Descriptive Methods

Barnum/Forer effect

A cognitive bias where individuals believe vague or general personality descriptions are uniquely applicable to themselves, often used in horoscopes or personality tests

Hindsight bias

People believe that they knew something was going to happen after it has already occurred, even if they didn't actually predict it beforehand

Overconfidence

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

Finding patterns in random events

Trying to make sense of the world by seeing predictable patterns where there are none

Confirmation bias

The tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information that confirms preexisting beliefs or hypotheses.

Confirmation bias example

Social media algorithms, the news

Empirical evidence

Information that is obtained through observation, experimentation, or measurement

The Scientific Method

A systematic approach used to study human behavior and mental processes

Hypothesis

Specific, testable prediction about the relationship between variables or the outcome of a research study.

Falsifiable hypothesis

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 experience 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

Operational definitions

Specifies how a researcher will measure and manipulate variables in a study

American Psychological Association (APA)

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

Correlation

When two factors vary together

Causation

When one factor causes another thing to change