CHAP 1 MYERS- its not psych its stats

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

thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and asses conclusions

an explanation using an integrated set of principals that organizes observations and predicts behaviors/events

a testable prediction, often implied by a theory

a statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research variables. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as “what an intelligence test measures.”

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

an observation technique in which one person is studied in dept to reveal universal principals

observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate/control the situation

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

all cases in a group being studied, from which samples may be drawn

a sample that fairly represents a population bc each member has an equal chance of inclusion

a measure of the extent to which 2 factors vary together, and thus of how well either predicts the other

a statistical index of the relationship between two things

a graphed cluster of dots, each one of which reps the values of 2 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=high correlation)

CAUSATION!!!!!!

a research method in which an investigator manipulates 1+ factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (dependent var). by random assignment of participants, the experimenter aims to control other relevant factors

in an experiment, the group that is exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable

in an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the treatment; contrasts the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment

assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance- minimizes preexisting differences between those assigned to diff groups

an experiment where both the research participants and staff dont know whether the research participants have received the treatment or the placebo

experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the inert substance/condition, which the recipient believes is an active agent

the experimental factor that is manipulated; the var whose effect is being studied

a factor other than the independent var that might produce an effect

the outcome factor; the var that may change in response to manipulations of the independent var

observes and records behavior; but no control over variables

to detect naturally occurring relationships; to asses how well one var predicts another (doesnt specify cause and effect)

to explore cause and effect (sometimes not feasible; results may not generalize in other contexts; not ethical to manipulate some vars)

the most frequently occurring scores in a distribution

the arithmetic average of a distribution

the middle score in a distribution; half the scores above it and half below

the different between the highest and the lowest scores in a distribution

a computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score

a symmetrical, bell shaped curve that describes the distribution of many types of data

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

the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions transferred by a group of people and transmitted generation to generation

an ethical principle that research participants be told enough to enable them to choose whether or not they want to participate

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