Psychology Basics Flashcards
The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it.
Hindsight bias
Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.
Critical thinking
An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes and predicts observations.
Theory
A testable prediction, often implied by a theory.
Hypothesis
A statement of the procedures used to define research variables.
Operational definition
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.
Replication
An observation technique in which one person is studied in depth, in the hope of revealing universal principles.
Case study
A technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of people, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of them.
Survey
The tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors.
False consensus effect
All the cases in a group from which samples may be drawn for a study.
Population
A sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion.
Random sample
Observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation.
Naturalistic observation
A statistical measure that indicates the extent to which two factors vary together, and, thus, how well either factor predicts the other.
Correlation
A graphed cluster of dots.
Scatter plot
The perception of a relationship where none exists.
Illusory correlation
A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors (independent variable) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (dependent variable). By random assignment of participants, the experiment aims to control other relevant factors.
Experiment
An experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant about whether the research participants have received a treatment or a placebo.
Double-blind procedure
The experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior that was caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which is assumed to be an active agent.
Placebo effect
The condition of an experiment that exposes participants to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable.
Experimental condition
The condition of an experiment that contrasts with the experimental condition and serves as a comparison for evaluating effect of the treatment.
Control condition
Assigns participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups.
Random assignment
The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.
Independent variable
The most frequently occurring score in a distribution.
Mode
The arithmetic average of a distribution, obtained by adding the scores and then dividing by the number of scores.
Mean
