Physiology Unit 0

vocab

case study

An in depth examination of a person or group to explore complex issues

Confounding variable

A variable that may influence the outcome of a study, potentially leading to misleading conclusions.

control group

A group in a study that does not receive the experimental treatment and is used as a benchmark to measure how the other tested subjects do.

correlation

A statistical measure that indicates the extent to which two or more variables fluctuate together, showing the strength and direction of their relationship.

correlation coefficient

A numerical value that quantifies the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables, ranging from -1 to 1.

critical thinking

the disciplined process of objectively analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information, evidence, and arguments instead of accepting claims at face value

debriefing

: an ethical procedure used after a research study, and a structured intervention used following a traumatic event.

dependent variable

the measured outcome or response that researchers observe to see if it changes when they modify the independent variable

descriptive

a specific foundational conceptual framework for the behavioral sciences or to standard scientific research methods used to observe and describe behavior.

double-blind procedure statistics

a research method in which neither the participants nor the researchers interacting with them know which group is receiving the active treatment and which is receiving a placebo

effect size

a quantitative measure of the magnitude or strength of a difference between groups or the relationship between variables.

experiment

a branch of psychology that uses scientific methods and controlled experiments to study human and animal behavior and mental processes

experimental group

the group of participants who receive the specific treatment, intervention, or manipulation of the independent variable being tested.

experimental bias

happens when a researcher's unconscious expectations, beliefs, or desires skew the results of a study.

falsifiable

an approach where psychological theories and hypotheses can be tested and potentially proven wrong through empirical observation

hindsight bias

the psychological tendency to overestimate one's ability to have predicted an event after learning the outcome.” I knew it all along”

hypothesis

a specific, testable prediction about the relationship between two or more variables, formulated before a study begins

independent variable

the specific factor that a researcher deliberately changes, manipulates, or controls to test its effect on another variable

inferential statistics

mathematical tools used to analyze sample data so researchers can draw conclusions, test hypotheses, and generalize findings to a larger population

informed consent

an ethical and legal process ensuring that clients or research participants fully understand the nature, risks, benefits, and procedures of treatment or an experiment before voluntarily agreeing to take part

mean

a statistical measure of central tendency that represents the average value of a set of scores or data points

median

a measure of central tendency that represents the exact middle score or the 50th percentile when a data set is placed in numerical order

meta-analysis

a statistical method that combines the results of many different studies on the same topic. Instead of collecting new data from people, researchers analyze the numerical results of past studies.

mode

a measure of central tendency that identifies the single most frequently occurring score, value, or category in a data se

naturalistic observation

a research method where psychologists and other scientists study humans or animals in their real-world, natural environments without interfering or trying to manipulate any variables.

normal curve

a symmetrical, bell-shaped graph that shows how data or traits are distributed across a population, with most scores clustering in the middle and tapering off equally toward the extremes

operational definition

a precise, measurable description of an abstract concept or variable so it can be observed and tested in a study.

peer reviewers

independent experts in the field who evaluate a research manuscript before it is published in an academic journal

percentile rank

the percentage of scores in a specified distribution or norm group that fall at or below a particular individual's score

placebo effect

a phenomenon where a person's physical or mental health improves after receiving an inactive treatment or fake procedure, driven entirely by their expectation and belief that the treatment is real

population

the entire group of individuals or instances that a researcher is interested in studying and hopes to apply their findings to.

qualitative research

an exploratory approach that uses non-numerical data—such as words, language, and images—to understand subjective human experiences, thoughts, and behaviors

quantitative research

a scientific approach focused on collecting, measuring, and analyzing numerical data to understand human behavior and mental processes

random assignment

the unbiased practice of using chance procedures to allocate study participants into different experimental or control groups

random sample

a subset of individuals chosen from a larger target population in a way where every single person has an equal and independent chance of being selected.

range

the simplest measure of dispersion that describes how spread out a set of scores or values is.

regression toward the mean

the statistical tendency for extreme scores or measurements to move closer to the average (the mean) when tested or measured a second time

replication

he process of repeating a previously published study to see if similar results are obtained

sampling bias

when a study's participants are chosen in a way that does not accurately represent the broader target population

scatter plot

a type of graph used to display and analyze the relationship or correlation between two numerical variables.

self-report bias

the systematic tendency of individuals to provide inaccurate or misleading information about themselves during surveys, interviews, or questionnaires

single-blind bias

an experimental design where the participants do not know whether they are receiving the actual treatment or a control (such as a placebo), but the researchers conducting the study do know

skewed distribution

an asymmetrical set of data where scores cluster heavily on one side and trail off into a long tail on the other, rather than forming a balanced bell curve

social desirability bias

the tendency of people to answer questions or present themselves in a way that aligns with social norms and expectations rather than sharing their true thoughts, feelings, or behaviors.

standard deviation

a descriptive statistic that measures how much individual scores or data points spread out from the group average (mean)

statistical significance

a mathematical measure indicating that the results of a study—such as a difference between groups or a correlation between variables—are unlikely to have occurred by random chance alone

survey

a research method used to collect self-reported data from a sample of people to understand their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and attitudes

theory

a fact-based framework that describes, explains, and predicts human thoughts, emotions, and behaviors

validity

the extent to which a test, tool, or study accurately measures or reflects what it claims to measure

variable

any characteristic, value, or quality that can change or differ across people, situations, or time