AP Psychology Vocabulary- Module 2

hindsight bias

the tendency to believe after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it (aka I knew it all along phenomenon)

peer reviewers

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

theory

an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events

hypothesis

a testable prediction, often implied by a theory

operational definition

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

replication

repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding can be reproduced

preregistration

publicly communicating planned study design, hypotheses, data collection, and analyses

case study

a descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

naturalistic observation

a descriptive technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without changing or controlling the situation

survey

a descriptive technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group

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 studied, 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 (variable) predicts the other

correlation coefficient

a statistical index of the direction and strength of the relationship between two things (from -1.00 to +1.00)

variable

anything that can vary and is practical and ethical to measure

scatterplot

a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables. the slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between the two variables. the amount of scatter suggests the strength of the correlation

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 or events to fall back (regress) toward the average

experiment

a research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more variables (IV) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (DV). By random assignment of participants, the experimenter aims to control other relevant variables that may change the research outcome

experimental group

in an experiment, the group exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable

control group

in an experiment, the group not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment

random assignment

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

double-blind procedure

an experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are uninformed (blind) about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. commonly used in drug-evaluation studies

placebo

experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an insert substance or condition, which the recipient assumes is an active agent

independent variable

in an experiment, the variable that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied

dependent variable

in an experiment, a variable that is measured; the variable that may change when the independent variable is manipulated

informed consent

giving potential participants enough information about a study to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate

debriefing

the postexperimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants

confounding variable

in an experiment, a variable other than the variable being studied that might influence a study’s results