Quiz 1 Flashcards
What is critical thinking
thinking that does not automatically accept arguments and conclusions
The steps of critical thinking
1) Examines assumptions
2) Judge the source – scientist or not
3) Notice hidden biases
4) Evaluates evidence
5) Assesses conclusions
Hindsight Bias
(flaws in critical thinking)
the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one knew the outcome ahead of time
Overconfidence
(flaws in critical thinking)
we think we know more than we do, and we have resistance to seeking out facts
Confirmation Bias
(Errors in thinking)
the tendency to seek out evidence that supports our hypothesis neglect or distort contradicting evidence
Belief Perseverance
(Errors in thinking)
the tendency to stick to our initial beliefs even if evidence contradicts beliefs
Scientific theory
an explanation for a large number of observations in the natural world
What do scientific theories make?
new predictions of things that can be expected to happen
Hypothesis
A testable prediction that can support or disconfirm a theory
Operational definitions
Specific definitions that clarify what is being observed and measured. Has to be reliable and logical
Replication
The process of many research studies published that test one specific hypothesis
Scientific method
Planned observations and analyses to test what seems to be true
Research strategies for testing hypotheses and theories
Description, correlation, and experiments
Descriptive research
A systematic objective observation of people. to provide a clear, accurate picture of people’s behaviors, thoughts, and attributes
Case study
Examining one person in depth
Naturalistic observation
record behavior in natural environments. Describes but does not explain behavior
Survey and interview
Examines the opinions or behaviors of many people
Random sampling
Every person in the entire population has an equal chance to participate
correlation
a measure of how closely two factors (variables) vary together, or how well you can predict a change in one from observing a change in the other
variable
includes anything that can vary and is feasible and ethical to measure
can a correlation coefficient prove causation
no
illusory correlation
the perception of a relationship between two variables when only a small or no relationship actually exists
Experimentation
allow researchers to focus on the possible effects of one or more factors in several ways
experimentation and manipulation
they can manipulate the factors of interests to determine their effects
