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AP Psychology Unit 2 Flashcards

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6684420092hindsight biasThe tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it- "I knew it all along"0
6684420093critical 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
6684420094validitythe extent to which a test or experiment measures or predicts what it is supposed to do2
6684420095theoryA hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data3
6684420096hypothesisA testable prediction, often implied by a theory4
6684420097operational definitionA statement of the procedures used to define research variables that is specific and allows research to be replicated5
6684420098replicationreplicate the original study6
6684420099case studyAn observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles.7
6684420100surveyA study, generally in the form of an interview or questionnaire, that provides researchers with information about how people think and act.8
6684420101populationthe whole group that you want to study and describe9
6684420102random sampleA sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion10
6684420105correlationA measure of the relationship between two variables11
6684420106correlation coefficientA statistical index of the relationship between two things (from -1 to +1)12
6684420107scatterplotA graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables.13
6684420108illusory correlationThe perception of a relationship where none exists14
6684420109experimentA research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process15
6684420110random assignmentAssigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups16
6684420111double-blind studyAn experiment in which neither the participant nor the researcher knows whether the participant has received the treatment or the placebo17
6684420112placebo 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.18
6684420113experimental groupA subject or group of subjects in an experiment that is exposed to the factor or condition being tested.19
6684420114control 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.20
6684420115independent variable(statistics) a variable whose values are independent of changes in the values of other variables21
6684420116confounding variableA factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment.22
6684420117dependent varibalethe outcome factor the cariable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variables --what you are measuring (ex. obesity rates)23
6684420118modeMeasure of central tendency that uses most frequently occurring score.24
6684420119meanAverage25
6684420120medianA 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.26
6684420121rangeDistance between highest and lowest scores in a set of data.27
6684420122standard deviationA computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score.28
6684420123normal 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.29
6684420124statistical significanceA statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance30
6684420125cultureBeliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people.31
6684420126informed consentA written agreement to participate in a study made by an adult who has been informed of all the risks that participation may entail.32
6684420127debriefingA verbal description of the true nature and purpose of a study33
6684420128sampleA part of the population you are studying.34
6684420129how does overconfidence relate to everyday thinking?we tend to be more confident than correct and believe we know more than we actually do35
6684420130hindsight"knew it all along " phenomena36
66844201313 main components of scientific attitudecuriosity skepticism humility37
6684420133disadvantage of a case studyovergeneralization - suggests that the results could be for everyone but they need more research to back it up38
6684420134a 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 know39
6684420135wording effect of a surveythe way a question or situation is presented affects how people feel about the matter (ex. better wording = more desired results)40
6684420137positive correlationtwo variable rise and fall together, such as height and weight41
6684420138negative correlationvariables are related inversely, one goes up and the other goes down, such as inner speech and psychological distress42
66844201391 standard deviation68%43
6684420144deceptioninvestigators providing false or incomplete information to participants for the purpose of misleading research subjects44
6684420146descriptive statisticsnumerical data used to measure and describe characteristics of groups, including measures of central tendency and variation45
6684420148example of a positive correlation+0.9846
6684420150skewed graphmode, median, and mean are different47
6684420152positive skewhigh outlier48
6684420153negative skewlow outlier49
6684420154measures of variabilitydepict diversity of the distribution (range, standard deviation)50
6684420155Solomon Aschresearcher of the conformity experiment51
6684420156normal curve52
66844201583 principles of being reliablerepresentative samples are better than biased less variable observations are more reliable than thsoe that are more variable more cases are better than fewer53
6684420159descriptive 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 selected54
6684420160statistically significanthow likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance (p-value) p < 0.05 averages are reliable differences between averages is relatively large implies importance of results55
6684420161culture (behavior)enduring behaviors ideas, attitudes, and how people perceive different situations, such as body shape, early sex, etc.56
6684420162collectivist culturegroup goals57
6684420163individualist culturesself-oriented goals are associated with this type of culture58
6684420164ethics in researchinformed consent protection from harm/discomfort maintain confidentiality debriefing59

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