Unit 2
Terms : Hide Images
| 218349308 | hindsight bias | the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it | |
| 218349309 | amazing Randi | the magician who exemplifies skepticism. He has tested and debunked a variety of psychic phenomena | |
| 218349310 | critical thinking | thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions | |
| 218349311 | theory | an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events | |
| 218349312 | hypothesis | a testable prediction, often implied by a theory | |
| 218349313 | operational definition | a statement of the procedures used to define research variables | |
| 218349314 | replicate | repeating the essence of the research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances | |
| 218349315 | case study | an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles | |
| 218349316 | survey | a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of people, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of them | |
| 218349317 | false consensus effect | the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors | |
| 218349318 | population | all the cases in a group, from which samples may be drawn for a study | |
| 218349319 | random sample | a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion | |
| 218349320 | overconfidence | the tendency to overestimate the accurary of our knowledge | |
| 218349321 | conformation bias | a tendency to search for information that confirms ones preconceptions | |
| 218349322 | naturalistic observation | observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation | |
| 218349323 | confounding variables | occurs when two variables are linked together in a way that makes it difficult to sort out their specific effects | |
| 218349324 | Hawthorne effect | the tendency for people to behave differently when they know they are being studied | |
| 218349325 | correlation (+/-) | a measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other | |
| 218349326 | correlation coefficient | mathematical expression of the relationship ranging from -1 to +1 | |
| 218349327 | scatterplot | a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables. The slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between the two variables. The amount of scatter suggests the strength of the correlation | |
| 218349328 | illusory correlation | the perception of a relationship where none exists | |
| 218349329 | experiment | a research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent variable). By random assignment of participants, the experimenter aims to control other relevant factors. | |
| 218349330 | 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. | |
| 218349331 | placebo effect | experimental 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. | |
| 218349332 | experimental condition (group) | the condition of an experiment that exposes participants to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable | |
| 218349333 | control condition (group) | the condition of an experiment that contrasts with the experimental condition and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment | |
| 218349334 | random assignment | assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups | |
| 218349335 | independent variable | the experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied | |
| 218349336 | dependent variable | the outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable | |
| 218349337 | measures of central tendency | a single score that represents a whole set of scores | |
| 218353801 | mean | the arithmetic average of a distribution, obtained by adding the scores and then dividing by the number of scores | |
| 218353802 | median | the middle score in a distribution; half the scores are above it and half are below it | |
| 218353803 | mode | the most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution | |
| 218353804 | range | the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution | |
| 218353805 | standard deviation | a computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score | |
| 218353806 | z-score | a measure of how many standard deviations you are away from the mean | |
| 218353807 | statistically significant (p-value) | researchers report their findings as _______ if their _______ is 5% or less | |
| 218353808 | frequency distributions | 68% - 95% - 99.7% | |
| 218353809 | culture | the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a large group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next |
