Unit 0 - APPsych Vocab

Vocabulary flashcards for psychology terms of Unit 0

Psychology

The science that studies mind and behavior.

Hindsight Bias

Tendency to see events as having been predictable after they occur.

Overconfidence

Talling overestimating one’s own accuracy or abilities.

Confirmation Bias

Tendency to notice or interpret information that confirms one’s preconceptions.

Evolutionary Perspective

An approach explaining behavior through natural selection and adaptation.

Psychodynamic Perspective

An approach emphasizing unconscious processes and early life experiences.

Biological Perspective

An approach focusing on biology—genetics, brain, hormones—in behavior.

Behavioral Perspective

An approach that studies observable behavior and learning through conditioning.

Cognitive Perspective

An approach focused on mental processes like thinking, memory, and problem solving.

Social-Cultural Perspective

An approach highlighting social and cultural influences on behavior.

Humanistic Perspective

An approach emphasizing human potential and personal growth.

Biopsychosocial Perspective

An integrated view that includes biological, psychological, and social factors.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction about a relationship between variables.

Population

The entire group of individuals or items of interest in a study.

Random Sample

A sample chosen by chance to represent the population.

Falsifiable

Capable of being proven false by evidence.

Sample

A subset of the population used in a study.

Peer Review

Evaluation of research by experts before publication.

Operational Definition

A precise, measurable definition of a variable.

Convenience Sample

A sample chosen for ease, not representativeness.

Replication

Repeating a study to verify results.

Reliability

Consistency of a measurement or assessment.

Representative Sample

A sample that reflects the population’s key characteristics.

Experimental Methodology

Research design involving manipulation and control of variables.

Naturalistic Observation

Watching behavior in a natural, unaltered setting.

Non-Experimental Methodologies

Methods that do not involve manipulating variables (e.g., surveys, observations).

Meta-Analysis

A statistical method that combines results from multiple studies.

Social Desirability Bias

Tendency to answer in a way that will be viewed favorably.

Case Study

In-depth analysis of a single case or small group.

Survey

Questionnaires or interviews used to collect self-report data.

Quantitative Measurement

Data that are numerical and can be analyzed statistically.

Likert Scales

Ordered response scales (e.g., 1–5) used to measure attitudes.

Correlational Study

Study examining the relationship between variables without inferring causation.

Self-Report Bias

Distortions in participants’ self-reported information.

Qualitative Measurement

Data describing qualities or characteristics non-numerically.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction about a relationship between variables.

Experimental Group

The group exposed to the experimental manipulation.

Single-Blind Procedure

Participants are unaware of condition; researchers may know.

Independent Variable

The variable deliberately changed or manipulated by researchers.

Operational Definition

A variable defined by the specific measurement procedure.

Double-Blind Procedure

Neither participants nor researchers know which condition is applied.

Dependent Variable

The outcome measured to assess the effect of manipulation.

Confounding Variable

An extraneous variable that may influence the results.

Placebo

An inert treatment used to control for expectancy effects.

Control Group

Group not exposed to the experimental manipulation.

Random Assignment

Randomly placing participants into groups to ensure equivalence.

Placebo Effect

Improvement due to belief in treatment rather than the treatment itself.

Experimenter Bias

Researcher expectations influence results in unintended ways.

Correlation

A statistical association between two variables.

Positive vs Negative

Direction of a correlation: positive means variables rise together; negative means they move in opposite directions.

Scatterplots

Graph of data points showing the relationship between two variables.

Correlation Coefficients

Numbers (like r) that quantify the strength and direction of a relationship.

Third Variable Problem

Another variable may cause the observed correlation.

Illusory Correlation

Belief in a relationship that doesn’t actually exist.

Directionality Problem

Difficulty determining which variable causes the other in a correlation.

Measures of Central Tendency

Mean, median, and mode describe the center of a data set.

Normal Curve

Bell-shaped distribution representing many natural phenomena.

Mean

Arithmetic average of a set of numbers.

Skewed Distribution

Asymmetric distribution with a longer tail on one side.

Bimodal Distribution

Distribution with two distinct peaks or modes.

Median

Middle value in an ordered data set.

Range

Difference between highest and lowest scores.

Regression Toward the Mean

Extreme scores tend to move closer to the average on retesting.

Mode

Most frequently occurring value.

Measures of Variation

Statistics describing dispersion: range, variance, standard deviation.

Standard Deviation

Average distance of scores from the mean.

Percentile Rank

Percentage of scores at or below a given value.

Statistical Significance

Finding unlikely due to chance, suggesting a real effect.

Generalizability

Extent findings apply to other populations, settings, or times.

Effect Size

Magnitude of an effect or difference, independent of sample size.

Institutional Review Board

Committee that reviews research ethics and safety.

Protection from Harm

Ethical principle to minimize risk to participants.

Informed Consent

Participants agree to take part after understanding procedures and risks.

Debriefing

Post-study explanation of purpose and outcomes; disclose deception if used.

Avoiding Deceit

Ethical guideline to minimize deception or reveal it when necessary.

Informed Assent

Minor’s agreement to participate, with parental consent and child assent.

Research Confederates

People secretly working with the researcher to influence participants.

Confidentiality

Keeping participant data private and secure.