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AP Psychology Unit 2 Flashcards

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7314543969hindsight biasThe tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it- "I knew it all along"0
7314543970critical 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
7314543971validitythe extent to which a test or experiment measures or predicts what it is supposed to do2
7314543972theoryA hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data3
7314543973hypothesisA testable prediction, often implied by a theory4
7314543974operational definitionA statement of the procedures used to define research variables5
7314543975replicationreplicate the original study6
7314543976case studyAn observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles.7
7314543977surveyA study, generally in the form of an interview or questionnaire, that provides researchers with information about how people think and act.8
7314543978populationthe whole group that you want to study and describe9
7314543979random sampleA sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion10
7314543980correlationA measure of the relationship between two variables11
7314543981correlation coefficientA statistical index of the relationship between two things (from -1 to +1)12
7314543982scatterplotA graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables.13
7314543983illusory correlationThe perception of a relationship where none exists14
7314543984experimentA research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process15
7314543985random assignmentAssigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups16
7314543986double-blind studyAn experiment in which neither the participant nor the researcher knows whether the participant has received the treatment or the placebo17
7314543987placebo 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
7314543988experimental groupA subject or group of subjects in an experiment that is exposed to the factor or condition being tested.19
7314543989control 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
7314543990independent variable(statistics) a variable whose values are independent of changes in the values of other variables21
7314543991confounding variableA factor other than the independent variable that wasn't controlled for that might produce an effect on the DV.22
7314543992dependent varibalethe outcome factor the cariable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variables --what you are measuring (ex. obesity rates)23
7314543993modeMeasure of central tendency that uses most frequently occurring score.24
7314543994meanAverage25
7314543995medianA 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
7314543996rangeDistance between highest and lowest scores in a set of data.27
7314543997standard deviationA computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score.28
7314543998normal 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
7314543999statistical significanceA statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance30
7314544000cultureBeliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people.31
7314544001informed 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
7314544002debriefingA verbal description of the true nature and purpose of a study33
7314544003sampleA part of the population you are studying.34
7314544004how does overconfidence relate to everyday thinking?we tend to be more confident than correct and believe we know more than we actually do35
7314544005how do hindsight bias and overconfidence relate to intuition?leads us to overestimate our intuition36
73145440063 main components of scientific attitudecuriosity skepticism humility37
7314544009wording effect of a surveythe way a question or situation is presented affects how people feel about the matter (ex. better wording = more desired results)38
7314544010positive correlationtwo variable rise and fall together, such as height and weight39
7314544011negative correlationvariables are related inversely, one goes up and the other goes down, such as inner speech and psychological distress40
73145440121 standard deviation68%41
7314544014descriptive statisticsnumerical data used to measure and describe characteristics of groups, including measures of central tendency and variation42
7314544015x-axis of a graph for experimentIV43
7314544016skewed graphmode, median, and mean are different44
7314544017positive skewMean is higher than mode and median (high outlier)45
7314544018negative skewMean is lower than mode and median (low outlier)46
7314544019measures of variabilitydepict diversity of the distribution (range, standard deviation)47
7314544020higher standard deviation =scores are less consistent/reliable48
7314544021normal curve49
73145440223 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 fewer50
7314544023descriptive 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 selected51
7314544024statistically significanthow likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance (p-value) p< or = .05 (5% or less to chance; 95% or more due to IV)52
7314544025culture (behavior)enduring behaviors ideas, attitudes, and how people perceive different situations, such as body shape, early sex, etc.53
7314544028ethics in researchinformed consent protection from harm/discomfort maintain confidentiality debriefing deception; moderate psych harm54

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