Chapter 1 Flashcards
Overconfidence
More confident than correct- to overestimate the accuracy of one’s beliefs.
Hindsight Bias
The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome that one would have seen it all along. The “I-knew-it-all-along” phenomenon.
Critical Thinking
Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. It examines assumptions, values, evidence, and conclusions.
Scientific Method
Making observations, forming theories,and refining old theories.
Theory
An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes and predicts observations.
Hypothesis
A testable prediction, often implied by a theory.
Operational Definitions
A statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research variables. It ALLOWS us to measure variables. Example: human intelligence may be defined as what an intelligence test measures.
Replicate
Repeating the essence of research study. Usually with different subjects in different subjects in different circumstances, to see if the findings will occur again.
Case Study
An observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles.
Survey
A technique for ascertaining the self reported attitudes or behaviors of people, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of them.
False Consensus Effect
The tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors.
Population
All the cases in a group, from which samples may be drawn for a study.
Random Sample
A sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion
Experiment
A method where you manipulate one or more factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (dependent variables). The experimenter aims or control other relevant factors.
Double-blind Procedure
An experimental procedure where patient and researcher are blind to whether they have real drugs or placebos. Used in drug evaluation studies.
Placebo Effect
Experimental results caused by expectations alone; and effect on behavior caused by the administration to inherit substance or condition which is assumed to be an active agent.
Experimental Condition
The condition of an experiment that exposes participants to treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable.
Control Condition
The condition of an experiment that contrasts with the experimental condition and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment.
Random Assignment
Assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups.
Independent Variable
The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.
Dependent Variable
The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable.
Mode
The most frequently occurring scores in a distribution.
Mean
The average of scores.
Median
The middle score in a distribution.
Range
The difference between the highest and lowest scores in distribution.
Standard Deviation
A computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score.
Statistical Significance
A statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance.
Culture
The enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a large group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next.
Wording effects
Small changes in wording questions that can have a big effect. Critical thinkers use this. Ex: not allowing versus forbidding.
Correlation Coefficient
A statistical measure of the direction and strength of a relationship. The number closest to one is the strongest.
Sample
The small group participants (population), out of the total number available that a researcher studies.
