Unit 2: Research Methods, Myers AP Psychology, 3rd edition Flashcards

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

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

a testable prediction, often implied by a theory

a carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a research study

repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding can be reproduced

a descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

a descriptive technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate or control the situation

a descriptive technique for obtaining the self

a flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample

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

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

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

a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from −1.00 to +1.00)

anything that can vary and is feasible and ethical to measure

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

perceiving a relationship where none exists, or perceiving a stronger

the tendency for extreme or unusual scores or events to fall back toward the average

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

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

in an experiment, the group not exposed to the treatment

assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between the different groups

blind procedure

experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient assumes is an active agent

in an experiment, the factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied

a factor other than the factor being studied that might influence a study's results

in an experiment, the outcome that is measured

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

giving potential participants enough information about a study to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate

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

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

a bar graph depicting a frequency distribution

the most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution

the arithmetic average of a distribution, obtained by adding the scores and then dividing by the number of scores

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

a representation of scores that lack symmetry around their average value

the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution

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

a symmetrical, bell

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

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