Myers' Psychology Modules 0.1-0.6

Scientific Attitude

Curiosity, skepticism, and humility.

Overconfidence

Our assumption that we are more correct than we actually are. We overestimate our abilities.

Hindsight bias

The tendency to think we could’ve predicted an outcome after we’ve seen the outcome.

Peer reviewers

Scientific experts that evaluate a researcher’s finding for accuracy, bias, and control before the research article is published.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction, usually based off a theory.

Falsifiable

Capable of being tested and potentially disproven.

Operational definition

Carefully worded statements that specifically define variables in a hypothesis.

Case study

A non-experimental technique in which one individual is studied and recorded in depth, in hopes of revealing a universal principle.

Naturalistic observation

A non-experimental technique in which researchers record observations of individuals or a group in their natural environment.

Survey

A non-experimental technique in which self-reported opinions and behaviors are collected from a sample of a population in hopes to generalize the collected data to the whole population.

Social desirability bias

Bias in an individual’s responses because the respond in a way that they think will please the researchers.

Self-report bias

When people don’t report their behaviors or thinking accurately usually because they don’t specifically remember their behaviors or thoughts.

Sampling bias

Flawed sampling process that does not give a representative sample of a population.

Random sample

A sample that fairly represents a population.

Population

All individuals in a group that is being studied.This includes everyone who meets the criteria for that group, regardless of whether they are included in the sample.

Correalation

The measure of which two factors vary together, and how well one predicts the other.

Correlation coefficient

Statistical indexes of relationships between variables. They range from -1 to +1, with values closer to either extreme indicating a stronger relationship.

Variable

Anything that can vary and is feasible to measure and/or change.

Scatterplot

A graphed cluster of dots. Each dot represents the value to two variables.

Illusory correlation

Perceiving correlation when there is none, or perceiving a stronger-than-actual correlation.

Regression towards the mean

The tendency for extreme scores/events to fall back (regress) towards the average score/typical event.

Experiment

A research method in which a researcher manipulates one or more variables to observe the effect on behavior and thinking.

Experimental group

The group that is being tested. The variables are changed for subjects in this group.

Control group

The group that is solely there for comparison to the experimental group. No variables are changed.

Random assignment

Randomly assigning individuals of a sample to the experiment or control group to reduce bias.

Single-blind procedure

An experimental technique in which participants are unaware if they have received the treatment or placebo pill in medication research.

Double-blind procedure

An experimental technique in which both the participants and the researchers administering the treatment are unaware whether the participant received the treatment or placebo pill in medication research.

Placebo

A substance with no therapeutic effect, often used as a control in testing new drugs, to compare against the actual treatment.

Placebo effect

The psychological effect in which the individual’s behavior and thinking is altered by the expectation that they have/have not received treatment.

Independent variable

The variable that is being manipulated in an experiment.

Dependent variable

The variable that has a differing outcome depending on how the independent variable was changed.

Confounding variables

Any other factors that are not explicitly studied/recorded, but are taken into account when interpreting results of an experiment.

Validity

The extent to which an experiment measured/predicted what is was supposed to measure/predict.

Quantitative research

A method of research that focuses on quantifying variables with numerical data.

Qualitative research

A method of research that focuses on understanding concepts, experiences, and social phenomena through narrative data that cannot be put into numerical values.

APA Ethical Guidelines for Animals

-Provide humane care and healthful conditions

-Do minimal harm to the animal’s well-being whilst testing

APA Ethical Guidelines for Humans

-Give informed consent to participants

-Promise protection from harm

-Guarantee confidentiality of results

-Fully debrief participants on the purpose of the research and inform them of any deception used during the research process

Descriptive statistics

Uses numerical data to measure and describe characteristics of individuals and groups.

Inferential statisitics

Uses numerical data to generalize and infer the probability of a characteristic being true of a population.

Measure of Central Tendency

Mean, Median, and Mode.

Skewed distribution

A representation of scores that lack symmetry around the mean. This is due to one or more outlines in the data that bring the mean score dramatically up or down.

Measures of variation

Range and standard deviation.

Normal curve

A symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that represents the normal distribution of data around the mean. Most scores fall near the mean, few scores lie near the extremes. The curve is divided by one, two, and three standard deviations away from the mean.

Meta-analysis

A statistical procedure for analyzing the results of multiple studies to reach an overall conclusion.

Statistically significant

A statistical statement of how likely it is that a result occurred by chance, assuming there is no difference between populations being studied. The p-value of a statistically significant value is less that 0.05.

Effect size

The strength of the relationship between two variables. The larger the effect size,m the more one variable can be explained by the other.