Psychology: Unit 1

Front 1

empirical evidence

Back 1

evidence that's the result of objective observation, measurement, and experimentation

Front 2

hypothesis

Back 2

tentative statement that describes the relationship between 2 or more stativariables

Front 3

variables

Back 3

factors that can vary or change

Front 4

operational definition

Back 4

defines the variable in terms of how it is to be measures, manipulated, or changed

Front 5

statistically significant

Back 5

results aren't very likely to have occured by chance

Front 6

meta-analysis

Back 6

analyze results of many research studies on a specific topic

Front 7

theory

Back 7

tentative explanation that tries to integrate and account for the relationship of various findings and observations

Front 8

descriptive research methods

Back 8

scientific procedures that involve systematically observing behavior in order to describe the relationship among behaviors and events

Front 9

naturalistic observation

Back 9

systematic observation and recording of behaviors as they occur in their natural setting

Front 10

pseudoscience

Back 10

fake science that makes claims based on little or no scientific evidence

Front 11

paranormal phenomena

Back 11

alleged abilities or events that fall outside the range of normal experience and eastablished scientific explanations

Front 12

rule of falsifability

Back 12

in order for a claim to be scientifically tested and proved true, there must be identifiable evidence that could prove the claim false

Front 13

illusory correlation

Back 13

mistaken belief that 2 factors or events are related when they are not

Front 14

case study

Back 14

intensive study of a single individual or small group of individuals

Front 15

sample

Back 15

selected segment of the population used to represent the group that is being studied

Front 16

representative sample

Back 16

selected segment that very closely paralells the larger population being studied on relevant characteristics

Front 17

random selection

Back 17

process in which subjects are selected randomly from a larger group such that every group member has an equal change of being included in the study

Front 18

correlation coefficient

Back 18

numerical indication of the magnitude and direction of the relationship between 2 variables

Front 19

correlational study

Back 19

research strategy that allows the precise calculation of how strongly related 2 factors are to each other

Front 20

postivie correlation

Back 20

finding that 2 factors vary systematically in the same direction, increasing or decreasing together

Front 21

negative correlation

Back 21

finding that 2 factors vary systematically in opposite directions, one increasing as the other decreases

Front 22

experimental method

Back 22

method of investigation used to demonstrate cause-and-effect relationships by purposefuly manipulating one factor throught to produce change in another factor

Front 23

independent variable

Back 23

purposely manipulated factor thought to produce change in an experiment

Front 24

dependent variable

Back 24

factor that is observed and measured for change in an experiment

Front 25

experimental group/condition

Back 25

in an experiment, the group of participants who are exposed to all experimental conditions

Front 26

control group/condition

Back 26

in an experiment, the group of participants who are exposed to all experimental conditions, except the independent variable

Front 27

placebo control group

Back 27

control group where participants are exposed to fake independent variable or placebo. Effects of placebo are compared to effects of the actual independent variable

Front 28

comparative psych.

Back 28

branch of psych that studies behavior of different animals species

Front 29

practice effect

Back 29

any change in performance that results from mere repetition of a task

Front 30

biological psychology

Back 30

specialized branch of psychology that studies the relatinoship between behavior and bodily processes and systems

Front 31

neuroscience

Back 31

study of nervous system; especially the brain

Front 32

neuron

Back 32

highly specialized cell that communicated info in electrical and chemical form; a nerve cell

Front 33

glial cells

Back 33

support cells that assist neurons by providing structural support, nutrition, and removal of cell wastes

Front 34

sensory neuron

Back 34

type of neuron that conveys info to the brain from specialized receptor cells in sense organs and internal organs

Front 35

motor neuron

Back 35

signals muscles to relax or contract

Front 36

interneuron

Back 36

communicates info from 1 neuron to the next