Phyc Ch1.

Front 1

hindsight bias

Back 1

the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it.
(Also known as the I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon.)

Front 2

critical thinking

Back 2

thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and
conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions

Front 3

theory

Back 3

an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes
observations and predicts behaviors or events.

Front 4

hypothesis

Back 4

a testable prediction, often implied by a theory.

Front 5

operational definition

Back 5

a statement of the procedures (operations) used
to define research variables. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as “what an intelligence test measures.”

Front 6

replication

Back 6

repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances.

Front 7

case study

Back 7

an observation technique in which one person is studied in-depth in the hope of revealing universal principles.

Front 8

naturalistic observation

Back 8

observing and recording behavior in naturally
occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

Front 9

survey

Back 9

a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group.

Front 10

population

Back 10

all the cases in a group being studied, from which samples may be drawn. (Note: Except for national studies, this does not refer to a country’s whole population.)

Front 11

random sample

Back 11

a sample that fairly represents a population because
each member has an equal chance of inclusion

Front 12

correlation

Back 12

a measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other

Front 13

correlation coefficient

Back 13

a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from 1 to +1)

Front 14

scatterplot

Back 14

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 (little scatter indicates high correlation).

Front 15

experiment

Back 15

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.

Front 16

experimental group

Back 16

in an experiment, the group that is exposed to
the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable.

Front 17

control group

Back 17

in 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.

Front 18

random assignment

Back 18

assigning participants to experimental and control
groups by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between
those assigned to the different groups.

Front 19

double - blind procedure

Back 19

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.

Front 20

placebo effect

Back 20

experimental 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.

Front 21

independent variable

Back 21

the experimental factor that is manipulated; the
variable whose effect is being studied.

Front 22

confounding variable

Back 22

a factor other than the independent variable
that might produce an effect in an experiment.

Front 23

dependent variable

Back 23

the outcome factor; the variable that may change
in response to manipulations of the independent variable

Front 24

mode

Back 24

the most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution.

Front 25

mean

Back 25

the arithmetic average of a distribution, obtained by adding the scores and then dividing by the number of scores.

Front 26

median

Back 26

the middle score in a distribution; half the scores are above it and half are below it.

Front 27

range

Back 27

the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution.

Front 28

standard deviation

Back 28

a computed measure of how much scores vary
around the mean score.

Front 29

normal curve

Back 29

(normal distribution) a symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many types of data; most scores fall near the mean, or average (about 68 percent fall within one standard deviation of it) and fewer and fewer near the extremes.

Front 30

statistical significance

Back 30

a statistical
statement of how likely it is that an
obtained result occurred by chance.

Front 31

culture

Back 31

the enduring behaviors, ideas,
attitudes, values, and traditions shared
by a group of people and transmitted
from one generation to the next.

Front 32

informed consent

Back 32

an ethical principle that research participants be
told enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate

Front 33

debriefing

Back 33

the post experimental explanation of a study, including its
purpose and any deceptions, to its participants.