Unit 0.1-0.4

Intro terms and definitions of psychology

hindsight bias

the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it

peer reviewers

scientific experts who evaluate a research article's theory, originality, and accuracy

theory

an explanation using an integrated set of principles that predicts behaviours or events

hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

falsifiable

can be proven wrong

Scientific Method

theory,

hypothesis, research and observation

operational definition

a carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a research study

replication

repeating the essence of a research study to see whether the basic finding can be reproduced

case study

a non-experimental technique in which one individual or group is studies in depth in the hope of revealing universal principals

Naturalistic observations

a non-experimental technique of observing and recording behaviour in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate lthe situation

survey

a non-experimental technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviours of a particular group, usually by questioning a rep., random sample of the group

social desirability bias

bias from people's responding in ways they presume a researcher expects/wishes

self-report bias

bias when people report their behaviour inaccurately

sampling bias

a flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample

random sample

a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion

population

all those in a group being studies, from which random samples may be drawn

correlation

A measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other.

correlation coefficient

a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from -1 to +1, strongest being the closest to either number)

illusory correlation

perceiving a relationship where none exists, or perceiving a stronger-than-actual relationship

regression toward the mean

the tendency for extreme or unusual scores to fall back (regress) toward their average.

experiment

A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process

experimental group

In an experiment, the group that is exposed to the treatment

control group

In an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the treatment and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment.

random assignment

assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between the different groups

Single-blind procedure

An experimental procedure where the research participants don't know whether they have received treatment or placebo

double-blind procedure

An experimental procedure where neither the experimenter nor the participants know if the participants received treatment or placebo

placebo effect

experimental results caused by expectations alone

Independant variable

factor being manipulated

confounding variable

factor other than iv and dv that may influence results

experimenter bias

bias caused when researchers may unintentionally influence results to confirm their own beliefs

dependent variable

Factor being measured

validity

the extent to which a test or experiment measures or predicts what it is supposed to

availaibility heuristic

decisions made based on previous knowledge

representative heuristic

decisions made based on stereotypes, prototypes and preconceived notions

cognitive bias

refers to how the brain often makes mistakes in how we think, decide, or see things

confirmation bias

a tendency to search for information that confirms one's preconceptions

basic research

pure research driven by quest for knowledge (yes or no)

experimental method

manipulating one variable to see its effects on the other

Experiments =

reliable, valid, use scientific method and have random assignment (experiment+control group)

Components of experiment

theory, hypothesis, operational definitions

representative sample

A sample that reflects the characteristics of the population from which it is drawn

Types of Case Studies

longitudinal (follow same people, over a long period of time) and cross-sectional (comparing different people, at the same time)

false consensus effect

overestimation of the degree to which everyone else thinks and acts as we do

self-serving bias

the tendency for people to take personal credit for success but blame failure on external factors

Random sample

Whole pop has equal chance of being chosen in any part of experiment (control or experiment group)