AP Psych Vocab Unit 0

Critical Thinking

Thinking that examines assumptions, appraises sources, discerns hidden biases, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions rather than automatically accepting arguments.

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it; also known as the I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon.

Peer Reviewers

Scientific experts who evaluate a research article’s theory, originality, and accuracy.

Theory

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

Falsifiable

The possibility that an idea, hypothesis, or theory can be disproven by observation or experiment.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction often implied by a theory.

Operational Definition

A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a research study, such as defining human intelligence based on what an intelligence test measures.

Replication

Repeating the essence of a research study with different participants in different situations to see if the basic finding can be reproduced.

Case Study

A non-experimental technique studying one individual or group in depth to reveal universal principles.

Naturalistic Observation

A non-experimental technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without manipulation.

Survey

A non-experimental technique for obtaining self-reported attitudes or behaviors from a representative, random sample of a group.

Social Desirability Bias

Bias arising from people responding in ways they believe a researcher expects or wishes.

Self-Report Bias

Bias that occurs when people inaccurately report their behavior.

Sampling Bias

A flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample.

Random Sample

A sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion.

Population

All individuals in a group being studied from which samples may be drawn, not referring to a country’s entire population except in national studies.