AP PSYCH VOCAB AUG28

Placebo

A substance with no therapeutic effect used as a control in testing new drugs.

Peer reviewers

Experts who evaluate the quality and validity of research before publication.

+/- no correlation

Indicates no relationship between two variables.

Single-blind procedure

An experimental design where participants do not know whether they are in the experimental or control group.

Mean

The average value of a set of numbers, calculated by dividing the sum of the values by the number of values.

Regression toward the mean

The phenomenon where extreme values tend to be closer to the average on subsequent measurements.

Social desirability bias

The tendency of respondents to answer questions in a manner that will be viewed favorably by others.

Experimental Group

The group in an experiment that receives the treatment or intervention.

Scatterplot(s)

A graphical representation of the relationship between two quantitative variables.

Qualitative research study

A research method focused on understanding human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior.

Control Group

The group in an experiment that does not receive the treatment and is used as a benchmark.

Hindsight Bias

The inclination to see events as having been predictable after they have already occurred.

Perceiving order in random events

The tendency to see patterns in random data.

Alternative (null) hypothesis

The hypothesis that there is no effect or no difference, used as a default position.

Random assignment

The process of assigning participants to different groups by chance to reduce bias.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction about the relationship between two or more variables.

P value/alpha level

A threshold for determining statistical significance, typically set at 0.05.

Debriefing

The process of informing participants about the study's purpose and procedures after it has concluded.

Mode

The value that appears most frequently in a data set.

Do No Harm

An ethical principle in research that emphasizes the importance of minimizing harm to participants.

Curiosity

A strong desire to learn or know something.

Skepticism

An attitude of doubt towards claims or assertions.

Humility

The quality of being humble and recognizing one's limitations.

Critical thinking

The objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.

Questioning

The act of asking questions to gain information or clarify understanding.

Qualitative

Data that is descriptive and conceptual, often collected through interviews or observations.

Quantitative

Data that can be quantified and is often collected through surveys or experiments.

Scientific

Relating to or based on science.

Critical

Involving careful judgment or evaluation.

Argumentation

The process of reasoning systematically in support of an idea, action, or theory.

Overconfidence

A bias in which a person's subjective confidence in their judgments is greater than the objective accuracy.

Super forecaster

An individual who is exceptionally skilled at predicting future events.

Population

The entire group of individuals or instances about whom we hope to learn.

Theory

A well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world.

Falsifiable

A characteristic of a hypothesis that allows it to be proven false.

Replicate

To repeat a study to see if the same results can be obtained.

Operational definitions

Specific explanations of abstract concepts that a researcher plans to study.

Non-experimental

Research methods that do not involve manipulation of variables.

Experimental

Research methods that involve manipulation of one or more variables.

Naturalistic observations

Observing subjects in their natural environment without interference.

Correlations

Statistical measures that describe the extent to which two variables change together.

Meta-analysis

A statistical analysis that combines the results of multiple scientific studies.

Case study

An in-depth analysis of a person, group, event, or situation.

Surveys

Research methods that involve asking participants questions to gather data.

Interviews

A qualitative research method involving direct questioning of participants.

Self-report bias

The tendency for respondents to answer questions inaccurately or falsely.

Convenience sampling

A non-probability sampling technique where subjects are selected because of their convenient accessibility.

Representative sample

A subset of a population that accurately reflects the members of the entire population.

Random sample

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

Confounding variable

An outside influence that changes the effect of a dependent and independent variable.

Correlation

A statistical relationship between two variables.

Correlation coefficient

A numerical measure of the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables.

Predict

To declare or indicate in advance, especially on the basis of special knowledge.

Variables

Elements that can change or vary in an experiment.

Directionality problem

The issue of determining which variable is the cause and which is the effect in a correlation.

Third variable problem

The situation where a third variable influences both the independent and dependent variables.

Illusory correlation

The perception of a relationship where none exists.

Experiment

A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe their effect.

Longitudinal

A research design that involves repeated observations of the same variables over long periods.

Double-blind procedure

An experimental design where neither the participants nor the experimenters know who is receiving the treatment.

Effect

The change that occurs as a result of an experimental manipulation.

Independent variable

The variable that is manipulated to observe its effect on the dependent variable.

Experimental bias

A bias that occurs when researchers influence the results of an experiment.

Dependent variable

The variable that is measured in an experiment.

Validity

The extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure.

Quantitative research

Research that focuses on quantifying relationships, behaviors, or phenomena.

Qualitative research

Research that focuses on understanding concepts, thoughts, or experiences.

Research design types

Types of research methodologies including correlational, experimental, case study, naturalistic observation, twin study, longitudinal, and cross-sectional.

Likert scale

A rating scale used to measure attitudes or opinions.

Structured interviews

Interviews that follow a predetermined set of questions.

Theoretical principles

Fundamental concepts that form the basis for a theory.

Informed consent

The process of obtaining permission from participants before they take part in a study.

Descriptive statistics

Statistics that summarize data from a sample without making inferences about the population.

Histogram (bar graph)

A graphical representation of the distribution of numerical data.

Median

The middle value in a data set when the numbers are arranged in order.

Percentile rank

A measure indicating the value below which a given percentage of observations fall.

Skewed distribution

A distribution that is not symmetrical and has a tail on one side.

Range

The difference between the highest and lowest values in a data set.

Standard deviation

A measure of the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of values.

Normal curve

A bell-shaped curve that represents the distribution of a set of data.

Bell-shaped curve

A graphical representation of a normal distribution.

Variation

A measure of how much values in a data set differ from each other.

Inferential statistics

Statistics that allow researchers to make inferences about a population based on a sample.

Statistically significant

A result that is unlikely to have occurred by chance, typically with a p-value less than 0.05.

Effect size

A quantitative measure of the magnitude of a phenomenon.

Alpha level (p level)

The threshold for statistical significance, commonly set at 0.05.

Confidence interval

A range of values that is likely to contain the population parameter.