Unit 0 Terms

Hindsight Bias

Tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would’ve foreseen it

Hypothesis

Testable prediction, often implied by a theory

Operational Definition

Carefully worded statement of the exact procedure used in a research study

Control Group

In an experiment, the group NOT exposed to the treatment; serves as a comparison for evaluating effect of treatment

Case Study

Descriptive technique in which one individual/group is studied in depth in the hopes of revealing universal principles

Naturalistic Observation

Observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate/control the situation

Survey

Technique for ascertaining the self reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group

Social Desirability Bias

A type of response bias that occurs when survey respondents provide answers according to society’s expectations rather than their own beliefs/experiences

Sampling Bias

Collection of samples do not accurately represent the entire group; can lead to misleading results

Random Sample

When the group of subjects in an experiment accurately depicts the population

Illusory Correlation

The perception of a relationship where none exists

Random Assignment

Assigning participants to experimental & control groups by chance, minimizing preexisting differences between the different groups

Double Blind Procedure

Experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo

Placebo Effect

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

Dependent Variable

The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable

Independent Variable

The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied

Confounding Variable

A factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in the experiment

Experimenter Bias

Occurs when a researcher unconsciously affects the results/data in an experiment due to subjective influence

Informed Consent

Ethical principle that research participants be told enough 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

Mode

Most frequently occurring scores in a distribution

Median

Middle score in a distribution

Mean

Arithmetic average of a distribution

Correlation Coefficient

A statistical index of the relationship between two variables (ex: -1 to +1)