AP Psychology - Perspective, Biases, and Research Methods

Behavioral Perspective

focuses on observable behavior; claim that all behavior is dictated by external factors

Cognitive Perspective

focuses on the internal mental processes that underpin behavior; how feelings and thoughts impact decision-making

Psychodynamic Perspective

claims that behavior and mental processes are determined by unconscious stuff and childhood experiences

Humanistic Perspective

focuses on the idea that people strive to be the best version of themselves and do things that help them achieve that; wholistic view of the human experience

Biological Perspective

focuses on the underlying biology of behavior and thought (genetics, brain, nervous system); everything is reducible to chemical processes

Evolutionary Perspective

states that behavior ad mental processes exist because they were once a benefit for survival

Sociocultural Perspective

focuses on understanding thought processes and behavior in a social & cultural context

Cognitive Biases

a mistake in thinking; the use of shortcuts to answer questions or make judgements

Overconfidence

overestimating one’s ability to complete a task or know something

Hindsight Biases

only look at evidence the supports one’s belief and ignore counter-claims

Independent Variable (IV)

the thing the researcher manipulates or changes

Dependent Variable (DV)

the thing being measured; influenced by the IV

Random Sampling

every member of the population has an equal chance of being a selected participant

Non-Experimental Methodology

research methods that observe and record behavior with manipulating variable; can’t establish cause-and-effect relationships

Case Study

an in-depth study of an individual, group, or event; uses multiple method to get information

Correlation Study

interprets the relationship between two or more variables

Meta-Analysis Study

a technique where one looks at lots of existing studies to make conclusions; measures overall trends by aggregating results

Naturalistic Observation

observe people in their ‘natural’ environment in the real world; lack interferences and manipulation

Falsifiable Hypothesis

a testable prediction that can be proven false

Operational Definition

the specific measurable definition of the variable; makes replicating an experiment easier

Replication

people redo the study to ensure its results are correct

Confounding Variable

outside factors that might skew or change the outcome; unaccounted for variables

Sample

a subset of the population being studied; intended to represent the entire population

Population

the entire community or group the experiment is interested in studying

Representative Sample

a sample that accurately reflects the composition of the population

Convenience Sampling

the collection of participants in a fashion that is convenient for the researcher

Sampling Bias

a certain group of characteristics of the population is either under or overrepresented in a sample

Generalized

a study’s finding are applied to a wide range of people or groups; sometimes

Experimental Group

the group that is manipulated by the independent variable

Control Group

the group where no variables are manipulated

Random Assignment

people from the sample have an equal chance of being in either the control or experimental group

Placebo Effect

people change their behavior because they believe that are getting the treatment

Placebo

fake treatment or manipulation

Single-Blind Study

participants do not know which group they’re in

Double-Blind Study

participants and the researchers don’t know what group people are in

Experimenter Bias

the psychologist’s behavior impact the study’s outcome; often not intentional

Social Desirability Bias

participants ten to tell the researcher what they want to hear or tend to say what is ‘socially acceptable’

Qualitative Research

focuses on understanding concepts, opinions, or experiences rather than numerical data

Structured Interviews

interviews where researchers ask a predetermined set of questions in a fixed order to all participants

Quantitative Research

tests theories about people’s attitudes and behaviors based on numerical and statistical evidence

Likert Scales

a psychological scale that measures opinions, attitudes and behaviors

Directionality Problem

the direction of the relationships between the cause-and-effect is unknown or not shown

Self-Report Bias

when participants prove inaccurate or false data about themselves

Peer Review

the evaluation of a study by other experts in the same field

Institutional Review

a board that reviews research proposals to ensure ethical standards are met

Ethics in Research

principles that guide researchers to conduct a study responsibly and ethically

Informed Consent/Assent

obtaining voluntary agreement from participants after providing them with all relevant information

Protection from Harm

ensures participants with not be exposed to unnecessary risk

Confidentiality/Anonymity

obligation to protect a participant’s personal information

Deception (Confederates

researchers are allow to decieve if it is a necessary part of an experiment

Debrief

informing participants about the true nature of the experiment once it is complete