AP Psych 1.3: Studies and Experimentation

Overconfidence

Overconfidence

The tendency to think we know more than we actually do

Critical Thinking

Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions, but rather examines assumptions, finds hidden values, and evaluates evidence

Theory

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

Hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory.

Operational Definition

A statement of procedures (operations) used to define research variables (ex. IQ to define intelligence)

Replication

Repeating an experiment in order to compare results and figure out that the actual experiment was the correct answer, as well as whether the basic finding generalizes to other participants and circumstances.

Experimentation

An investigator manipulates one or more variables to observe their effect (i.e. on a mental process or behavior - a dependent variable)

Independent Variable

Whatever is being manipulated in an experiment, which hopefully brings about change.

Dependent Variable

Whatever is being measured in the experiment

Confounding Variables

Anything that can influence or compromise the results of the experiment are the confounding variables.

Descriptive Studies

Case studies, surveys, naturalistic observations

Case Study

A study of one or more individuals in depth in hope of gaining information and learning things that hold true about us all

Survey

A technique used for finding the behavior or attitude of people, which is self reported

Naturalistic Observation

Observing and recording behavior in settings that are natural to the subjects without trying to change anything about the circumstances

Hawthorne Effect

Knowing they are in an experiment will change their performance either way

False Consensus Effect

We have a tendency to overestimate how much others share our beliefs or thoughts

Placebo Effect

The belief that a person is on the real drug, and even though they aren’t truly on the drug, experience the effects that are from the active agent. Can act as a confounding variable.

Population

All the cases in a group from which samples are drawn from during a study or similar experiment

Sample

The people chosen from a population to be studied

Experimental Condition

The condition that exposes participants to one version of the independent variable

Control Condition

The condition that contracts with the experimental condition, and serves as a comparison to evaluate the experiment’s effects.

Random Assignment

Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance

Placebo

An inert substance or condition that is put into an experiment that is administered in place of an active agent, with the intent to see if it triggers the effect that characterizes the active agent.

Blind procedures

Participants are unaware of which group they are in- experimental or control.

Double blind procedures

Nobody, neither the participants or research staff, know which participants are in which groups, which is commonly used in drug evaluation studies.

Correlational Study

Examines relationships between two variables, but does not prove causation

Central Tendency

Mean, median, and mode are all measures of ______ ________.

P-Value

The probability that results from an experiment are due to chance and not the experimental conditions.