Chapter 2 Flashcards
Theory
Organized system of assumptions and principles that appears to explain a specified set of phenomena and their interrelationships.
Hypothesis
Statement that attempts to predict or to account for a set of phenomena.
Confirmation bias
The tendency to look for or pay attention only to that confirms one’s own belief.
Representative sample
A group of individuals selected from a population to be studied, which matches the population on important characteristics like age or sex.
Descriptive methods
Methods that yield descriptions of behavior but not necessarily casual explanations.
Case study (case history)
A detailed description of a particular individual being studied or treated.
Observational study
A study in which a researcher carefully and systematically observes and records behavior with the behavior; may involve natural or laboratory observation.
Psychological tests
Procedures used to measure and evaluate personality traits, emotional states, aptitudes, interests, abilities, and values.
Standardize
In test construction, to develop uniform procedures for giving and scoring a test.
Norms
In test construction, established standards of performance.
Reliability
In test construction, the consistency of scores derived from a test, from one time and place to another.
Validity
The ability of a test to measure what it was designed to measure.
Surveys
Questionnaires and interviews that ask people directly about their experiences, attitudes, or opinions.
Volunteer bias
A shortcoming of findings derived from a sample of volunteers instead of a representative sample; the volunteers may differ from those who did not volunteer.
Correlation
A measure of how strongly two variables are related to another.
