Unit 0 Terms Flashcards
Overconfidence
The tendency to be more confident than correct- to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments
Hindsight bias
The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it.
(“I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon”)
Peer reviewers
Scientific experts who evaluate a research article’s theory, originality, and accuracy
False-consensus effect
Tendency to assume that one’s own opinions, beliefs, attributes, or behaviors are more widely shared than is actually the case
Confirmation bias
A tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence
Falsifiable hypothesis
The possibility that an idea, hypothesis, or theory can be disproven by observation or experiment
Operational definition
A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures (operations) used in a research study. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence test measures. How you are quantifiably measuring the variable.
Replication
Repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding can be reproduced
Case study
A non-experimental technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles
Naturalistic observation
A non-experimental technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation
Z- scores
The standardized score that results from applying a z-score transformation to raw data
Social desirability bias
Bias from people’s responding in ways they presume a researcher expects or wishes
Variable
Anything that can vary and is feasible and ethical to measure
Scatterplot
A graphed cluster of dots, each which represents the values of two variables. Slope suggests the direction of the relationship between two variables. The amount of scatter suggests the strength of correlation. (Little scatter indicates high correlation)
Illusory correlation
Perceiving a relationship where none exists, or perceiving a stronger-than-actual relationship.
Regression toward the mean
The tendency for extreme or unusual scores or events to fall back toward the average
Experiment
A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process
Experimental group
The group exposed to the treatment
Random assignment
Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between the different groups
Control group
The group not exposed to the treatment