terms to study for ap exam unit 1

confirmation bias

the tendency to search for, interpret, favor and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one’s prior beliefs and values

confounding variables

variable that influences both the independent and dependent variables

case study

an in-depth study on a person or organization

correlation

relationship between two variables

positive correlation

a relationship between variables where they move up or down together

negative correlation

a relationship between two variables where one increases and the other one decreases

meta-analysis

research finding that combines the results of different studies

falsifiable

scientific statement that can be proven wrong through observation or experimentation

operational definitions

defines a variable in terms of how it is measured or manipulated in a research study

bimodal distribution

a data set that has two distinct peaks

regression towards the mean

a phenomenon where if one random variable is extreme, the sampling of the same random variable is likely to be closer to its mean

population

total number of people

generalizing

making a general statement from inference

experimental group

the group that receives the treatment without intervention

control group

group that is not exposed to the independent variable

single blind study

participants are unaware of the experimental conditions

double blind study

the researchers and the participants are unaware of the experimental conditions

experimenter bias

when researchers unconsciously influence their experiment’s results based on their expectations or preferences

social desirability bias

response bias that occurs when survey respondents provide answers according to society’s expectations, rather than their own beliefs or experiences

qualitative research

collecting and analyzing non-numerical data

structured interviews

a standardized assessment method where all candidates are asked the same questions in the same order, with a standardized scoring system to evaluate responses

quantitative research

collecting and analyzing numerical data

likert scales

a type of rating scale used in surveys and questionnaires to measure attitudes or opinions on a range of agreement or disagreement

peer review

process where experts evaluate the quality, validity, and originality of a piece of work

correlation coefficient

statistical measure that quantifies the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two variables

effect sizes

the magnitude of the expected difference between two groups in a study

directionality problem

the ambiguity in determining the casual relationship between two correlated variables

third variable problem

the confounding variable leads to misinterpretation of the relationship between variables

informed assent

a process through which people agree to participate in studies