module 4-8 key terms

Question 1

hindsight bias

Answer 1

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

Question 2

overconfidence

Answer 2

our confidence in our knowledge is greater than our objective accuracy

Question 3

critical thinking

Answer 3

thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions; rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions

Question 4

hypothesis

Answer 4

a testable prediction often implied by a theory

Question 5

null hypothesis

Answer 5

a statement of no difference (a testable prediction often implied by a theory)

Question 6

alternate hypothesis

Answer 6

a statement of difference (a testable prediction often implied by a theory)

Question 7

operational definitions

Answer 7

a statement to describe the procedures used to define/measure the research variables (DV and IV) of a study

Question 8

replication

Answer 8

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

Question 9

naturalistic observation

Answer 9

a research method that involves the systematic observation of an organism in a natural setting

Question 10

case study

Answer 10

a descriptive research approach to obtain an in-depth analysis of a person, group, or phenomenon

Question 11

survey

Answer 11

a method of collecting self-reported attitudes, opinions, or behaviors of people usually by questioning a representative or random sample of people

Question 12

wording effects

Answer 12

the effect that subtle changes in the words or in the order of words can have on a study participant

Question 13

sampling bias

Answer 13

situations where the sample does not reflect the characteristics of the target population

Question 14

population

Answer 14

the entire group to be studied

Question 15

random sample

Answer 15

the representative group being surveyed (where every person in the population has an equal chance of being selected)

Question 16

stratified sample

Answer 16

where subgroups in the population are represented proportionally

Question 17

correlation

Answer 17

a measure of the relationship between two factors which allows us to use one factor to predict the other

Question 18

correlation coefficient (r-value)

Answer 18

the mathematical expression of that relationship ranging from -1 to +1

Question 19

scatterplot

Answer 19

a graph of plotted data points that show the relationship between two variables

Question 20

positive correlation

Answer 20

when the values of the variables tend to rise and fall together

Question 21

negative correlation

Answer 21

when as the values of one variable goes up, the other tends to go down

Question 22

illusory correlation

Answer 22

a perceived nonexistent relationship

Question 23

experiment

Answer 23

a research method in which the investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe their effect on some behavior or mental process while controlling other relevant factors by random assignment of subjects

Question 24

experimental group

Answer 24

the group that receives the treatment

Question 25

control group

Answer 25

the group that does not receive the treatment, but is the same in every other way

Question 26

random assignment

Answer 26

assigning participants randomly to the experimental and control groups to minimize differences between the groups

Question 27

single blind procedure

Answer 27

where participants do not know which treatment group (experimental or control) they are in

Question 28

double blind procedure

Answer 28

where both the participants and the experimenter do not know which treatment groups (experimental or control) the subjects are in

Question 29

placebo effect

Answer 29

experimental groups caused by expectation alone

Question 30

independent variable

Answer 30

the variable or factor that is manipulated by the experimenter (cause)

Question 31

dependent variable

Answer 31

the variable being measured by the researcher (effect)

Question 32

confounding variable

Answer 32

factors (other than the IV) that influence the DV; may result from poor planning, sloppy work, bias, etc)

Question 33

validity

Answer 33

the extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure

Question 34

descriptive statistics

Answer 34

numbers that summarize a set of research data attained in a sample; summary

Question 35

inferential statistics

Answer 35

where one draws conclusions about given data

Question 36

statistical significance

Answer 36

helps quantify whether a result is due to chance or some factor or interest

Question 37

discrete variable

Answer 37

obtained by measuring or counting

Question 38

dichotomy

Answer 38

a division/contrast between two things that are represented as being entirely different

Question 39

trichotomy

Answer 39

a division into three catergories

Question 40

continuous variable

Answer 40

obtained by measuring and counting; can take on an unlimited number of values

Question 41

continuum

Answer 41

a continuous sequence where elements are not perceptibly different from each other except at the extremes

Question 42

measures of central tendency

Answer 42

identifies what is average or typical in a data set

Question 43

mode

Answer 43

the most frequently occurring score in a distribution

Question 44

bimodal/multimodal

Answer 44

data sets with more than one mode

Question 45

median

Answer 45

the middle score in a rank-ordered distribution

Question 46

mean

Answer 46

the average score in a distribution

Question 47

measures of variability

Answer 47

measures distribution of data

Question 48

range

Answer 48

subtract the lowest score from the highest to determine the gap between scores

Question 49

standard deviation

Answer 49

a measure of the dispersion of scores around the mean

Question 50

distribution

Answer 50

describes how values are distributed

Question 51

histogram

Answer 51

shows the frequency of numerical data using rectangles

Question 52

normal curve

Answer 52

continuous probability distribution that is symmetrical on both sides of the mean

Question 53

skew

Answer 53

the distortion or asymmetry that deviates from normal distribution

Question 54

outlier

Answer 54

an observation that lies an abnormal distance from other values

Question 55

informed consent

Answer 55

the process by which researchers working with human participants describe their project and obtain subjects' consent to participate

Question 56

debriefing

Answer 56

a set of procedures including counseling and the giving of information aimed at preventing psychological morbidity and aiding recovery after a traumatic event