unit 1 ap psych

What is Psychology?

The science of behavior and mental processes.

What are Psychology's main concerns?

Describing and explaining of states of consciousness, thinking, feeling, perceiving, learning, remembering, and biological activities

What is Theory?

An idea or explanation for something that is based on known facts but has not yet been proved.

What is Hypothesis?

Testable prediction, often implied by a theory.

What is Psychology?

The science of behavior and mental processes.

What are Psychology's main concerns?

Describing and explaining of states of consciousness, thinking, feeling, perceiving, learning, remembering, and biological activities

What is Theory?

An idea or explanation for something that is based on known facts but has not yet been proved.

What is Hypothesis?

Testable prediction, often implied by a theory.

What is Replication?

Repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances.

What is a Survey?

a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group

What is Naturalistic Observation?

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

What is a Case Study?

An observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

What is a Population?

All those in a group being studied, from which samples may be drawn.

What is a Random Sample?

A sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion.

What is the Placebo Effect?

Experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which is assumed to be an active agent.

What is a Double-Blind Procedure?

An experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo.

What is the Experimental Group?

The group that is exposed to the treatment; that is, to one version of the independent variable.

What is the Control Group?

The group that is not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment

What is Random Assignment?

Assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups.

What is the Independent Variable?

The variable whose effect is being studied

What is the Dependent Variable?

The variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable.

What is Mode?

The most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution.

What is Mean?

a measure of central tendency computed by the sum of all the values in a distribution divided