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AP Psychology Unit 2 Flashcards

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8852318435hindsight biasThe tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it- "I knew it all along"0
8852318436critical thinkingIs rationally deciding what to believe or what to do. When one rationally decides something, he or she evaluates information to see if it makes sense, whether it's coherent, and whether the argument is well founded on evidence.1
8852318437validitythe extent to which a test or experiment measures or predicts what it is supposed to do2
8852318438theoryA hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data3
8852318439hypothesisA testable prediction, often implied by a theory4
8852318440operational definitionA statement of the procedures used to define research variables5
8852318441replicationreplicate the original study6
8852318442case studyAn observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles.7
8852318443surveyA study, generally in the form of an interview or questionnaire, that provides researchers with information about how people think and act.8
8852318444populationthe whole group that you want to study and describe9
8852318445random sampleA sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion10
8852318446sampling biasflawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample11
8852318447naturalistic observationObserving and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation12
8852318448correlationA measure of the relationship between two variables13
8852318449correlation coefficientA statistical index of the relationship between two things (from -1 to +1)14
8852318450scatterplotA graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables.15
8852318451illusory correlationThe perception of a relationship where none exists16
8852318452experimentA research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process17
8852318453random assignmentAssigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups18
8852318454double-blind studyAn experiment in which neither the participant nor the researcher knows whether the participant has received the treatment or the placebo19
8852318455placebo effectExperimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which is assumed to be an active agent.20
8852318456experimental groupA subject or group of subjects in an experiment that is exposed to the factor or condition being tested.21
8852318457control groupIn an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment.22
8852318458independent variable(statistics) a variable whose values are independent of changes in the values of other variables23
8852318459confounding variableA factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment.24
8852318460dependent varibalethe outcome factor the cariable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variables --what you are measuring (ex. obesity rates)25
8852318461modeMeasure of central tendency that uses most frequently occurring score.26
8852318462meanAverage27
8852318463medianA measure of center in a set of numerical data. The median of a list of values is the value appearing at the center of a sorted version of the list - or the mean of the two central values if the list contains an even number of values.28
8852318464rangeDistance between highest and lowest scores in a set of data.29
8852318465standard deviationA computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score.30
8852318466normal curvethe symmetrical bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many physical and psychological attributes. Most scores fall near the average, and fewer and fewer scores lie near the extremes.31
8852318467statistical significanceA statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance32
8852318468cultureBeliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people.33
8852318469informed consentA written agreement to participate in a study made by an adult who has been informed of all the risks that participation may entail.34
8852318470debriefingA verbal description of the true nature and purpose of a study35
8852318471sampleA part of the population you are studying.36
8852318472how does overconfidence relate to everyday thinking?we tend to be more confident than correct and believe we know more than we actually do37
8852318473how do hindsight bias and overconfidence relate to intuition?leads us to overestimate our intuition38
88523184743 main components of scientific attitudecuriosity skepticism humility39
8852318475how do operational definitions keep biases in check?make sure that everyone is going by the same standards and is not changing how they see the data being studied40
8852318476a theory is useful if :- it effectively organizes a range of self-reports / observations and leads to a clear hypothesis that anyone can use to check a theory - it stimulates research to lead to a revised theory that better organizes and predicts what we know41
8852318477wording effect of a surveythe way a question or situation is presented affects how people feel about the matter (ex. better wording = more desired results)42
8852318478case studies, surveys, and naturalistic observations do not explain behavior, but rather ________ behaviordescribes43
8852318479positive correlationtwo variable rise and fall together, such as height and weight44
8852318480negative correlationvariables are related inversely, one goes up and the other goes down, such as inner speech and psychological distress45
88523184811 standard deviation68%46
88523184822 standard deviations95%47
88523184833 standard deviations99%48
8852318486descriptive statisticsnumerical data used to measure and describe characteristics of groups, including measures of central tendency and variation49
8852318487measures of central tendencyrefers to how the data measures the center of a set of data50
8852318488skewed graphmode, median, and mean are different51
8852318489normal graphmode, median, and mean are same52
8852318490positive skewhigh outlier53
8852318491negative skewlow outlier54
8852318492measures of variabilitydepict diversity of the distribution (range, standard deviation)55
8852318493higher standard deviation =scores are less similar56
8852318494normal curve57
8852318495inferential statisticsnumerical data that allows one to generalize (T-tests, chi square, ANOVAS)58
8852318496descriptive stats vs. inferential statsd : allows us to summarize info about the sample studied i : determine whether or not findings can be applied to a larger population from which the sample was selected59
8852318497statistically significanthow likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance (p-value) averages are reliable differences between averages is relatively large implies importance of results60
8852318498culture (behavior)enduring behaviors ideas, attitudes, and how people perceive different situations, such as body shape, early sex, etc.61
8852318499collectivist culturegroup goals62
8852318500individualist culturesindividual goals63
8852318501ethics in researchinformed consent protection from harm/discomfort maintain confidentiality debriefing64
8852318502IRB (Institutional Review Board)any academic research needs to be proposed to their IRB, review for ethical violations and/or procedural errors65

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