factors can cause participants to systematically provide false responses. This research bias primarily affects studies that use surveys and structured interviews to obtain self-reported information from the participants. This bias reduces a study’s validity because the participants are concealing their true opinions and behaviors. [Read more…] about Response Bias: Definition & Examples
A double-blind study is an experiment where the researchers and subjects don’t know who has been assigned to the treatment or control group. This experimental design deliberately hides treatment statuses from subjects and researchers to minimize biases that can occur when they know this information. [Read more…] about Double Blind Study Overview & Example