AP Psyc unit 0

Psychology as a science

is the systematic study of behavior and mental processes through observation and experimentation.

Three traits

Humble, curios, skeptical

critical thinking

is the ability to analyze information objectively, evaluate evidence, and make reasoned conclusions.

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it (i-knew-it-all-along phenomenon)

Overconfidence

Confidence>correct

Perceive patterns of in random events

Look for meaningful connections in random data

Why common-sense thinking is flawed

Hindsight bias, overconfidence, and perceiving patterns in random events

Peer reviewers

Scientific experts who evaluate a research articles theory, originality and accuracy

Theory

An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

Falsifiable

The possibility that an idea, hypothesis, or theory can be disproven by observation or experiment

Operational Definition

A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures (operations) users in a research study

Replication

Repeating the essence of a research study, tally with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic findings can be reproduced

Non-experimental

Independent variable not manipulated

Case study

A non-experimental technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hopes of receiving universal principles

Naturalistic observation

A non-experimental technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without tying to manipulate and control the situation

Survey

A non-experimental technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes of behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group

Social desirability bias

Bias from peoples responding in ways they presume a research expects or wishes

Self-report bias

Bias when people report their behavior inaccurately

Sampling bias

A flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample

Random sample

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

Population (beside national study, not a country’s population)

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