AP Psychology Module 0.1-0.3 Vocab

psychology

The scientific study of behavior (observable actions) and mental processes (internal thoughts and feelings)

curiosity

passion to explore and understand the world without being misled or misled by assumptions. asking questions

skepticism

An attitude of doubting claims and requiring empirical evidence before accepting them as true ("What do you mean? How do you know?")

humility

An awareness of our own vulnerability to error and an openness to new perspectives and surprise outcomes when testing ideas.

critical thinking

Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments; it evaluates evidence, assesses conclusions, examines assumptions, and looks for hidden biases.

hindsight bias

The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen or predicted it all along (the "I-knew-it-all-along" phenomenon).

confirmation bias

the cognitive tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information that supports your preexisting beliefs while ignoring, downplaying, or dismissing contradictory evidence

overconfidence

The human tendency to overestimate the accuracy of our knowledge, judgments, and beliefs.

peer reviewers

Independent scientific experts who anonymously evaluate research manuscripts for accuracy, methodology, and validity prior to publication.

theory

An integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events.

hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory, regarding the outcome of a study.

operational definition

A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures and measurements used to define variables in a study, allowing it to be replicated.

replication

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

case study

An in-depth descriptive research technique in which one individual or small group is studied in detail to reveal universal principles.

meta-analysis

A statistical procedure for combining the results of multiple independent research studies to determine an overall pattern or effect size.

naturalistic observation

Observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate or control the situation.

survey

A descriptive technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative sample.

social desirability bias

The tendency for survey or study participants to answer questions in a way that will be viewed favorably by others rather than truthfully

self-report bias

Inaccurate report of behavior

experimenter bias

When a researcher’s expectations or preferences unintentionally influence the outcome of a study or the interpretation of the results

population

The total target group of individuals from which a sample is drawn and to which conclusions are intended to apply.

sample

A smaller subset of individuals selected from a population to participate in a research study.

sampling bias

flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample of the target population.

random sample

A sample that fairly represents a population because every member has an equal chance of being selected.

representative sample

A smaller group of participants that accurately reflects the key characteristics—such as age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status—of a larger target population. (Balanced sample accurately representing all diversity)