Unit 0

Experiments

It's required to confirm consistent, repeatable results, and the validity of psychological findings.

Institutions

Internal feelings or compulsions that are often wrong, gut feeling.

Biases

A tendency to favor or support only our own, narrow views.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction that has yet to be confirmed or unconfirmed by experiment.

Operational Definition

Exact experimental procedures so the experiment can be replicated.

Theories

Explanations that organize observations and predict outcomes, an overarching idea that has been confirmed by multiple experiments.

Experimental Group

A group that's exposed to the 'treatment' (ex: a group of depressed people who receive Vitamin D).

Control Group

A group NOT exposed to the 'treatment' (ex: the group of depressed people who receive the placebo).

Double-Bind

Both subjects and staff are unaware of which group has the placebo (sugar pill) and which has treatment (Vitamin D).

Single-Binds

Either the subjects don't know the treatment they are receiving or the researchers don't know the treatment being given to the subjects.

Independent Variable (IV)

Adding, giving.

Dependent Variable (DV)

Subtracting, outcome

Random Selection & Random Assignment

Require to ensure statistical significance, and to bolster the integrity of the experiment.

Random Assigned

Being randomly assigned to experimental and control groups to eliminate bias or skew results.

Convenience Sampling

A sampling technique where subjects are chosen because of their convenient accessibility and proximity to the researcher.

Confounding Variables

Variables that impact data and screw or ruin research findings.

Controlling Variables

Anything that's controlled by the experiment in order to reduce confounding variables.

Sampling Bias

Occurs when some members of a population are less likely to be included in the sample compared to others.

Experimenter Bias

A process where scientists performing the research influence the results or outcome either consciously or unconsciously.

Social Desirability Bias

The tendency of survey respondents to answer questions that will be viewed favorably, skewing results.

Correlation Study

How two factors are linked and can predict one another; correlation does not prove causation.

Naturalistic Observation

Unhinged observations of animals or people in their natural environment

Case Study

One individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing some universal truth

Meta-Analysis

Statistical analysis that combines results of multiple specific studies, providing a precise estimate of the effect size based on increased power and resolution

Bar Graph

A graph with gaps representing categories and numerical values

Histogram

A bar graph with no gaps depicting frequency distribution (all numerical)

Scatterplots

A graph with clusters of two variables, with a slope suggesting a positive, negative, or no relationship

Regress towards the mean

The phenomenon that if a variable is extreme on its first measurement, it will tend to be closer to average on its second measurement

Qualitative Measures

Data collection methods such as observations, that provides in-depth and complex descriptions of phenomena without qualifying them

Quantitative Measures

Tools that gather data in numerical form such as Likert scales, which can be statistically measured

Correlation Coefficient

Measures how strong a relationship is between two variables, ranging from -1 to 1 to represent the correlation

Positive Correlation

Correlations are above 0 (Ex: income and years of education)

Negative Correlation

Correlations are below 0 (Ex: depression and average life expectancy)

Positive Skew

Where the bulk of information on a graph that's skewed to the right

Negative Skew

Where the bulk of information on a graph that's skewed to the left

Bimodal

A frequency distribution is a data set that contains two peaks

Bell Curve

A peak that is only one

Central Tendencies

Central or typical value for a probability distribution

Mode

Most frequently occurring score

Mean

The average score

Median

The middle score in a distribution (half above, half below)

Range

Difference between highest and lowest scores

Percentile

A measure that indicates a percentage where it's higher than another percentage

Standard Deviation

A measure of an amount of variation in set of values that's on the average, either higher or lower than

Peer Review

A process where a scholarly work or research proposal is evaluated by other experts in the field to assess its suitability for publication or funding

Republication

A process of repeating a research study under the same conditions as the original to validate findings and increase reliability

American Psychological Association and British Psychological Society

Determines ethics and procedures that requires compliance from any prospective experimenters

HIPPA Privacy Rule

This requires U.S. physicians (mental & physical) keep patient information confidential

Local Institutional Review Boards

Screen research proposals at each institution according to the guidelines provided by the APA, BPS, etc.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

A federally-mandated committee in the U.S. that oversees animal programs, facilities, and procedures

Informed Assent

A process where a person typically a minor or someone unable to give legal consent agrees to participate in a research study after having the study adequately explained to them.