Psych 105 study guide

Perception of reality

Influenced by individual experiences, beliefs, and emotions; subjective interpretation of sensory information.

Goals of personal belief system

To provide a framework for understanding the world, make sense of experiences, reduce uncertainty, and guide decision-making.

Cognitive biases

Systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, influencing personal beliefs.

Confirmation bias

The tendency to focus on information that supports existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence.

Empirical testing

Collection of objective evidence through observation and experimentation.

Systematic testing

Structured and repeatable methods to evaluate hypotheses ensuring reliability and validity.

Objective evidence

Unbiased, observable, and measurable data crucial for reliable conclusions.

Scientific breakthrough myth

The belief that science progresses through sudden discoveries rather than gradual accumulation of knowledge.

Falsifiability

The principle that a hypothesis must be testable and potentially proven wrong.

Principle of convergence

Multiple independent studies should arrive at the same conclusion, increasing confidence in findings.

Constructs

Abstract concepts like intelligence or stress that are studied through measurable variables.

Independent variable

The factor manipulated in an experiment.

Dependent variable

The outcome measured in response to the manipulation.

Operational definitions

Clear, precise ways of defining and measuring constructs in research.

Self-report methods

Techniques like surveys and interviews where individuals provide their own responses.

Reliability

The consistency of results across multiple tests or measurements.

Validity

The accuracy of what a test or method measures.

Correlation

Indicates the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables.

Causation criteria

Presence, precedence, and strength are needed to establish that one variable causes changes in another.

Control group

A group in an experiment that does not receive the intervention.

Experimental group

A group in an experiment that receives the intervention.

Internal validity

The extent to which an experiment accurately establishes a cause-and-effect relationship.

External validity

The extent to which study findings can be generalized to real-world settings.

Confounding factors

Variables that can interfere with the results and lead to incorrect conclusions.

Random assignment

A method to distribute participant characteristics evenly across groups.

Placebo effect

When participants experience a change due to their beliefs rather than the treatment.

Generalizability

The ability to apply findings from a study to other populations or settings.

Converging evidence

Multiple studies produce consistent results, increasing confidence in scientific findings.