Unit 1: Thinking Critically With Psychological Science Flashcards
Hindsight biased
The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it
Critical thinking
Thinking that one does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions
Theory
An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors and events
Hypothesis
A testable prediction, often implied by a theory
Operational definition
A statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research variables
Replication
Repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances
Case study
An observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in hope of revealing universal principles
Survey
A technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of a group
Population
All cases in a group being studied from which samples may be drawn
Random sample
A sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion
Naturalistic observations
Job serving and recording behavior is naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation
Correlation
A measure of the extent to which two factors vary together and thus how well either factor predicts the other
Correlation coefficient
A statistical index of the relationship between two things
From -1 to +1
Scatter plot
A graphed cluster of dots with the amount of scatter suggesting the strength of correlation
Illusory correlation
The perception of a relationship where none exists
Experiment
Research method in which (a) factor(s) are manipulated (independent variable) to observe the effect on behavior or mental processes (dependent variable)
Random assignment
Assigning participants to an experimental or control group by chance
Double-blind procedure
Experimental procedure in which the researcher and participants don’t know which participants were assigned the treatment of the placebo
Placebo effect
Experimental results cause by expectations alone
Experimental group
Group that exposed to the treatment
Control group
The group that is not exposed to the treatment
Independent variable
Experimental factor that is manipulated
Dependent variable
The out come; response
Mode
Most frequently occurring
Mean
Arithmetic average
Median
Middle score in a distribution
Range
Difference between the highest and lowest score
Standard deviation
Computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean
Normal curve
Symmetrical bell shaped curve that describes the distribution of many types of data
Statistical significance
How likely it is that a result occurred by chance
Culture
Behaviors, ideas, attitudes and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next
