AP Psych 1.3: Studies and Experimentation

The tendency to think we know more than we actually do

Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions, but rather examines assumptions, finds hidden values, and evaluates evidence

An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes and predicts observations.

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory.

A statement of procedures (operations) used to define research variables (ex. IQ to define intelligence)

Repeating an experiment in order to compare results and figure out that the actual experiment was the correct answer, as well as whether the basic finding generalizes to other participants and circumstances.

An investigator manipulates one or more variables to observe their effect (i.e. on a mental process or behavior - a dependent variable)

Whatever is being manipulated in an experiment, which hopefully brings about change.

Whatever is being measured in the experiment

Anything that can influence or compromise the results of the experiment are the confounding variables.

Case studies, surveys, naturalistic observations

A study of one or more individuals in depth in hope of gaining information and learning things that hold true about us all

A technique used for finding the behavior or attitude of people, which is self reported

Observing and recording behavior in settings that are natural to the subjects without trying to change anything about the circumstances

Knowing they are in an experiment will change their performance either way

We have a tendency to overestimate how much others share our beliefs or thoughts

The belief that a person is on the real drug, and even though they aren’t truly on the drug, experience the effects that are from the active agent. Can act as a confounding variable.

All the cases in a group from which samples are drawn from during a study or similar experiment

The people chosen from a population to be studied

The condition that exposes participants to one version of the independent variable

The condition that contracts with the experimental condition, and serves as a comparison to evaluate the experiment’s effects.

Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance

An inert substance or condition that is put into an experiment that is administered in place of an active agent, with the intent to see if it triggers the effect that characterizes the active agent.

Participants are unaware of which group they are in- experimental or control.

Nobody, neither the participants or research staff, know which participants are in which groups, which is commonly used in drug evaluation studies.

Examines relationships between two variables, but does not prove causation

Mean, median, and mode are all measures of ______ ________.

The probability that results from an experiment are due to chance and not the experimental conditions.