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AP Psych-Unit 2 Flashcards

All terms from text plus Sample, Placebo, Inferential Statistics & 4 peoples

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7232282896Hindsight BiasThe tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that you knew that all along0
7232282897Critical ThinkingThinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.1
7232282898TheoryAn explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes and predicts observations2
7232282899HypothesisA testable prediction, often implied by a theory3
7232282900Operational DefinitionA statement of the procedures used to define research variables. Ex: human intelligence -- what an intelligence test measures.4
7232282901ReplicationRepeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances5
7232282902Case StudyAn observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles6
7232282903SurveyA technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of people, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of them7
7232282904PopulationAll the cases in a group, from which samples may be drawn for a study8
7232282905Random SampleA sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion9
7232282906Naturalistic ObservationObserving and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation10
7232282907CorrelationA measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other. The correlation coefficient is the mathematical expression of the relationship, ranging from -1 to +111
7232282908Correlation Coefficienta statistical index of the relationship between two things (from -1 to +1)12
7232282909Scatter plotA 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 correlation13
7232282910Illusory CorrelationThe perception of a relationship where none exists14
7232282911ExperimentA research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors (independent variables) to observe the effects on some behavior or mental process (the dependent variable). By random assignment of participants, the experimenter aims to control other relevant variable15
7232282912Random AssignmentAssigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance ,thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups16
7232282913Double Blind ProcedureAn experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug-evaluation studies17
7232282914Placebo Effectany effect that seems to be a consequence of administering a placebo18
7232282915Experimental Groupin an experiment, the group that is exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable.19
7232282916Control 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
7232282917Independent VariableThe experimental factor that is manipulated--the variable whose effect is being studied21
7232282918Confounding Variablea factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment.22
7232282919Dependent VariablesThe outcome factor -- the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable23
7232282920ModeThe most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution24
7232282921MeanThe arithmetic average of a distribution, obtaining by adding the scores and then dividing by the number of scores25
7232282922MedianThe middle score in a distribution--half the scores are above it and half are below it26
7232282923Standard DeviationsA computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score27
7232282924Normal Curve/distributiona symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many types of data; most scores fall near the mean (68% fall within one standard deviation of it) and fewer near the extremes28
7232282925Statistical SignificanceA statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance29
7232282926Culturethe enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a large group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next30
7232282927Informed Consentan ethical principle requiring that research participants be told enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate31
7232282928Debriefingthe post-experimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants32
7232282929Sampleitems selected at random from a population and used to test hypotheses about the population33
7232282930Rangethe difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution34
7232282931Inferential Statisticsnumerical methods used to determine whether research data support a hypothesis or whether results were due to chance35
7232282932Placeboexperimental 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.36
7232282933Kenneth and Mamie ClarkUsed dolls to study children's attitude towards race. Their findings were used in the Brown vs. Board trial.37

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