AP Psychology Unit 0: Science Practices

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary and concepts related to the science practices in psychology.

Psychology

The scientific study of how and why we think, feel, and act.

Research Methods & Design

Evaluating qualitative and quantitative research methods and designs, including their appropriate use.

Concept Application

The ability to apply psychological perspectives, theories, and research findings to scenarios.

Critical Thinking

Analyzing and evaluating information to form a judgment.

Cognitive Biases

Systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment.

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to see events as having been predictable after they have already occurred.

Overconfidence

When someone's subjective confidence in their judgments is greater than their objective accuracy.

Scientific Method

A methodological approach for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting previous knowledge.

Correlation

A mutual relationship or connection between two or more things.

Experimental Methodology

Research designs that allow researchers to determine causal relationships by manipulating variables.

Independent Variable

The variable that is manipulated in an experiment to test its effects on the dependent variable.

Dependent Variable

The outcome factor in an experiment that may change in response to the independent variable.

Informed Consent

The process of obtaining permission from participants before engaging them in research.

Descriptive Statistics

Statistics that summarize data from a sample using indexes such as the mean or standard deviation.

Inferential Statistics

Statistics that allow researchers to make inferences about a population based on a sample.

Validity

The extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure.

Meta-Analysis

A statistical analysis that combines the results of multiple scientific studies.

Confounding Variables

Variables that may affect the outcome of an experiment unintentionally.

Replicability

The ability to reproduce the results of a study under the same conditions.

Qualitative Research

Research that seeks to understand human behavior by investigating the reasons behind it.

Quantitative Research

Research that focuses on quantifying the problem and understanding how prevalent it is.