Ap Psych Unit 1 Vocab

Random Sampling

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

Institutional Review Board

federally-mandated, locally-administered groups charged with evaluating human participant research

Biological Perspective

examine human thought and behavior in terms of physical and biological processes

Illusionary Correlation

perception of a statistical association between two variables where none exists

Hindsight Bias

overestimate ability to predict outcome

Applied Research

scientific study that aims to solve practical problems

Basic Research

pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base

Hypothesis

a testable prediction, often implied by a theory

Independent Variable

variable that is manipulated

Dependent Variable

a variable (often denoted by y ) whose value depends on that of another.

Theory

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

Operational Definition

a statement of the procedures used to define research variables

Validity

the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to

Reliability

consistency of measurement

Representative Sample

a sample that accurately reflects the characteristics of the population as a whole

Experiment Design

describes the way participants are allocated to experimental groups of an investigation

Confounding Variables

a factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment

Random Assignment

every participant having an equal chance of being in either the experimental group or the control group

Experimenter Bias

the influence of the experimenter's expectations on the outcome of research

Double-Blind Procedure

neither the experimenter nor the subject knows to what group the subjects are in

Single-Blind Procedure

the subjects do not know to what group they belong

Hawthorne Effect

a change in a subject's behavior caused simply by the awareness of being studied

Placebo Method

when a person's physical or mental health appears to improve after taking a placebo or 'dummy' treatment

Correlational Study

a research project designed to discover the degree to which two variables are related to each other

Survey Method

a research method that involves gathering information from people through the use of surveys or questionnaires

Case Study Method

an in-depth study of one or more individuals

Measures of Central Tendency

mean, median, mode

Statistical Significance

a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance

Informed Consent

an ethical principle that research participants be told enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate

Confidentiality

respecting the privacy of both parties and keeping details secret

Debriefing

the post-experimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants

Wilhelm Wundt

father of modern psychology - structuralist

G. Stanley Hall

american psychologist who established the first psychology research laboratory in the United States and founded the American Psychological Association

William James

founder of functionalism; wrote the first psychology textbook

Charles Darwin

formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection

Mary Whiton Calkins

first female president of the APA ; a student of William James; denied the PhD she earned from Harvard because of her sex

Margaret Floy

First female to be awarded a PhD in psychology

Psychoanalytic Perspective

believe that the unconscious mind controls much of our thought and action

Cognitive Perspective

modern perspective that focuses on memory, intelligence, perception, problem solving, and learning

Humanistic Perspective

emphasizes the human capacity for choice and growth, positive outlook on people related to their motivation to fulfill their potential

Socio-Cultural Perspective

how our thoughts and behaviors vary between cultures

Behavioral Perspective

focuses on learned/observable behaviors

Biopsychosocial Perspective

human thinking and behavior results from combinations of biological, psychological, and social factors

Evolutionary Perspective

how evolution explains psychological processes, examines in terms of natural selection

Critical Thinking

thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions

Replication

repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances

Naturalistic Observation

observation of behavior in its natural setting

Sampling Bias

a flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample

Population

all individuals in the group of a study

Correlation Coefficient

direction of relationship between a variable and its strength, want it to be as close to 1 or -1 as possible

Scatterplot

allows data to be displayed to show relationship

Experimental Group

the group in an experiment that receives the variable being tested

Control Group

the group that does not receive the experimental treatment.

Experiment

research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process

Descriptive Statistics

analysis of data summarizing/showing data in a meaningful way

Skewed Distributions

represents a set of scores or numbers that is not equal on both sides

Range

span of scores, largest-smallest

Standard Deviation

scores in a group doffer from mean of that group, large=spread-out, small=close

Normal Curve

even distribution of data, bell curve, symmetrical when graphed

Inferential Statistics

numerical methods used to determine whether research data support a hypothesis or whether results were due to chance

Culture

beliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people

Dorothea Dix

activist who helped improve conditions of mental patients

Sigmund Freud

founder of psychoanalysis

Ivan Pavlov

discovered classical conditioning; trained dogs to salivate at the ringing of a bell

Jean Piaget

known for his theory of cognitive development in children

Carl Rogers

Developed "client-centered" therapy, humanistic

B.F. Skinner

behaviorist that developed the theory of operant conditioning by training pigeons and rats

John B. Watson

founder of behaviorism