Unit 0 AP Psych *all modules

hindsight bias

the “I-know-it-all-phenomenon” is the belief that a person would already know the outcome of a situation, only after it has been revealed

peer reviewers

scientific experts who use their knowledge to evaluate the accuracy, theory, and originality of a research article

hypothesis

a prediction that can be tested, procured from a theory

falsifiable

whether or not a theory or hypothesis can be proven wrong by testing or observation

operational definition

a statement carefully worded to explain the exact procedure used in a research study so that other may repeat it in a different environment

replication

repeating a research study in a different environment, but following the same procedure as others before. generally done with different people in different situations to test if the original findings can be replicated

case study

a technique that is non-experimental which studies in depth a certain individual or group of people with the hope of revealing a larger universal principle

naturalistic observation

a non-experimental way of observing and recording data without manipulating a situation, and simply recording the naturally occurring situation, that is used to describe behaviors

survey

a non-experimental way of collecting data that is self-reported through questioning of individuals, typically using questionnaires or interviews to gather information about attitudes, opinions, or behaviors.

social desirability bias

when people choose to respond in a way that they believe they should, or how researchers might want them to

self-reported bias

when people choose to report themselves and their behaviors inaccurately

sampling bias

sample of people that is non-representative of all groups of people

random sample

a sample of people that includes a random spectrum of people, giving a higher chance of an inclusive group of people

population

all people in a group who are being randomly selected to be sampled

correlation

measure of how factors vary between each other, and how well each factor predicts the other

correlation coefficient

statistical index of +1.00 (positive) to -1.00 (negative) between two variables

scatterplot

a cluster of dots graphed, each representing the value of two variables. the slope shows the direct relationship with the two variables. the strength of coordination is shown through the amount of scatter. (lower scatter indicates high correlation)

regression towards the mean

the tendency for out of the ordinary or extreme results or scores to fall back (regress) to the average

experiment

a way of researching which investigators manipulate different factors (independent variables) to watch the effects on some behaviors (dependent variable). by using a random assortment of participants, the investigator aims to control other relevant faactors

experimental group

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

control group

the group in an experiment that is not exposed to the treatment, and serves as a comparison between the experimental group to evaluate the effects of the treatment

random assignment

assigning random people to experimental and control groups in order to minimize any pre-existing differences between the groups

single-blind procedure

an experiment method in which the participants are blind to whether or not they received the treatment or a placeholder

double-blind precedure

an experiment method in which both the participants and the researcher are blind to who is and who is not receiving the treatment. often used in drug-evolution studies

placebo effect

experimental results caused out of expectations. ex. decaf coffee drinkers reporting feeling refreshed and more awake after drinking coffee believed to be caffeinated, when in actuality it was decaf

independent variable

the factor in an experiment that is being manipulated. it is the variable whose effect is being studied

confounding variable

a factor other than one being manipulated that may affect the test results

experimenter bias

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

dependent variable

the variable in a test that may change when the independent variable is manipulated; the outcome that is measured

quantitative research

research method that uses and relies on numerical data that is quantifiable

qualitative research

research method that relies on narrative data that is in-depth and that is not translated into numbers

informed consent

giving potential participants enough information about a procedure to let them choose whether or not they want to do it

debrief

explaining the study to participants once it is finished, including the purpose and any deceptions

mode

most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution

mean

the average of a distribution, gotten by adding all the scores and then dividing by the number of scores

median

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

percentile rank

the percentage of scores that are lower than the given score

skewed distribution

representation of scores that lack symmetry around the average value

range

difference between the highest and lowest scores in distribution

standard deviation

computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score

normal curve (normal distribution)

symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many different types of data; most scores are near the mean (about 68 percent fall within one standard deviation of it) and less and less scores lie near the extremes

statistical significance

statistical statement of how likely it is that a result occurred by chance, assuming there is no difference between the populations being studied

effect size

strength of the relationship between two variables. the larger the effect size, the more one variable can be explained by the other