Chapter 1 - Thinking Critically with Psychological Science

Hindsight bias

the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it

Theory

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

Hypotheses

a testable prediction, often implied by a theory

Operational definitions

carefully worded statement of exact procedures (operations) used in a research study

Replicate

repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding can be reproduced

Preregistration

publicly communicating planned study design, hypotheses, data collection, and analysis

Meta-analysis

statistical procedure for analyzing the result of multiple studies to reach an overall conclusion

Case-Study

descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in hope to revealing universal principles

Naturalistic observations

descriptive technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situation without trying to manipulate and control the situation

Survey

descriptive technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group

Random Sample

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

Population

all those in a group being studied from which a random sample may be drawn

Correlate

a measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other

Correlation coefficient

a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from -1.00 to +1.00)

Variable

anything that can vary and is feasible and ethical to measure

Scatterplots

a graphically cluster of dots, each which represents the values of two variables. The slop of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between the variables. The amount of scatter suggests the strength of correlation (little scatter indicates high correlation)

Illusory correlation

perceiving a relationship where none exists, or perceiving a stronger-than-actual relationship

Regression toward the Mean

The tendency for extreme or unusual scores or events to fall back (regress) toward the average

Experiment

research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process. By random assignment of participants, the experimenter aims to control other relevant factors