AP Psych Unit 0 Vocab

Psychology	The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
Scientific	Approaching questions with a scientific attitude and using the scientific method to find answers.
Behavior	Anything an organism does; any action that we observe and record.
Mental Processes	Our internal, subjective experiences.
The Scientific Method	a self correcting process for evaluating ideas with observation and analysis. Basically, testing a theory to see if the data supports the prediction.
Peer review process	Scientists who are experts evaluate a study, then journal editors use peer reviews to decide if a study should be published.
Theory	An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events.
Hypothesis	A testable prediction, often implied by a theory.
Falsifiability	The possibility that an idea, hypothesis or theory can be disproven by observation or experiment.
Operational Definition aka operationalization	A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures (operations) used in a research study.
Replication	Repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic findings can be reproduced.
Case Study	A non-experimental technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles.
Naturalistic Observation	A non-experimental technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation
Empirical Data	Evidence that comes from research.
Survey	A technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes, opinions or behaviors of people.
Bias	Some type of error in the way the research was conducted that leads to distorted results or wrong conclusions.
Self-report bias	People don't accurately report or remember their thoughts/behaviors.
Social desirability bias	People give answers that they think will make them look good.
Sampling bias	The people surveyed don’t accurately represent the larger group that researchers are interested in.
Convenience Sampling	a method of sampling that involves collecting samples from easily accessible locations or sources.
Population	All individuals who can potentially participate in the study. In other words, it is the larger group or “category” of people that you are researching.
Generalizable	The findings in the study can be applied to the entire population.
Representative sample	The characteristics of the sample are very similar to those of the population.
Random sample	Everyone in the population has an equal chance of being chosen for the experiment.
Correlational Research	Non-experimental research method that describes the relationship between two or more variables.
Variable	Anything that can vary and is feasible and ethical to measure
Correlation	Statistical measure of the extent to which two variables are related, and thus of how well either variable predicts the other.
Positive correlation	A correlation in which two variables move in the SAME direction
Negative correlation	A correlation in which two variables move in OPPOSITE directions.
Scatterplot	A graphed cluster of dots designed to display correlational data so that the relationship between the two variables is visible.
Directionality Problem	the situation in which it is known that two variables are related although it is not known which is the cause and which is the effect.
Third Variable Problem	When a third variable causes a correlation between two other variables to appear as if they have a causal relationship when they don't.
Methodology	The details of how you will conduct a research study.
Reliability	Refers to the degree to which the study’s results are stable and consistent.
Validity	Refers to the likelihood that differences in the dependent variable are actually caused by the independent variable rather than some other factor.
Quantitative Research Methods	Ese numerical data to represent degrees of a variables. (Numbers)
Likert Scale	Question responses fall on a numerical continuum.
Qualitative Data	Gather in-depth, narrative data. (Words)
Experiment	Situations in which the researcher manipulates one variable and then observes the effect on another variable, while holding all other variables constant; the only research method that can “prove” cause and effect.
Independent Variable	In an experiment, the variable that is manipulated.
Dependent Variable	In an experiment, the variable that may change when the independent variable is manipulated. In psychology it is usually a behavior or a mental process.
Experimental Group	Independent variable is manipulated.
Control Group	Comparison group(s) that do NOT receive the ”special treatment”; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment.
Placebo Effect	Experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient assumes is an active agent.
Random Assignment	All members of the sample have an equal chance of being placed into either the experimental group(s) or control group(s).
Control Variable aka Experimental Control	Anything that is held constant or limited in a research study. It is a variable that is not of interest to the study’s aims, but is controlled because it could influence the outcomes.
Single Blind Procedure	An experimental procedure in which the research participants are ignorant (blind) about whether they have received the treatment or a placebo
Double Blind Procedure	An experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug evaluation studies.
Confounding Variable	In an experiment, a factor other than the independent variable that might influence a study’s results
Hawthorne Effect	Research participants behave differently because they are being observed (ie, in a research study of worker productivity, the workers work faster because they are being observed).
Institutional Review Board	A group of at least 5 people that meets to determine if the proposal for a study is ethical and/or poses any risk to those involved.
National Research Act (1974)	Act that authorized federal agencies to develop regulations regarding ethical experimentation.
Coercion	Force
Informed Consent	Participants are informed about every aspect of the study that might influence their decision to participate, including any risks, and then sign a form acknowledging this information.
Informed Assent	A child's affirmative agreement to participate in research
Deception	misleading participants about the nature of an experiment and its methodology
Confederate	A person who secretly participates in an experiment as a regular participant, but is actually an accomplice of the experimenter.
Debrief	At the end of the study, researchers must reveal all information about the study, including any deception.
Percentile Rank	the percentage of scores that are lower than a given score
Mean	The arithmetic average of the scores
Median	The midpoint of a data distribution (the 50th percentile)
Mode	The most frequently occurring score or scores
Bimodal Distribution	A distribution with two modes
Normal Distribution	Scores are distributed symmetrically. Mean, median and mode are all at the center. AKA "bell curve".
Positively Skewed Distribution	many low scores and a few very high scores; mean is pulled toward high scores.
Negatively Skewed Distribution	many high scores and a few very low scores; mean is pulled toward low scores.
Range	measure of variance; the difference between the minimum and maximum
Standard Deviation	A computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score
Inferential Statistics	a branch of statistics that makes use of various analytical tools to draw inferences about the population from sample data.
Descriptive Statistics	Merely organize and describe data sets
Meta Analysis	a statistical procedure for analyzing the results of multiple studies to reach an overall conclusion.