0.5 Techniques AP PSYCH

experimental group

participants in experimental group are exposed to indepdent variable and observes effect on dependent variable

control group

group of participants assigned, not received any special study intervention

random assignment

a technique used to assign participants to different groups in a study, ensuring that each participant has an equal chance of being placed in any group. This helps to minimize biases and ensures that the groups are comparable.

placebo effect

the phenomenon in which participants experience improvements in their condition simply because they believe they are receiving treatment, even if the treatment is inactive.

experimenter bias

a form of bias that occurs when a researcher's expectations or preferences about the outcome of a study influence the results, often leading to flawed conclusions.

single blind study

a research design in which the participants are unaware of which group they belong to, but the experimenters know, helping to reduce bias from participants' expectations.

double blind study

a research design in which both the participants and researchers are unaware of which participants receive the treatment or placebo, reducing bias.

placebo condition

a control group in which participants receive a treatment that has no therapeutic effect, allowing researchers to compare results with those receiving the actual treatment.

sample

a subset of a population selected for research or analysis, representing the larger group from which it is drawn.

representative sample

a subgroup of a population that accurately reflects the characteristics of the larger group, allowing for generalizations of research findings.

random sample

a sampling method where every individual in a population has an equal chance of being selected, minimizing bias and ensuring diversity within the sample.

sample bias

the error that occurs when a sample is not representative of the population from which it is drawn, leading to skewed or inaccurate results.

generalizability

the extent to which research findings obtain from sample can be applied, generalized to larger population, reflects degree of confidence researchers have in extending their conclusions beyond specific individual case studied