ap psych unit 1 vocabulary

Naturalistic Observation

Observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate or control the situations.

Self-Report Bias

Participants can try to affect the outcome of the research and/or be unrealistic about themselves.

Sampling Bias

Tendency for researchers to target their participants to increase the likelihood of proving their hypothesis.

Wording Effects

How questions are worded can skew responses.

Population

Group that research is meant to apply to.

Sample

A variety of people from the population used as participants for research.

Representative/Random Sample

Participants chosen fairly to represent a population.

Correlation

Naturalistic observations and surveys often show us that one trait or behavior tends to coincide with another.

Positive Correlation

The variables trend in the same direction; e.g., the more you study, the higher your grade.

Quantitative Research

Method that relies on and supplies numerical data.

Qualitative Research

Method that relies on in-depth narrative analysis that cannot be translated into numerical data.

Informed Consent

Giving potential participants enough information about the study to enable them to choose whether or not to participate.

Debriefing

Explanation of a study, including the post-experimental explanation of its purpose and any deception.

Mean

Average.

Median

The number that falls in the middle numerically.

Mode

The number that occurs most frequently.

Range

Distance from highest to lowest scores.

Standard Deviation

The average distance from the mean for a set of scores.

Inferential Statistics

Numerical data that allow one to generalize/infer from sample data the probability of something being true of a population.

Statistical Significance

The degree to which you are sure that the dependent variable was a result of exposure to the independent variable.

Scientific Attitude

Curiosity, skepticism, and humility prepare us to think harder and smarter.

Critical Thinking

Examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns hidden biases, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.

Hindsight Bias

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

Overconfidence

The tendency to overestimate your knowledge and/or ability.

Illusory Correlation

The tendency to believe that variables have a relationship where none exists.

The Scientific Method

Observe, develop theory, hypothesis, experiment, evaluate results, modify theory, replicate.

Descriptive Research Methods

Describe behaviors, often using case studies, surveys, or naturalistic observations.

Correlational Research Methods

Associate different factors or variables.

Experimental Research Methods

Manipulate variables to establish cause-and-effect relationships.

Case Study

Descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles.

Effect Size

The strength of the relationship between variables.

Behavior Perspective

Observable events, rewards, and punishments shape behavior through conditioning.

Psychoanalytical Perspective

Unconscious motives and experiences in early childhood govern personality and mental disorders.

Humanistic Perspective

Unique aspects of human experience.

Cognitive Perspective

Examining how people acquire, store, and process information; interpretation of others' actions shapes behavior.

Biological Perspective

An organism's functioning can be explained in terms of the bodily structures and biochemical processes that underlie behavior.

Evolutionary Perspective

Behavior patterns have evolved to solve adaptive problems; natural selection favors behaviors that enhance reproductive success.

Socio-Cultural Perspective

Higher order functions develop out of social interaction.

Basic Research

To expand the general knowledge base.

Applied Research

To solve a specific psychological problem.

Clinical Research

To solve issues involved with psychological disorders.

Negative Correlation

The variables trend in opposite directions; e.g., the less you study, the worse your grade.

Experiments

A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or two factors.

Hypothesis

A prediction about the relationship between variables.

Independent Variable

Factors that are manipulated or controlled by the researcher.

Dependent Variable

Factors that are measured or observed by the researcher.

Experimental Group

Participants that receive the manipulated variables.

Control Group

Participants that do not receive manipulated variables.

Random Assignment

Participants have equal chance of being in the experiment or control group to help the researcher control or overcome other relevant factors.

Single-Blind Study

Participants don't know which group they're in, but the researcher does.

Double-Blind Study

An experimental procedure in which both the researcher staff and participants are ignorant of which group has received the placebo, to prevent bias.

Placebo

Inert substance that is in place of independent variable in control group so participants do not know they are in control group.

survey

technique used to obtain self-reported attitudes and behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning the group

social desirability bias

tendency for people to provide answers that may be dishonest because they are seeking approval and/or want to highlight their character strengths

psychometrics

refers to specialized fields within psychology and education devoted to testing, measurement, assessment and related activities

biological psychology

studies biological influences on behavior

developmental psychology

studies the physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

cognitive psychology

studies how we encode, store, and retrieve information

educational psychology

studying influences of teaching and learning

social psychology

scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to others