Psych Chapter 1: Thinking Critically With Psychological Science

Front 1

the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it

Back 1

hindsight bias

Front 2

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

Back 2

critical thinking

Front 3

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

Back 3

theory

Front 4

a testable prediction, often implied by a theory

Back 4

hypothesis

Front 5

a statement of the procedures used to define research variables.

Back 5

operational definiton

Front 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

Back 6

replication

Front 7

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

Back 7

case study

Front 8

a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of people, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of them

Back 8

survey

Front 9

the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors

Back 9

false consensus effect

Front 10

all the cases in a group, from which samples may be drawn for a study

Back 10

population

Front 11

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

Back 11

random sample

Front 12

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

Back 12

naturalistic observation

Front 13

a 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 1

Back 13

correlation

Front 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)

Back 14

scatterplot

Front 15

the perception of a relationship where none exists

Back 15

illusory correlation

Front 16

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

Back 16

experiment

Front 17

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.

Back 17

double-blind procedure

Front 18

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

Back 18

placebo effect

Front 19

the condition of an experiment that exposes participants to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable

Back 19

experimental condition

Front 20

the condition of an experiment that contrasts with the experimental condition and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment

Back 20

control condition

Front 21

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

Back 21

random assignment

Front 22

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

Back 22

independent variable

Front 23

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

Back 23

dependent variable

Front 24

the most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution

Back 24

mode

Front 25

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

Back 25

mean

Front 26

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

Back 26

median

Front 27

the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution

Back 27

range

Front 28

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

Back 28

standard deviation

Front 29

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

Back 29

statistical significance

Front 30

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

Back 30

culture