Unit 1_ Scientific Foundations of Psychology Part 2

Hindsight Bias

The belief that one could have foreseen the outcome of an event, leading to a distorted view of past events and decisions.

Effect Size

A quantitative measure of the strength of a phenomenon or the magnitude of a difference between groups, indicating practical significance.

Social Desirability Bias

The tendency of respondents to answer questions in a manner that will be viewed favorably by others.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses.

Falsifiable Hypothesis

A statement that can be proven wrong through observation or experimentation.

Representative Sample

A sample of a population that accurately reflects the characteristics of that population.

Independent Variable

The variable manipulated or changed in an experiment to observe its effects on the dependent variable.

Overconfidence

The tendency for individuals to have excessive confidence in their answers or beliefs, leading to overestimation of abilities.

Dependent Variable

The variable measured or observed in an experiment to assess the effect of the independent variable.

Double-blind Procedure

A research design in which neither the participants nor the experimenters know who is receiving a particular treatment.

Third Variable Problem

A correlation between two variables that is caused by a third variable.

Single-blind Procedure

A research design in which participants do not know whether they are receiving the treatment or a placebo.

Operational Definition

The procedures and criteria used to measure or assess a variable, allowing for empirical validation.

Qualitative Research

Research focusing on understanding concepts, thoughts, or experiences through non-numerical data.

Self-report Bias

The tendency of individuals to provide inaccurate or misleading information about themselves in surveys or assessments.

Quantitative Research

Research focused on measuring and analyzing numerical data to understand patterns, relationships, or trends.

Generalizability

The extent to which research findings can be applied to settings, populations, or situations beyond the specific study context.

Case Study Method

An in-depth examination of a single individual, group, or event to gather detailed qualitative data.

Reliability

The ability to consistently find similar results when a test is repeatedly administered under similar conditions.

Convenience Sampling

A non-probability sampling method where the sample is selected based on its accessibility and proximity to the researcher.

Statistical Significance

A term indicating whether the difference between groups is likely due to chance or experimental influences.

Meta-Analysis

A statistical technique used to combine and analyze results from multiple independent studies on the same topic.

Standard Deviation

A measure of dispersion or scatter in a data set relative to the central mean value.