Unit 2

Front 1

Hindsight Bias

Back 1

The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one could have forseen it

I knew that would happen

Front 2

Critical Thinking

Back 2

Does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions.

Examines assumptions, assesses the source, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, assesses conclusions

Front 3

Theory

Back 3

An explanation 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 carefully worded statement of the exact procedures (operations) used in a research study.

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

One individual or group is studied in depth to reveal universal truths and principles

Front 8

Naturalistic Observation

Back 8

Observing and recording behavior without manipulating the situation

Front 9

Survey

Back 9

Method for collecting self-assessed attitudes and behaviors from a representative sample.

More cases, less in depth

Front 10

Sampling Bias

Back 10

A flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample

Front 11

Population

Back 11

People in a group being studied

Front 12

Random Sample

Back 12

Equally represents a population

Each member has chance of inclusion

Front 13

Correlation

Back 13

how one thing relates to another

(variables changing together)

How well one predicts the other

Front 14

Correlation Coefficient

Back 14

Statistical index of the relationship between two variables (from −1.0 to +1.0)

Front 15

Scatterplot

Back 15

A graphed cluster of dots, each representing the values of two variables.

Slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between the two variables.

Amount of scatter suggests the strength of the correlation

(Little scatter indicates high correlation)

Front 16

Illusory Correlation

Back 16

Perceiving a relationship between things when there is none

Front 17

Experiment

Back 17

Investigator manipulates one or more variables/factors to study the effects on mental process or behavior

Done by random assignment to equalize groups

Front 18

Experimental Group

Back 18

Receives treatment/medicine

Front 19

Control Group

Back 19

does not receive treatment

Front 20

Random Assignment

Back 20

Assigning participants to groups by chance

Everyone has fair chance of either group

Control all variables

Front 21

Double-Blind Procedure

Back 21

Neither participants nor the researchers administering the treatment/recording data knows who received treatment or placebo

Front 22

Placebo Effect

Back 22

Phenomenon of one receiving a “placebo” or a treatment with no effect, and receiving the benefits based on expectation.

Illusion of receiving a treatment has psychological factors that cause people to believe the “treatment” is working and showing effects.

Front 23

Independent Variable

Back 23

Variable we change to see the effect

Front 24

Dependent Variable

Back 24

outcome factor of changing independent variable

uncontrollably changes when independent variable is manipulated

Front 25

Confounding Variable

Back 25

Additional factor that might produce an effect in an experiment.

Front 26

Validity

Back 26

the extent to which a test or experiment measures or predicts what it is supposed to.

Front 27

Descriptive Statistics

Back 27

Numerical data used to measure and describe characteristics of groups.

Includes measures of central tendency and measures of variation.

Front 28

Histogram

Back 28

Bar graph showing frequency distribution

Front 29

Mode

Back 29

Most frequent number

Front 30

Mean

Back 30

Average number in set (total numbers)

Front 31

Median

Back 31

Middle number(all numbers)

Front 32

Skewed Distribution

Back 32

When data has many outliers

Bell curve is distorted

Front 33

Range

Back 33

Difference between highest and lowest number

Front 34

Standard Deviation

Back 34

Measure of how scores vary around the mean score

Front 35

Normal Curve

(Normal Distribution)

Back 35

Bell-shaped curve that shows distribution of data

Most scores (68% within one deviation) near mean

Front 36

Inferential Statistics

Back 36

Data that allows for generalization

Being able to infer things for general population

after study on sample group

Front 37

Statistical Significance

Back 37

How likely that an obtained result occurred by chance

Front 38

Culture

Back 38

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

Front 39

Informed Consent

Back 39

Participants being told enough about experiment to decide to participate

Front 40

Debriefing

Back 40

Explaining research, deceptions, and purpose to participants after experiment