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Psych Final Ch 2
ch 2
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Precision | scientists want to get as close to the truth as they can, so they need to be precise in what they find |
Theory | organized systems of assumptions that aim to explain phenomena and their interrelationships |
Hypothesis | attempts to predict or account for a set of phenomena; specify relationships among variables, and are empirically tested |
Operational Definition | a precise definition of a term in a hypothesis; they specify how the phenomena in question are to be observed or measured |
Skepticism | treating conclusions, both old and new, with caution |
Empirical evidence | based on scientifically conducted research; helps determine whether a hypothesis is true |
Principle of falsifiability | a scientific theory must make predictions specific enough to confirm and/or disconfirm the theory; the theory must predict not only what will happen, but also what will NOT happen |
Confirmation Bias | the tendency to look for or attend not only information that confirms one’s own belief |
Descriptive Methods | methods that yield descriptions of behavior but not necessarily casual explanations |
Case Study | a detailed description of a particular individual being studied or treated, which may be used to formulate broader research hypothesis |
Observational studies | researchers carefully and systematically observe and record behavior without interfering with behavior |
Psychological tests | Currently undefined... |
Standardization | the test constructed to include uniform procedure for giving and scoring the test; an individual’s outcome or score is compared to norms |
Reliability | when constructing a test, the scores achieved on the test at one time and place should be consistent with the scores achieved as another time and place |
Validity | the ability of a test to measure what it was designed to measure |
Surveys | questionnaires and interviews that ask people about experiences, attitudes, or opinions |
Correlational Study | a descriptive study that looks for a consistent relationship |
Variables | characteristics of behavior or experiences that can be measured or described by a numeric scale; variables are manipulated and assessed in scientific studies |
Correlation | a statistical measure of the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables; range from -1 to +1 |
Positive correlation | an association between increases in one variable and increases in another, or decreases in one variable and decrease in another |
Negative correlation | an association between increases in one variable and decreases in another |
Scatter plots | used to determine correlation |
Causation | what caused something, not necessarily associated with correlation |
Experiment | a controlled test of a hypothesis in which the researcher manipulates one variable to discover its effects on another; includes variables of interest, control conditions, and random assignment |
Independent variable | variables the experimenter manipulate |
Dependent variable | variables that are affected by the independent variables: what is measured |
Control condition | in an experiment, a comparison condition in which subjects are not exposed to the same treatment as in the experimental condition |
Random assignment | for experiments to have experimental and control groups composed of similar subjects, random assignment should be used |
Experimenter effects | unintended changes in subjects behavior due to cues inadvertently given by the experimenter |
Descriptive statistics | statistical procedures that organize and summarize research data |
Inferential statistics – | statistical procedures that allow researchers to draw inferences about the statistical importance of a study’s results |
Cross-sectional study | subjects of different ages are compared at a single time |
Longitudinal study | subjects are periodically assessed over a period of time |
Informed consent | prospective participants should receive enough information to let them decide freely whether to participate |