Ch. 2 -- Methods In Psychhology

Front 1

empiricism

Back 1

the belief that accurate knowledge can be acquired through observation

Front 2

scientific method

Back 2

a procedure for finding truth by using empirical evidence

Front 3

theory

Back 3

a hypothetical explanation of a natural phenomenon

Front 4

hypothesis

Back 4

a falsifiable prediction made by a theory

Front 5

empirical method

Back 5

a set of rules and techniques for observation

Front 6

operational definition

Back 6

a description of a property in concrete, measurable forms

Front 7

instrument

Back 7

anything that can detect the condition to which an operational definition refers

Front 8

validity

Back 8

the goodness with which a concrete event defines a property

Front 9

reliability

Back 9

the tendency for an instrument to produce the same measurement whenever it is used to measure the same thing

Front 10

power

Back 10

an instrument’s ability to detect small magnitudes of the property

Front 11

demand characteristics

Back 11

those aspects of an observational setting that cause people to behave as they think someone else wants or expects

Front 12

naturalistic observation

Back 12

a technique for gathering scientific information by unobtrusively observing people in their natural environments

Front 13

double-blind observation

Back 13

an observation whose true purpose is hidden from both the observer and the person being observed

Front 14

frequency distribution

Back 14

a graphical representation of measurements arranged by the number of times each measurement was made

Front 15

normal distribution

Back 15

a mathematically defined distribution in which the frequency of measurements is highest in the middle and decreases symmetrically in both directions

Front 16

mode

Back 16

the value of the most frequently observed measurement

Front 17

mean

Back 17

the average value of all the measurements

Front 18

median

Back 18

the value that is in the middle; that is, greater than or equal to half the measurements and less than or equal to half the measurements

Front 19

range

Back 19

the value of the largest measurement in a frequency distribution minus the value of the smallest distribution

Front 20

variable

Back 20

a property whose value can vary across individuals or over time

Front 21

correlation

Back 21

two variables are said to "be correlated" when variations in the value of one variable are synchronized with variations in the value of the other

Front 22

correlation coefficient

Back 22

a mathematical measure of both the direction and strength of a correlation, which is symbolized by the letter r

Front 23

natural correlation

Back 23

a correlation observed in the world around us

Front 24

third-variable correlation

Back 24

two variables are correlate only because each is causally related to a third variable

Front 25

matched samples

Back 25

a technique whereby the participants in two groups are identical in terms of a third variable

Front 26

matched pairs

Back 26

a technique whereby each participant is identical to one other participant in terms of a third variable

Front 27

third-variable problem

Back 27

the fact that a causal relationship between two variables cannot be inferred from the naturally occurring correlation between them because of the ever-present possibility of third-variable correlation

Front 28

experiment

Back 28

a technique for establishing the causal relationship between variables

Front 29

manipulation

Back 29

changing a variable in order to determine its causal power

Front 30

independent variable

Back 30

the variable that is manipulated in an experiment

Front 31

experimental group

Back 31

the group of people who are expose to a particular manipulation, as compare to the control group, in an experiment

Front 32

control group

Back 32

the group of people who are not exposed to the particular manipulation, as compared to the experimental group, in an experiment

Front 33

dependent variable

Back 33

the variable that is measured in a study

Front 34

self-selection

Back 34

a problem that occurs when anything about a person determines whether he or she will be included in the experimental or control group

Front 35

random assignment

Back 35

a procedure that lets chance assign people to the experimental or control group

Front 36

internal validity

Back 36

an attribute of an experiment that allows it to establish causal relationships

Front 37

external validity

Back 37

an attribute of an experiment in which variables have been defined in a normal, typical, or realistic way

Front 38

population

Back 38

a compete collection of participants who might possibly be measured

Front 39

sample

Back 39

a partial collection of people drawn from a population

Front 40

case method

Back 40

a procedure for gathering scientific information by studying a single individual

Front 41

random sampling

Back 41

a technique for choosing participants that ensures that every member of a population has an equal chance of being included in the sample

Front 42

informed consent

Back 42

a written agreement to participate in a study made by an adult who has been informed of all the risks that participation may entail

Front 43

debriefing

Back 43

a verbal description of the true nature and purpose of a study