Quizlet Psych Ch. 1

Print Options

This box will be automatically hidden when printing. Return to Set Page


  1. blind: uninformed
  2. case study: psychologists study one individual in great depth in the hope of revealing things true of us all
  3. control condition: the condition of an experiment that contrasts with the experimental condition and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment
  4. correlation coefficient: a statistical measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and these of how well either factor predicts the other
  5. correlational (research methods): to detect naturally occurring relationships; to assess how well one variable predicts another; compute statistical association, sometimes among survey responses; no manipulation; problems - that it doesn't specify cause and effect
  6. critical thinking: thinking that does not blindy accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions
  7. culture: the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a large group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next
  8. dependent variable: the experimental factor - in psychology, the behavior or mental processes- ths is being measured; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable
  9. descriptive (research methods): to observe and record behavior; do case studies, surveys, or naturalistic observations; no manipulation; problems can be an atypical sample or biased observations
  10. double-blind procedure: an experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are blind about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug-evaluation theories.
  11. experiment: a research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (dependent variable). By random assignment of participants, the experiment controls other relevant factors
  12. experimental (research methods): to explore cause and effet; manipulate one or more factors, use random assignment; manipulates independent variable; problems- sometimes not feasible; results may not generalize to other contexts
  13. experimental condition: the condition of an experiment that exposes participants to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable
  14. false consensus effect: the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors
  15. hindsight bias: tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it; "I-knew-it-all-along" phenomenon
  16. humility: an awareness of our own vulnerability to error and an openness to surprises and new perspectives
  17. hypothesis: a testable prediction, often implied by a theory
  18. illusory correlation: the perception of a relationship where none exists
  19. independent variable: the experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied
  20. mean: the arithmetic average of a distribution, obtained by adding the scores and then dividing by the nunber of scores
  21. median: the middle score in a distribution; half the scores are above it and half are below it
  22. mode: the most frequently occurring score in a distribution
  23. naturalistic observation: observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation
  24. operational definitions: a statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research variables. For example, intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence test measures
  25. placebo effect: experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which is assumed to be an active agent
  26. population: all the cases in a grouop, from which samples may be drawn for a study
  27. random assignment: assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups
  28. random sample: a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion
  29. random sampling: helps us generalize to a larger population
  30. range: the difference between the highest and lowest scores (data) in a distribution
  31. 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
  32. scatterplot: a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables. The slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between the two variables. The amount of scatter suggests the strength of the correlation (little scatter indicates high correlation)
  33. standard deviation: a computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score
  34. statistical significance: a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance
  35. survey: a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of people, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of them
  36. theory: an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes and predicts observations. Useful summary of facts and principles.