Psychology Chapter 1

Front 1

independent variable

Back 1

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

Front 2

random assignment

Back 2

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

Front 3

dependent variable

Back 3

the experimental factor- in psychology, the behavior or mental process- that is being measured; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable.

Front 4

mode

Back 4

the most frequently occurring score in a distribution

Front 5

mean

Back 5

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

Front 6

median

Back 6

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

Front 7

range

Back 7

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

Front 8

standard deviation

Back 8

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

Front 9

case study

Back 9

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

Front 10

false consensus effect

Back 10

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

Front 11

population

Back 11

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

Front 12

random sample

Back 12

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

Front 13

correlation coefficient

Back 13

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

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). (Also called a scattergram or scatter diagram.)

Front 15

illusory correlation

Back 15

the perception of a relationship where none exists.

Front 16

double-blind procedure

Back 16

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 17

placebo effect

Back 17

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.

Front 18

experimental condition

Back 18

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

Front 19

control condition

Back 19

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

Front 20

hindsight bias

Back 20

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 21

critical thinking

Back 21

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

Front 22

theory

Back 22

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

Front 23

hypothesis

Back 23

a testable prediction, often implied by a theory.

Front 24

operational definition

Back 24

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

Front 25

replication

Back 25

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 26

culture

Back 26

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

Front 27

experiment

Back 27

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 experiment controls other relevant factors.

Front 28

naturalistic observation

Back 28

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

Front 29

statistical significance

Back 29

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

Front 30

survey

Back 30

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