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AP Psych Ch 2
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Anecdotal evidence | Personal stories about specific incidents |
Case study | In-depth investigation of individual subject |
Confounding of variables | Condition that exists whenever two variables are linked together in a way that makes it difficult to sort out their independent effects |
Control group | Subjects in study who do not receive treatment given to experimental group |
Correlation | Extent to which two variables are related to each other |
Correlation coefficient | Numerical index of degree of relationship between two variable |
Data collection techniques | Procedures for making empirical observation and measurements |
Dependent variable | In experiment, variable thought to be affected by manipulation of independent variable |
Descriptive statistics | Statistics used to organize / describe data |
Double-blind procedure | Research strategy in which neither subjects nor experiments know which subjects are in experimental and control groups |
Experiment | Research method in which investigator manipulates variable under carefully controlled conditions and observes whether any changes occurred in a second variable as a result |
Experimental group | The subjects in a study who receive some certain treatment in regard on the independent variable |
Experimenter bias | A phenomenon that occurs when a researcher's expectations or preferences about the outcome influence the result |
Extraneous variables | Any variables other than the independent variable that seem to influence the dependent variable in a specific study |
Hypothesis | A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables |
Independent variable | In an experiment, a condition or event that an experimenter varies in order to see its impact on another variable |
Inferential statistics | Statistics used to interpret data / draw conclusions |
Journal | A periodical that publishes technical and scholarly material, usually in a narrowly defined area of inquiry |
Mean | Arithmetic average |
Median | Score in center |
Mode | Score occurring most often |
Naturalistic observation | Descriptive research method in which researcher engages in careful, usually prolonged, observation of behavior without intervening directly with subjects |
Operational definition | Definition that describes actions / operations that will be made to measure / control a variable |
Placebo effects | Fact that subjects' expectations can lead them to experience some change even though they receive an empty / false / ineffectual treatment |
Population | Larger collection of animal or people from which a sample is drawn and that researchers want to generalize about |
Random assignment | Constitution of groups in a study such that all subjects have an equal chance of being assiged |
Replication | Repetition of study to see whether the earlier results are replicated |
Research methods | Different approaches to the manipulation and control of variables in empirical studies |
Response set | A tendency to respond to questions in a particular way that is unrelated to the content of the questions |
Sample / Participants | The collection of subjects selected for observation in an empirical study |
Sampling bias | A problem that occurs when a sample is not representative of the population from which it is drawn |
Social desirability bias | A tendency to give socially approved answers to questions about oneself |
Standard deviation | An index of amount of variability in set of data |
Statistical significance | The condition that exists when probability that observed findings are due to chance are very low |
Statistics | Use of math to organize, summarize, and interpret numerical data |
Subjects | Persons / animals whose behavior is systematically observed in study |
Survey | A descriptive research method in which researchers use questionnaires or interviews to gather information about specific aspects of subjects' behavior |
Theory | System of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations |
Variability | Extent to which the stories in a data set tend to vary from each other and from the mean |
Variables | Any measurable conditions, events, characteristics , behaviors controlled / observed in study. |
Correlational Studies | Research method which systematically observes two variables whether it has association between them |
Meta-analysis | Analyzing results of several previous studies |
T-Test |