CHAP 1 MYERS- its not psych its stats

hindsight bias

the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one could have foreseen it

critical thinking

thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and asses conclusions

theory

an explanation using an integrated set of principals that organizes observations and predicts behaviors/events

hypothesis

a testable prediction, often implied by a theory

operational definition

a statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research variables. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as “what an intelligence test measures.”

replication

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

case study

an observation technique in which one person is studied in dept to reveal universal principals

naturalistic observation

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

survey

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

population

all cases in a group being studied, from which samples may be drawn

random sample

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

correlation

a measure of the extent to which 2 factors vary together, and thus of how well either predicts the other

correlation coefficient

a statistical index of the relationship between two things

scatter plot

a graphed cluster of dots, each one of which reps the values of 2 variables, the slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between the two variables. the amount of scatter suggests the strength of the correlation (little scatter=high correlation)

CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL

CAUSATION!!!!!!

experiment

a research method in which an investigator manipulates 1+ factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (dependent var). by random assignment of participants, the experimenter aims to control other relevant factors

experimental group

in an experiment, the group that is exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable

control group

in an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the treatment; contrasts the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment

random assignment

assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance- minimizes preexisting differences between those assigned to diff groups

double blind procedure

an experiment where both the research participants and staff dont know whether the research participants have received the treatment or the placebo

placebo effect

experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the inert substance/condition, which the recipient believes is an active agent

independent variable

the experimental factor that is manipulated; the var whose effect is being studied

confounding variable

a factor other than the independent var that might produce an effect

dependent variable

the outcome factor; the var that may change in response to manipulations of the independent var

research method: descriptive

observes and records behavior; but no control over variables

research method: correlational

to detect naturally occurring relationships; to asses how well one var predicts another (doesnt specify cause and effect)

research method: experimental

to explore cause and effect (sometimes not feasible; results may not generalize in other contexts; not ethical to manipulate some vars)

mode

the most frequently occurring scores in a distribution

mean

the arithmetic average of a distribution

median

the middle score in a distribution; half the scores above it and half below

range

the different between the highest and the lowest scores in a distribution

standard deviation

a computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score

normal curve

a symmetrical, bell shaped curve that describes the distribution of many types of data

statistical significance

a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance

culture

the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions transferred by a group of people and transmitted generation to generation

informed consent

an ethical principle that research participants be told enough to enable them to choose whether or not they want to participate

debriefing

the post experimental explanation of a study, of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions to whoever participated