AP Psychology Vocab: 0.2

Research Methods

hindsight bias

the human tendency to see past events as more predictable than they actually were

critical thinking

the disciplined process of evaluating facts, evidence, and arguments to form well-reasoned conclusions or make informed decisions

theory

a system of ideas intended to explain something explain facts or events

Hypothesis

a proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation

replication

the action of copying or reproducing something

operational definition

the exact process in which a variable is manipulated or measured in an experiment so that other researchers can recreate the methodology

case study

a process or record of research in which detailed consideration is given to the development of a particular person, group, or situation over a period of time

survey

a data collection method in social science that gathers information from a sample of a population through questionnaires, interviews, or other self-report measures to understand attitudes, behaviors, or opinions on a specific topic

Population

the entire group of individuals, objects, or units that a study aims to generalize its findings to

naturalistic observation

a research method where a researcher observes and records behavior in its natural setting, without interfering with or manipulating the environment or subjects

correlation

a statistical relationship or association between two or more variables that tend to vary together

correlation coefficient

a statistical relationship or association between two or more variables that tend to vary together

scatterplot

a type of graph used in research to visually represent the relationship between two quantitative variables by displaying individual data points as dots on a two-dimensional plane

biased sample

a subset of the population that does not accurately represent the population as a whole

confirmation bias

the tendency to remember or notice information that fits one’s expectations but to forget discrepancies

falsifiable

hypotheses are worded so they can be disconfirmed by testing

negative correlation

a statistical relationship in which as one variable increases another variable decreases

observer bias

the tendency of observers to distort observations to match their expectations

observer effect

changes in a subject’s behavior when they are aware they are being observed

participant bias

changes in behavior of a research participant due to expectations or an awareness of being part of a study

positive correlation

a statistical relationship in which 2 variables increase or decrease together

random selection

choosing a sample so that each member of a population has an equal chance of being selected

representative sample

a subset of the population that accurately represents the population as a whole

scientific method

a systematic way of conducting experiments to ensure greater accuracy

self-fulfilling prophecy

a prediction or belief that causes people to behave in a way that helps make the prediction come true