Chapter 1: Introduction to Experimental Psychology Flashcards
This connotes content and process.
Science.
This consists of the scientific techniques we use to collect and evaluate data.
Methodology.
These are the facts we gather using scientific methods.
Data.
A term for nonscientific data gathering, where the approach is to use nonscientific sources of data and nonscientific inferences.
Example: The common belief that “opposites attract.”
Common sense psychology.
This is the kind of everyday, nonscientific gathering that shapes our expectations and beliefs and directs our behavior toward others.
Common sense psychology.
The person’s ability to gather data in a systematic and impartial way is constrained by two (2) factors, which are?
- Sources of psychological information.
- Our inferential strategies.
The data we gather as common sense psychologists come from sources that seem credible and trustworthy: friends, relatives, people with authority.
Sources of psychological information.
This is the nonscientific use of information to explain or predict behavior.
Nonscientific inference.
In this phenomenon, people misuse data to estimate the probability of an event, like when a slot machine will pay off.
Gambler’s fallacy.
In this phenomenon, people falsely assume that specific behaviors cluster together. This ignores individual differences.
Stereotyping.
In this phenomenon, we feel more confident about our conclusions than is warranted by available data.
Overconfidence bias.
The seven (7) characteristics of modern science.
- Scientific mentality.
- Gathering empirical data.
- Seeking general principles.
- Good thinking.
- Self-correction.
- Publicizing results.
- Replication.
This assumes that behavior follows a natural order and can be predicted.
Scientific mentality.
This concept is applied when we believe that the causes of human behavior can be researched.
Principle of determinism.
Data is _________ when observed or experienced, preferably in a systematic and orderly way.
Empirical.
This consists of statements generally expressed as equations with few variables that have overwhelming empirical support.
Law.
This is an interim explanation; a set of related statements used to explain and predict phenomena.
Theory.
These integrate diverse data, explain behavior, and predict new instances of behavior.
Theories.
This is critical to the scientific method; this is when data collection and interpretation are systematic, objective, and rational.
Good thinking.
This concept emphasizes the basic premise that entities should not be multiplied without necessity.
Occam’s Razor.
This principle states that we prefer the simplest useful explanation.
Parsimony (principle of parsimony).
The four (4) major objectives of research conducted in psychology.
- Description.
- Prediction.
- Explanation.
- Control.
In psychological science, this refers to a systematic and unbiased account of the observed characteristics of behaviors.
Description.
This refers to the capacity for knowing in advance when certain behaviors would be expected to occur.
Prediction.
This includes knowledge of the conditions that reliably reproduce the occurrence of a behavior.
Explanation.
This refers to the application of what has been learned about behavior.
Control.
This is research that is designed to solve real-world problems.
Applied research.
This is research designed to test theories or to explain psychological phenomena in humans and animals.
Basic research.
The three (3) main tools of scientific method.
- Observation.
- Measurement.
- Experimentation.
This is the systematic noting and recording of events.
Observation.
This is quantifying an event or behavior according to generally accepted rules.
Measurement.
This is a process undertaken to demonstrate that already observed events will occur consistently under a particular set of conditions.
Experimentation.
This refers to the circumstances that come before the event or behavior that we want to explain.
Antecedent condition.
A specific set of antecedent conditions created by the experimenter and presented to subjects to test its effect on behavior.
Treatment condition.
This is a controlled procedure in which at least two different treatment conditions are applied to subjects.
Psychology experiment.
Experiments establish a ________ ____________, which means that causes must precede effects.
Temporal relationship.
This refers to any field of study that gives the appearance of being scientific, but has no true scientific basis and has not been confirmed using the scientific method.
Pseudoscience.
