AP PSYCH : Quiz 1

Cultural norms

expectations that guide the behavior of people within a specific social group or culture

Overconfidence

cognitive bias where confidence in their own ability and judgement is greater than it actually is

Hindsight bias

the tendency to believe that you would’ve predicted an outcome ahead of time

Naturalist observation

research method where behavior is recorded in a natural setting without manipulating the variables

Experiment

research method where the independent variables are manipulated to observe their effect on the dependent variables

Case study

research method where an individual or small group is studied in extreme detail over a long period of time

Correlational research

research that measures two or more variables to determine the strength of their relationship without manipulating any variables

Meta-analysis

a quantitative research method used to combine and analyze the results of multiple independent studies on the same question

Directionality problem (correlation)

occurs when two variables show a relationship, but researchers cannot tell which variable causes which

Likert scale

survey tool used to measure people’s attitudes, opinions, and values by rating how much they agree or disagree with specific statements

Self-report bias

method error when people give inaccurate answers about themselves on surveys

Social desirability bias

the tendency of people to to answers questions on a survey in a way that makes them look good

Survey technique

research method used to collect data about a group by asking them a series of questions

Third variable problem

occurs when an unmeasured third factor secretly influences both variables in a correlational study, making them look like they cause each other when they do not

Hypothesis

a testable prediction about the relationship between two or more variables

Falsifiable

a hypothesis that can be tested and proven wrong

Operational definitions (Operationalization)

a precise description of how a researcher will measure a variable in a study

Independent variable

the experimental factor that is manipulated to test the effect on the dependent variable

Dependent variable(s)

the variable that is affected by the independent variable

Confounding variables

any factor other than the independent variable that could accidentally influence the experiment and ruin the results

Sample

a smaller group of individuals chosen from a larger population to participate in a research study

Population

the entire group of individuals or objects that a researcher wants to study and draw conclusions about

Representative sample

a smaller group of a population that accurately reflects the key characteristics, demographics, and diversity of the larger target population

Random sampling

research method where every member of a target population has an equal and independent chance of being selected for a study

Convenience sampling

a group of participants chosen because they are easy to reach and available, rather than selected randomly

Sampling bias

an error in research that happens when the chosen sample does not accurately represent the target population

Random assignment

experimental technique where chance is used to place participants into the experimental group or the control group, making sure each person has an equal chance of being in any group

Experimental group

the group of participants that is exposed to the independent variable

Control group

the group of participants in an experiment that do not receive the treatment of independent variable manipulation

Placebo

a fake treatment that has no physical or medical properties, but the participants symptoms improve after receiving the treatment because they believe it will work

Single-blind procedure

an experimental design where participants are unaware if they are in the experimental or the control group, but the researchers know

Double-blind procedure

an experimental design where both the researchers and the participants are unaware of who is in the experimental or control group

Illusory correlation

a cognitive bias where a person perceives a relationship between two unrelated variables, or perceive a stronger relationship than actually exists

Correlation

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

Generalizability

the extent to which the results of a research study can be applied to a wider population and other real-world settings outside the original sample

Peer review

the process where other experts review a study before it’s published to ensure its validity and accuracy

Replication

the process of repeating a research study to see whether the original results can be reliably reproduced

Validity

the extent to which a test, experiment, or study measures or predicts what it claims to measure