unit 2

Question 1

hindsight bias

Answer 1

the tendency to believe after learning the outcome, that you knew it all along

Question 2

critical thinking

Answer 2

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

Question 3

theory

Answer 3

an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events

Question 4

hypothesis

Answer 4

a testable prediction, often implied by a theory

Question 5

operational definitions

Answer 5

explaining what you mean in your hypothesis (how will the variable be measured in”real life” terms.

Question 6

replication

Answer 6

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

Question 6

replication

Answer 6

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

Question 7

case study

Answer 7

used to examine individual or group in depth in hopes of revealing things true of all of us

Question 8

Naturalistic observation

Answer 8

observing and recording behavior in natural environment

Question 9

survey

Answer 9

a technique for a certaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative random sample of the group

Question 10

sampling bias

Answer 10

a flawed sampling process that produces on unrepresentative sample

Question 11

population

Answer 11

all those in a group being studied from which samples may be drawn and to which generalizations will be made
-not a country’s whole population

Question 12

random sample

Answer 12

sample that represents the population you want to study

Question 13

correlation

Answer 13

a measure of the extent to which two variables change together and thus of how well either variable predicts the other

Question 14

correlation coefficient

Answer 14

a statistical index of the relationship between two variables

Question 15

scatterplot

Answer 15

a graphed cluster of dots

Question 16

illusory correlation

Answer 16

the perception of a relationship where none exists

Question 17

experiment

Answer 17

a research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental processes

Question 18

experimental group

Answer 18

in an experiment, the group exposed to the treatment

Question 19

control group

Answer 19

group not exposed to the treatment, serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment

Question 20

random assignment

Answer 20

each participant has an equal chance of selection for the experimental or the control group

Question 21

double-blind procedure

Answer 21

an experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant about whether the research participants have received the treatment of a placebo

Question 22

placebo

Answer 22

any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance

Question 23

independent variable

Answer 23

the experimental factor that is manipulated

Question 24

cofounding variable

Answer 24

a factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment

Question 25

dependent variable

Answer 25

the outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulation of the independent variable

Question 26

validity

Answer 26

the extent to which a test or experiment measures or predicts what is supposed to

Question 27

descriptive statistics

Answer 27

numerical data used to measure and describe characteristics of groups. includes measures of central tendency and measures of variation

Question 28

mode

Answer 28

the most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution

Question 29

mean

Answer 29

the average by adding the scores and dividing by the number of scores

Question 30

median

Answer 30

the middle score in a distribution

Question 31

skewed distribution

Answer 31

a representation of scores that lack symmetry around their average value

Question 32

range

Answer 32

the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution

Question 33

standard deviation

Answer 33

average difference between each score and mean

Question 34

normal curve

Answer 34

a symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many types of data; most scores fall near the mean

Question 35

inferential statistics

Answer 35

numerical data that allow one to generalize to infer from sample data the probability of something being true of a population

Question 36

statistical significance

Answer 36

a statistical significance of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance

Question 37

culture

Answer 37

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

Question 38

informed consent

Answer 38

an ethical principle that research participants be told enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate

Question 39

debriefing

Answer 39

the post experimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants