AP Psych Unit 0 Terms/Vocab

From mods 0.2-0.6

Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic

The perspective that your childhood/unconscious mind influences your behavior. Represented by your thumb, like how children suck on their thumbs.

Cognitive

The perspective that our brain affects the way we think and process information, for example - memories. Represented by our index finger, to point at our brains.

Behavioral

The perspective that we learn via associations and impressions, typically coming with rewards and punishment. Represented by our middle finger, being that most people learned what it meant from other people.

Socioculture

The perspective that we learn via culture and traditions. Such as values and customs from our ethnicity or religion. Represented by our ring finger, where a wedding/engagement ring would usually sit (due to customs).

Evolutionary

The perspective that natural selection, inheritance, and darwinism affect how we think and act. Represented by our pinky finger, because it gradually gets smaller due to lack of use.

Humanistic

The perspective that emphasizes the study of your whole body. Ex: Your conscious mind, positive growth, fulfillment, and potential. Represented by holding hands with yourself or someone else, due to positivity and human interaction.

Biological/Neuroscience

The perspective that genes and heredity effect how we think and act. Not to be confused with Cognitive, which is strictly your brain. Represented by a fist, because it kind of looks like a brain and its brainstem.

Hindsite Bias

The tendency to believe something after find out the true outcome. Ex: Hilary v Donald, most tests lol.

Overconfidence

Humans tend to think we know/perform a lot more than we usually do.

Perceiving Order In random events

Humans tend to make sense of our unpredictable world by creating patterns that dont exist.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to gather information that only confirms what we previously believed in, dismissing evidence that is against your cause.

Hypothesis

A prediction, often implied by a theory

Operational Definition

A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures/operations used in a research study.

Case Studies

A non-experimental technique that involves individual or group being studied to solve a universal problem.

Naturalistic Observation

A non-experimental technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occuring situations.

Survey

A non-experimental technique for obtaining self reported attitudes/behaviors.

Self Report-Bias

People who dont accurately report or remember their behavior.

Negative/Positive Wording

One will garner a lot more approval in comparison, “aid to those in need” vs “welfare” for example.

Random Sample

A sample that fairly represents a population.

Longitudinal Studies

Following the same group of people over a long period of time.

Cross-Sectional Studies

Study various age groups at the same time.

Descriptive Studies

Non-experimental studies that can only describe, never imply or explain why something has occured.

Correlation

A measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and how well either factor predicts the other.

Variable

Anything that can vary and is feasible and ethic to measure.

Scatterplot

A graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables. The slope of the point suggests the direction of the relationship between the two variables (positive, negative, or no correlation).

Illusionary Correlation

Precieving a relationship where none exist, or precieving a stronger than actual relationship.

Regression towards the mean

The tendency for extreme or unusual scores or events to fall back towards the average.

Variable problem

Can occur when a third variable influences both the independent and dependent variable/

Directionality problem

In correlation research, the situation in which it is known that two variables are related although it is not known which variable influences the other.

Experimental group

Group/party participating in the experiment/test subject.

Control group

Random participants practicing in the experiment but not recieving treatment.

Dependent variable

In an experiment, what will cause a reaction.

Independent variable

In an experiment, what is reacting to the dependent variable.

Cofounding variable

Third/extra variable.

Random assignment

Assigning participants to experiments by chance.

Single blind

Participants are unsure whether they received a treatment or placebo.

Double blind

Both staff and participants are unsure as to who received treatment vs placebo.

Placebo effect

Results caused by expectations and illusions alone.

Experimenter bias

Bias when researchers may unintentionally influence results to confirm their own beliefs.

Validity

The extent to which a test measures or predicts what its supposed to.

Quantitative research

A research method that relies on quantifiable data (numbers).

Qualitative research

A research method that relies on narrative data.

Informed consent

Giving potential participants enough info about the study to give them time and thought about participating.

Debriefing

Post-experimental explanation of the study.

Confederates

People who pretend to be fellow participants but are actually in on the experiment.

Informed assent

Allowing minors/children to choose whether or not they want to participate (still require parental consent).

Institutional Review Board

A committee that reviews and approves research involving human subjects to ensure ethical treatment and compliance with federal regulations.

APA

American Psychology Association; created ethics codes for psychology.

Descriptive studies

Numerical data used to measure and describe characteristics of groups. Unable to be used as evidence/explanation.

Histogram

Bar graph depicting a frequent distribution.

Mode

The most frequently occurring score in a distribution.

Mean

The arithmetic average of a distribution; add cores then divide by umber of scores.

Median

The middle score in a distribution; half scores by ascending order, if an even number add two middle scores together then divide by 2.

Skewed distribution

A rep of scores that lack symmetry around their average mean.

Percentile rank

The percentage of scores that are lower than the given score.

Range

The difference between the highest and lowest score 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.

Inferential statistics

Statistical methods used to draw conclusions and generalize findings from a sample to a larger population.

Effective size

The strength of the relationship between two variables. The larger the effect size, the more one variable can be explained by another.

Statistical Significance

Indicates that the likelihood that the result would have happened by chance if the null hypothesis were true.