AP Psych 0.1-0.3

Define psychology

the brain and its behavior in a given context

Curiosity (element of the scientific method)

learn, explore, question… “does it work?”

Skepticism (element of the scientific method)

Doubt, questioning… “what do you mean?” “how do you know?”

Humility (element of the scientific method)

researchers must be willing to be surprised/follow new ideas

Critical thinking

smart thinking that examines assumptions, appraises sources, discerns hidden biases, and evaluates and assesses conclusions

Observation

scientists observe and test ideas to decide if evidence supports their predictions

Scientific attitude

skeptical but not cynical; open minded but not gullible

Hindsight bias

tendency to believe, after an outcome, that one would have foreseen it

ex: after a couple breaks up, their friends say: “they weren’t a good match”

Overconfidence

tendency to overestimate accuracy of our knowledge and judgments

Perceiving order in random events

our tendency to find patterns in random events

ex: hot or cold streaks when flipping a coin

Scientific method

a self correcting process for evaluating ideas w/ observation and analysis…if a prediction fails, the theory gets revised or rejected

Peer reviewers

scientific experts who evaluate a research article’s theory, originality, and accuracy

Theory

a general explanation for why or how something occurs

Hypothesis

A specific, testable prediction that is based on a theory

Falsifiability

Proven to be disproven

Operational definitions

A very specific definition of a variable that is particularly used for an abstract concept, focused on how we can MEASURE the variable (necessary for replication)

Replicate

repeating a study (usually with different samples) to see if basic findings can be reproduced

Experimental methods

Investigator manipulates one or more independent variables

Non-experimental methods

a type of research where the researcher measures variables as they naturally occur without manipulating any independent variables or randomly assigning participants to conditions

Case studies

non-experimental technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing a universal principle

Naturalistic observations

Observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations → researcher does NOT try to manipulate or control the situation, simply observes and records what happens “naturally”

Surveys

Social desirability bias

bias from people’s responding in ways they presume a researcher expects or wishes

Self report bias

bias when people report their behavior inaccurately → under reporting a bad habit

Population

a particular group → teenagers, smokers, french people, etc

Random sample

each member of the population has an equal chance of being chosen

Sampling bias

occurs when a sample is not representative of the population → can cause misleading results

Convenience bias

members of the population who are easily available are most likely chosen

Introspection

process of looking inward to examine and report your own thoughts, feelings, sensations → “how do i feel?”

Structuralism

focused on breaking down mental processes and consciousness into basic building blocks like sensations, images, and feelings

Functionalism

focuses on how mental and behavioral processes allow organisms to adapt, survive, and flourish → “WHAT does the mind do and WHY does it matter?”

Asch conformity experiment

an experiment that showed how people will go along w/ a wrong group answer just to fit in