Unit 0 Psych
Critical thinking – Analyzing and evaluating information to make reasoned judgments.
Hindsight bias – Belief that you "knew it all along" after an event happens.
Peer reviewers – Experts who evaluate research before publication.
Theory – A broad explanation based on evidence and observations.
Hypothesis – A testable prediction about the outcome of research.
Falsifiable – Can be proven false through evidence.
Operational definition – How a concept is specifically measured in a study.
Replication – Repeating a study to confirm results.
Case study – In-depth study of one person or small group.
Naturalistic observation – Observing behavior in natural settings without interference.
Survey – A method of collecting self-reported data from people.
Social desirability bias – Tendency to answer in ways seen as favorable by others.
Self-report bias – Inaccuracies in reporting one's own behavior or feelings.
Sampling bias – A sample that does not accurately represent the population.
Random sample – Every person has an equal chance of being selected.
Population – The entire group a researcher wants to study.
Correlation – A relationship between two variables.
Correlation coefficient – A number (from -1 to +1) showing strength and direction of a correlation.
Variable – Any factor that can change or be changed.
Scatterplot – A graph showing the relationship between two variables.
Illusory correlation – Perceiving a relationship where none exists.
Regression toward the mean – Unusual scores tend to return to average on retesting.
Experiment – A research method to test cause and effect.
Experimental group – Group that receives the treatment.
Control group – Group that does not receive the treatment.
Random assignment – Placing participants into groups by chance.
Single-blind procedure – Participants don’t know if they are receiving the treatment.
Double-blind procedure – Neither participants nor researchers know who is receiving the treatment.
Placebo effect – Changes caused by expectations, not the treatment itself.
Independent variable – The variable that is manipulated.
Confounding variable – Extra variable that could affect the outcome.
Experimenter bias – When a researcher's expectations influence results.
Dependent variable – The outcome measured in a study.
Validity – The degree to which a test measures what it claims to measure.
Quantitative research – Focuses on numbers and statistical analysis.
Qualitative research – Focuses on descriptions and subjective data.
Informed consent – Participants agree to a study with full knowledge of risks.
Debriefing – Explaining the purpose and details of a study after participation.
Descriptive statistics – Numbers that summarize data (e.g., average, range).
Histogram – A bar graph showing frequency of data.
Mode – The most frequently occurring score.
Mean – The average score.
Median – The middle score when numbers are ordered.
Percentile rank – The percentage of scores below a particular score.
Skewed distribution – A distribution that is not symmetrical.
Range – The difference between the highest and lowest scores.
Standard deviation – Measure of how spread out scores are.
Normal curve – Bell-shaped curve showing normal distribution of data.
Inferential statistics – Analyzing data to make generalizations about a population.
Meta-analysis – Combining results of multiple studies.
Statistical significance – Likelihood that results are not due to chance.
Effect size – The strength of the relationship between variables.