Thinking Critically (chap 1 overview)

Question 1

What does a good theory

Answer 1

1) organize observed facts

2) implies hypotheses that offer testable predictions and sometimes pratical applications

Question 2

random sample

Answer 2

a sample fairly represents a population because each member han an equal chance of inclusion

Question 3

correlation coefficient

Answer 3

a statistical index of the relationship between two things (-1 to +1)

Question 4

What is a sampling bias and how does researchers avoid it?

Answer 4

random samples helps researchers avoid sampling bias, which occurs when a survey group is not representative of the population being studied

Question 5

double blind procedure

Answer 5

an experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant (“blind”) about whether the research participants have recieved the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug-evaluatiion studies.

Question 6

Independent variable

Answer 6

the experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied

Question 7

depended variable

Answer 7

the outcome factor; the variable that may change the response to manipulations of the independent variable

Question 8

confunding variable

Answer 8

a factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment.

Question 9

By usig random variables, researchers are able to control for_____________, which are other factors besides the independent variable(s) that may influence research results

Answer 9

confounding variables

Question 10

mode

Answer 10

the most frequent occuring scor(s) in a distribution

Question 11

mean

Answer 11

the arithmetic average of a distribution, obtained by adding the scores and then dividing by the number of scores

Question 12

median

Answer 12

the middel score in a distribution; half the scores are above it and half are below it.

Question 13

Behaviroisme (Skinner, Watson)

Answer 13

the view that psychology should (1) be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not (2)

Question 14

Biopsychosocail approach

Answer 14

biological, psychological and social-cultural