Unit 1 Resaerch Textbook Definitions

Question 1

critical thinking
pg. 24

Answer 1

thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather it examins assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions

Question 2

theory
pg.25

hypothesis

Answer 2

theory:
ideas to explain results of experiment

hypothesis: a testable prediction, often implied by a theory

Question 3

operational definition
pg. 25

Answer 3

taking observations as immeasurable to measurable. Happiness isn’t measurable in dogs but their actions (wagging tails, running around) is

Question 4

false consensus effect

illusory correlation
pg 28 online

placebo
pg. 31 online

hindsight bias
pg.20

Answer 4

false consensus effect: tendency to overvalue the prevalence of their own beliefs, values, and behaviors. It suggests that people often project their personal attitudes onto others, assuming these perspectives are more widespread than they truly are.

illusory correlation: the perception of
a relationship where none exists

placebo: effect experimental results caused by expectations alone;
any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient assumes is an active agent.

hindsight bias: the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it,

I knew it all along

Question 5

experiment
pg. 31 online

Answer 5

manipulating indepenant variables to find affect on dependant variable

Question 6

experimental group:

control group:
pg.31 online

Answer 6

experimental group: group that is exposed to the treatment

control group: group that is not exposed to the treatment serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment.

Question 7

independent variable:

dependent variable:

pg.32 online

Answer 7

independent: the experimental factor that is manipulated

dependent: outcome factor; the variable that changes in response to manipulations of the independent variable

Question 8

mode

mean:

median:

range:

pg.34 online

statistical significance
pg. 37 online

Answer 8

mode: the most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution.

mean: the arithmetic average of a distribution, obtained by adding the scores
and then dividing by the number of
scores. (sum of #s divied by # of #s)

median: the middle score in a distribution; half the scores are above it and half
are below it.

range: the difference between the
highest and lowest scores in a distribution.

statistical significance:
how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance.

Question 9

standard deviation
pg 34 online

Answer 9

a computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score.
(total-mean)^2 = squared devation
Sum of squared devations/ # of test subjects=standered devation

Question 10

normal curve (normal distribution)

pg. 36 online

Answer 10

a symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many types
of data; most scores fall near the mean (68 percent fall within one standard deviation of it) and fewer and fewer near the extremes.

Question 11

culture
pg. 39 online

Answer 11

the enduring behaviors, ideas,
attitudes, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next.

Question 12

Types of research methods

random assignment:
pg 31 online

case study
pg.26

Survey
pg.27

double-blind procedure

replication
pg.25

lab experiment:

field experiment:

natural experiment:

correlation study:

observational study:

Answer 12

random assignment: participants to experimental and control
groups random, selected by chance,

case study:one person is studied

survey: self-reported attitudes or behaviors from Q and A’s written

double-blind procedure: participants and the research
staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo.

replication:repeating the essence of a research study, with different participants in different situations,** to see** whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances

lab experiment: in a lab manipulating independent variable to see results on the dependent variable

field experiment: like lab but in real life

natural experiment: independent variable not manipulated, dependent variable just observed

correlation study: to see how 2 or more variables affect each other, scatter plots and such (ex. height and temper)

observational study: the reservation and recording no interpretation