ap psych- unit 1; research methods

behaviorism

• Most psychologists today agree 1. with but not with 2.

1) Should be an objective science that (2) studies Behavior w/o reference to mental processes.

humanistic psychology

perspective that emphasize human growth potential

cognitive psychology

The study of mental processes, ie: when we perceive, learn, remember, think, communicate, and solve problems 

PLRTCS

natural selection

a principle where the organism that survive and reproduce in the environment would be passed on

hindsight bias

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

hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by Theory

operational def

• ex: Human intelligence may be operationally defined as  what an intelligence  test measures. 

A precise statement of how a variable is measured or manipulated in a study

replication

• , usually with diff participants in diff situations,

Repeating the experiment to see whether the basic finding can be reproduced 

case study

A technique where one individual or grp is studied in depth in the hope of revealing Universal principles 

naturalistic obsv

the technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations w/o manipulating or controlling the situation 

survey

A technique to obtain self-reported attitudes/behavior of a particular grp by questioning (w/ random sampling)

sampling bias

• A flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample 

population

• all those in a group being studied from which samples can be drawn

random sample

• fairly represents a population bc each member has equal chance of inclusion 

correlation

two factors correlates (vary) together which allows either factor to predict each other

correlation coefficient

• A statistical index of the relationship between two things (from -1.00 to +1.00) 

scatterplot

• the slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between the two variable.  the amount of scatter suggests the strength of the correlation. 

A graph cluster of thoughts, each of which represents the values of two variables. 

illusory correlation

• Perceiving a relationship where none exists, or perceiving a stronger than actual relationship

biopsychosocial approach

approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social cultural viewpoints

behavioral psychology

• The scientific study of observable behavior and its explanation by principles of learning

biological psychology

• The scientific study of the links between biological ( genetics, neural, hormonal)  and a psychological processes. 

experimental group

• .The group exposed to the treatment (one ver of the IV)

control group

• The group not exposed to the treatment 

random assignment

Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance which minimizes pre-existing differences in the grp

double-blind procedure

• Both research participants and research staff are ignorant (blind)  about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. 

this is where both the experimenter and participants don’t know who is the control grp or the experiment grp

placebo effect

• any effect on Behavior caused by the administration of an inner substance or condition, which the recipients assume is an active agent. 

Experimental results caused by expectations alone; 

IV

the factor that is being manipulated ; the effect is being studied

confounding variable

• A factor other than the factor being studied that might influence a study's result

dependent variable

• The outcome that is measured,  the variable may change when the independent variable is manipulated. 

descriptive stats

• includes measures of central tendency and measures of variation

Numerical data used to measure and describe characteristics of grps.

mode

• The most frequently occurring scores in the distribution

mean

• The arithmetic average of a distribution,  obtained by adding the scores and then dividing it by the number of scores

median

•  the middle score in a distribution;  half the scores are above it and half are below

skewed distribution

• A representation of scores that lack symmetry around their average value

range

• The difference between the highest and the lowest score in a distribution

standard deviation

• A computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean  score

evolutionary psychology

• The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection 

psychodynamic psychology

• and uses that info to treat people with psychological disorders

• Studies how unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior

human factors psychology

• explores how people and machines interact

• how machines and physical environment can be made safe and easy to use 

normal curve

• A symmetrical bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many types of data; 

• most scores fall near the mean and fewer and fewer near the extreme

inferential stats

• Numerical data that allow one to generalize/infer the prob of smth being true of a pop

statistical significance

• . A statistical statement of How likely it is that an obtain result occurred by chance 

informal consent

• Giving potential participants info abt a study where they can choose if they want to participate

debriefing

• The post experimental explanation of a study including its purpose and any deception to its participants 

falsifiability

the possibility that a hypothesis, assertion, or theory can be false through an experiment or observation

convenience sample

sampling participants near reseracher’s area bc it’s easiect for reseracher to access

social desirability bias

the tendency of survey respondents answering favorable responses

Likert scale

• a rating scale used to measure opinions, attitudes, or behaviors. (OAB)

self report bias

• A type of measurement error that can occur in any context where random/systematic misreporting is conceivable 

error that occur where random/systematic misreporting happens

third variable / directionality problem

a confounding variable that affects both variables to makes em’ seem casually related when they aren’t

quantitative

number, can be counted, data driven

qualitative

• Personal account/  observable account that shows how people think and act in society

Gambler’s Fallacy

• a mistaken belief about sequences of random events

• (the belief that the chances of smth happening with a fixed prob become higher or lower as the process is repeated)

Bimodal distribution

distribution that has 2 peaks/humps that represents 2 diff concentration of values

meta-analysis

stats method that combines data from many studies to examine the effectiveness of treatments & gain better understanding of complex phenomena

practical significance

study result has meaningful applications in the real-world