| debriefing | A session, conducted after an experimental session, in which participants are informed of any deception used and the reasons for the deception.
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| deception | A research technique in which participants are misinformed about the true nature and purpose of a study. Deception is ethical if the researcher can demonstrate that important results cannot be obtained in any other way.
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| generalization | Applying a finding beyond the limited situation in which it was observed.
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| nonrandom sample | A specialized sample of subjects used in a study who are not randomly chosen from a population.
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| population | All possible individuals making up a group of interest in a study. For example, all U.S. women constitute a population. A small proportion of the population is selected for inclusion in a study (see sample).
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| random sample | A sample drawn from the population such that every member of the population has an equal opportunity to be included in the sample.
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| role playing | Alternative to deceptive research that involves having participants act as though they had been exposed to a certain treatment.
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| sample | A relatively small number of individuals drawn from a population for inclusion in a study. See also population.
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| volunteer bias | Bias in a sample that results from using volunteer participants exclusively.
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