Unit 1 Ap Psych Vocab

Psychology

is the scientific study of mental processes and behavior.

Confirmation bias

people tend to look for, interpret, or remember information in a way that confirms what they already believe.

Hindsight bias

people believe that they knew something was going to happen after it has already occurred

Overconfidence

when people have too much faith in their own judgments or abilities,thinking they know more than they actually do. 

Empirical evidence

refers to information that is obtained through observation, experimentation, or measurement.

The Scientific Method

a systematic approach used to study human behavior and mental processes.

Hypothesis

a specific, testable prediction or educated guess about the relationship between variables or the outcome of a research study.

Falsifiable

a statement that can be tested and potentially proven false through observation or experimentation.

Peer Review

 a process where research articles and studies are evaluated by experts in the field before they are published in academic journals.

Replication

the process of repeating or reproducing a research study to determine if its findings can be consistently observed.

reliability

produces consistent results when administered repeatedly under similar conditions

validity

the extent to which a research study or measurement tool accurately measures what it intends to measure

The American Psychological Association

a leading professional organization dedicated to advancing the field of psychology and promoting the application of psychological knowledge to improve human welfare.

quantitative data

number based information gathered from surveys, tests, or experiments

qualitative data

gives degree insights into complex topics

Naturalistic Observation

 research method in psychology where researchers observe and record behavior in real-world settings without intervention or manipulation.

Case Study

research method in psychology that involves an in-depth examination of a single individual, group, or phenomenon.

Correlational Research

 scientific method used in psychology to examine the relationship between two or more variables.

independent variable

the variable that the researcher deliberately changes or manipulates in an experiment

dependent variable

the variable that is observed and measured for changes in an experiment

experimental group

exposed to the independent variable

control group

not exposed to the independent variable

random assignment

research method used to assign participants to different groups in an experiment randomly.

Placebo Effect

the phenomenon where individuals experience improvement in their condition solely because they believe they are receiving a beneficial treatment, rather than due to any active ingredient or physiological mechanism in the placebo itself.

Experimenter Bias

the researcher's expectations or beliefs about the outcome of a study influence the results.

single-blind study

research design where participants are unaware of whether they belong to the experimental group or control group

double-blind study

research design where both the participants and the researchers conducting the study are unaware of who belongs to the experimental or control group

Random Sample

ensures that each participant in the study has an equal opportunity to be included

Generalizability

the extent to which research findings obtained from a sample can be applied or generalized to a larger population.

informed consent

the process through which individuals voluntarily agree to participate in a research study

informed assent

similar to informed consent but specifically applies to research involving children or individuals who may have limited decision-making capacity

deception

misleading participants about the true purpose or nature of the study

Debriefing

providing participants with comprehensive information about the true nature, purpose, and procedures of a research study immediately after their participation.

Confidentiality

 It requires researchers to handle sensitive data and personal information obtained during the study with the utmost discretion and confidentiality.

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

committees responsible for reviewing and approving research proposals to ensure that they meet ethical standards and protect the rights and welfare of research participants.

statistics

A large amount of data can be collected in research studies.

mean

a measure of central tendency in statistics that represents the average value of a set of data.

Median

 measure of central tendency in statistics that represents the middle value of a data set when the values are arranged in ascending or descending order.

Mode

a measure of central tendency in statistics that represents the most frequently occurring value in a data set.

Range

represents the difference between the highest and lowest values in a data set.

Standard Deviation

a way to measure how spread out or close together numbers are in a group.

Positive Skew

 the majority of the data clusters on the left side, with the tail extending towards the right, suggesting the presence of outliers or unusually high values

Negative Skew

the bulk of the data clusters on the right side, with the tail extending towards the left, suggesting the presence of outliers or exceptionally low values.

Statistical Significance

the likelihood that observed results in a research study are not due to chance.

Meta Analysis

the statistical analysis of multiple research studies on the same topic to draw overall conclusions.