Lecture 2 + Textbook Ch1: Module 2-3 Flashcards
If we want to know something, we…
We could make a reasonable guess based on our experiences, thoughts and beliefs, we could go ask people, and we could conduct research ourselves
What are the 3 limits to using our intuition or commonsense?
The coincidence error (mistakenly perceiving order in random events), hindsight bias, and overconfidence error
What is The Coincidence Error?
Perceiving order in random events where there isn’t any, which makes us think we can make a prediction from a random series (seeing a pattern where there isn’t one)
What is Hindsight Bias?
After learning the outcome of an event, many people believe they could have predicted that very outcome. “I knew it all along”
What is Overconfidence Error?
Overestimating our performance, our rate of work, our skills, and our degree of self-control. “I am sure I am correct”
Why do we overuse our intuition?
Sometimes our intuition gives us the right answer, which makes us trust it even more (e.g., positive reinforcement)
What is Scientific Research?
It is more effective and generalizable than intuition, avoids hindsight bias, and forces us to look at evidence compared to our guesses
What is the importance of Scientific Research?
“facts” and “truths” often come from research, and people who do not understand research sometimes misinterpret research findings
What is The Scientific Method?
a self-correcting process for evaluating ideas with observation and analysis.
What are the 4 key features of The Scientific Method?
Theories, hypothesis, research & observation, and replication
What are the 3 key psychological research methods?
experimental research, descriptive research, and correlational research
What is Experimental Research?
Manipulation and control of variables, identifying cause and effect
What is Descriptive Research?
The researcher observes and records behaviour without producing casual explanations
What is Correlational Research?
The researcher observes or measures (without directly manipulating) two or more variables to determine if there is a relationship between them.
What are the advantages of Experimental Research?
Allows researchers precise control over variables and to identify cause and effect.
What are the advantages of Descriptive Research?
Minimizes artificiality, easier to collect data, allows description of behaviour and mental processes as they occur
What are the advantages of Correlational Research?
Helps clarify relationships between variables that cannot be examined by other methods and allows prediction
What are the 2 problems of correlation?
Illusory correlations (superstitions) and regression towards the mean
What is Positive Correlation?
two variables move in the same direction
What is Negative Correlation?
two variables move in the opposite direction
What is Zero Correlation?
No correlation
What is Correlation Coefficient?
Statistical measure of the relationship between two variables
What are the 3 Measures of Central Tendency?
Mode, Mean, and Median
What is Mode?
The most frequently occurring score in a distribution
What is Mean?
The arithmetic average of scores in a distribution obtained by adding the scores and then dividing by the number of scores that were added together
What is Median?
The middle score in a rank-ordered distribution
What is Variability?
how similar or different people in the sample are from one another. Two samples with the same mean can be very different
What is Range?
The different between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution
What is Standard Deviation?
A computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean; a calculation of the average distance between scores from the mean
What is a Bell Curve?
Scores on aptitude tests tend to form a normal or bell-shaped curve
What is Post-Truth?
Describing a modern culture where people’s emotions and personal beliefs often override their acceptance of objective facts
What is Operational Definitions?
A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures (operations) used in a research study
What is Independent Variable?
factor that is manipulated
What is Dependent Variable?
factor that is measured
What is Confounding Variable?
a variable other than the variable being studied that might influence a study’s results
