AP Psych Vocab Quiz #2 (Unit 0)

Words #37-65

Generalizing

the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses

Experimental Group

in an experiment, the group exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable

Control Group

in an experiment, the group not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of treatment

Placebo

a substance with no known medical effects like sterile water or a sugar pill. a fake treatment that in some cases can produce a very real result

Placebo Effect

experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by inactive substance, receiver asummes it’s active

Single-Blind Study

a procedure in which the subjects do not know whether they are in the experiment or control group (while the researchers are aware)

Double-Blind Study

a procedure where both the participants and researchers are ignorant about whether the participants received the treatment or a placebo

Experimenter Bias

when researchers influence the results of an experiment to portray a certain outcome

Social Desirability Bias

cognitive bias where people respond to questioning in ways that make them seem more favorable or appealing to others

Qualitative Research/Measures

refers to a study in which the scientist collects non-numerical data, no right or wrong answers

Structured Interviews

data-gathering method that involves a standard set of questions asked in the same manner and order, usually results in a higher response rate

Quantitative Research/Measures

refers to a study in which the scientists collects more numerical type of data that can be presented in graph form

Likert scales

type of rating scale used to measure attitudes towards a statement or subject (typically a spectrum of responses)

Representation of Participants

refers to how accurately the participants in a study reflect that larger population from which they are drawn

Peer Review

where work and actions are examined and reviewed by a group of individuals that have credentials equivalent to the individual whose work is being reviewed

Replication

repeating essence of a research study, usually with different participants and situations, to see whether the basic findings can be reproduced

Scatterplot

graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents values of 2 variables; slope suggest direction of relationship, amount of scatter suggests strength

Correlation Coefficient

statistical index of the relationship between 2 things (from -1.00 to +1.00)

Effect Sizes

refers to a measure of the strength of the relationship between two variables, indicating the magnitude of an observed effect

Statistical Significance

a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance

Directionality Problem (in correlation)

the situation in which it is known that 2 variables are related although it is not known which is that cause and which is the effect

Third Variable Problem (in correlation)

an observed correlation between 2 variables may be due to the common correlation between each of the variables and a third variable rather than any underlying relationship of the 2 variables with each other

Institutional Review Board

refers to the process where research proposals are evaluated to ensure ethical standards and participant safety are upheld in psychological studies

Informed Consent

giving potential participants enough info about a study to enable them to choose whether or not they wish to participate

Informed Assent

a process through which minors (considered to be a vulnerable population) agree to participate in clinical trials

Protection from Harm

subjects must be kept free from physical and mental harm at all times; psychologists have an ethical responsibility to ensure the safety of participants

Confidentiality

a part of the ethical guidelines of psychologists, means that info between a patient and a therapist cannot be shared with anyone

Deception

refers to misleading or tricking participants about the purpose or direction of the study, results could possibly be influenced if participants know

Debriefing

the post-experimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants