Thinking Critically with Psychological Science Flashcards
Naturalistic Observation
Observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation
Scatterplot
Graphed cluster of dots which represents 2 variables
Illusory Correlation
The perception of a relationship where none exists
Negative Correlation
When 1 variable increases while the other decreases
Positive Correlation
When 2 variables increase/decrease together
Double-blind procedure
When neither participants or the staff know about the experiment
Placebo Effect
Thinking one is getting treatment to an ailment where their spirits are boosted, their body relaxes and they show symptom-free
Correlation Coefficient
A statistical measure of the relationship between traits or behaviors
Experimental Condition
People are exposed to the treatment
Control Condition
The condition of an experiment that contrasts with experimental condition. People who do not receive the treatment
Standard Deviation
A computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score
Statistical Significance
A statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance
Hindsight bias
The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it. The “I-knew-it-all-along” phenomenon
Case study
An observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles
Survey
A technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of people, usually by questioning a representative, random sample
