Ap Psych Unit 0: Scientific Practices Vocab

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from research methods and statistics in psychology.

Critical Thinking

A way of evaluating information by considering evidence, analyzing assumptions, examining biases, and assessing conclusions rather than blindly accepting arguments.

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it.

Peer Reviewers

Experts in a field who evaluate research studies before publication to ensure accuracy, validity, and reliability.

Theory

An explanation using principles that organize observations and predict behaviors or events.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction derived from a theory.

Falsifiable

The ability of a hypothesis or theory to be proven wrong through empirical testing.

Operational Definition

A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a research study to define variables precisely.

Replication

Repeating a research study with different participants and circumstances to determine if the findings are consistent.

Case Study

An in-depth examination of an individual or small group to reveal universal principles.

Naturalistic Observation

Observing and recording behavior in a natural setting without interfering.

Survey

A research method that gathers self-reported attitudes, behaviors, or opinions from a large sample.

Social Desirability Bias

The tendency for participants to respond in a way that makes them look better rather than truthfully.

Self-Report Bias

Distortion in research results caused by participants misrepresenting themselves, often unintentionally.

Sampling Bias

A flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample.

Random Sample

A sample that fairly represents a population because each individual has an equal chance of being selected.

Population

The entire group of individuals a researcher is interested in studying.

Correlation

A measure of the relationship between two variables and how well one predicts the other.

Correlation Coefficient

A statistical measure (ranging from -1 to +1) that describes the strength and direction of a correlation.

Variable

Any factor in an experiment that can change.

Scatterplot

A graph with dots representing values of two variables, showing patterns of correlation.

Illusory Correlation

The perception of a relationship between two variables when none actually exists.

Regression Toward the Mean

The tendency for extreme scores or events to return to the average over time.

Experiment

A research method where variables are manipulated to observe their effect on behavior or mental processes.

Experimental Group

The group exposed to the independent variable in an experiment.

Control Group

The group not exposed to the independent variable; used for comparison.

Random Assignment

Assigning participants to experimental or control groups by chance to minimize pre-existing differences.

Single-Blind Procedure

A study in which participants do not know whether they are in the experimental or control group.

Double-Blind Procedure

A study in which neither the participants nor the experimenters know who is in the experimental or control group.

Placebo Effect

When participants experience effects due to their expectations rather than the treatment itself.

Independent Variable (IV)

The factor in an experiment that is manipulated.

Confounding Variable

An outside factor that might affect the dependent variable.

Experimenter Bias

When a researcher's expectations unintentionally influence the results.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The outcome factor in an experiment that is measured.

Validity

The extent to which a test or experiment measures what it is supposed to measure.

Quantitative Research

Research that collects numerical data to analyze statistically.

Qualitative Research

Research that gathers non-numerical data to understand experiences.

Informed Consent

A participant’s agreement to take part in research after being informed of potential risks and benefits.

Debriefing

Explaining the purpose of the study and any deception to participants after the experiment is over.

Descriptive Statistics

Statistical methods that summarize and organize data, such as mean, median, and mode.

Histogram

A bar graph that shows frequency distributions of numerical data.

Mode

The most frequently occurring number in a data set.

Mean

The average of a set of numbers, found by adding them up and dividing by the total count.

Median

The middle score in a ranked data set.

Percentile Rank

The percentage of scores in a distribution that fall below a specific score.

Skewed Distribution

A data distribution that is asymmetrical, either heavily weighted toward the high or low end.

Range

The difference between the highest and lowest scores in a data set.

Standard Deviation

A measure of how much scores vary around the mean.

Normal Curve (Bell Curve)

A symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many types of data.

Inferential Statistics

Statistical methods that determine whether findings can be generalized to a larger population.

Meta-Analysis

A statistical method that combines the results of multiple studies to determine overall trends.

Statistical Significance (p-value)

A measure of whether results are likely due to chance.

Effect Size

A measure of the strength of the relationship between two variables.