Pt.1 Scientific Method

Peer Review

the evaluation of scientific or academic work, such as research or articles submitted to journals for publication, by other qualified professionals practicing in the same field

Theory

systems of ideas that can explain certain aspects of human thoughts, behaviors and emotions

Hypothesis

the predicted outcome of an experiment or an educated guess about the relationship between variables

Falsifiability

the condition of admitting falsification

Operational definition

defining a scientific concept by stating the specific actions or procedures used to measure it. For example, "hunger" might be defined as the "number of hours of food deprivation"

Replication

repeating the results of a study, proves results of original study to be more credible

Survey method

using questionnaires and surveys to poll large groups of people

Naturalistic observation

observing behavior as it unfolds in natural settings

Case studies

an in depth focus on all aspects of a single person

Meta-analysis

a quantitative technique for synthesizing the results of multiple studies of a phenomenon into a single result

Subjects

humans (also referred to as participants) or animals whose behavior is investigated in an experiment

Social desirability bias

tendency of individuals to present themselves in a manner that will be viewed favorably by others; in an experiment, the tendency of participants to give answers that are in accordance with social norms or the perceived desires of the researcher rather than genuinely representative of their views

Self report bias

a methodological problem that arises when researchers rely on asking people to describe their thoughts, feelings, or behaviors rather than measuring these directly and objectively (people may not give answers that are fully correct, either because they do not know the full answer or because they seek to make a good impression)

Experimenter bias/observer bias

the unconscious tendency for researchers to treat members of the experimental and control groups differently to increase the chance of confirming their hypothesis

Observer effects

changes in a person's behavior brought about by an awareness of being observed

Sample

a smaller subpart of a population

Population

an entire groups of animals or people belonging to a particular category

Representative sample

a small, randomly selected part of a larger population that accurately reflects characteristics of the whole population

Random sampling/selection

choosing a sample so that each member of the population has an equal chance of being included in the sample

Generalization

the ability to apply findings from a sample to the entire population
Convenience sampling

Sampling Bias

a systematic error involved in the choice of participants from a larger group (lack of random sampling)

Cognitive Biases

a systematic error in thinking, affecting how we process information, perceive others, and make decisions

Confirmation bias

the tendency to gather evidence that confirms preexisting expectations, typically by emphasizing or pursuing supporting evidence while dismissing or failing to seek contradictory evidence

Hindsight bias

tendency, after an event has occurred, to overestimate the extent to which the outcome could have been foreseen.

Overconfidence

cognitive bias characterized by an overestimation of one's actual ability to perform a task successfully

Framing

the process of defining the context or issues surrounding a question, problem, or event in a way that serves to influence how the context or issues are perceived and evaluated