MYERS AP PSYCH-UNIT 2
1.Hindsight Bias: The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome,
that you knew that all along
2.Critical Thinking: Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and
conclu- sions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values,
evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.
3.Theory: An explanation using an integrated set of principles that
organizes and predicts observations
4.Hypothesis: A testable prediction, often implied by a theory
5.Operational Definition: A statement of the procedures used to define
research variables. Ex: human intelligence -- what an intelligence test
measures.
6.Replication: Repeating the essence of a research study, usually with
different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic
finding extends to other participants and circumstances
7.Case Study: An observation technique in which one person is studied
in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles
1/
6
, 8.Survey: A technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or
behaviors of people, usually by questioning a representative, random
sample of them
9.Population: All the cases in a group, from which samples may be
drawn for a study
10.Random Sample: A sample that fairly represents a population
because each member has an equal chance of inclusion
11.Naturalistic Observation: Observing and recording behavior in
naturally occur- ring situations without trying to manipulate and control
the situation
12.Correlation: A measure of the extent to which two factors vary
together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other. The
correlation coefficient is the mathematical expression of the
relationship, ranging from -1 to +1
13.Correlation Coefficient: a statistical index of the relationship
between two things (from -1 to +1)
14.Scatter plot: A graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the
values of two variables. The slope of the points suggests the direction
2/
6
1.Hindsight Bias: The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome,
that you knew that all along
2.Critical Thinking: Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and
conclu- sions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values,
evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.
3.Theory: An explanation using an integrated set of principles that
organizes and predicts observations
4.Hypothesis: A testable prediction, often implied by a theory
5.Operational Definition: A statement of the procedures used to define
research variables. Ex: human intelligence -- what an intelligence test
measures.
6.Replication: Repeating the essence of a research study, usually with
different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic
finding extends to other participants and circumstances
7.Case Study: An observation technique in which one person is studied
in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles
1/
6
, 8.Survey: A technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or
behaviors of people, usually by questioning a representative, random
sample of them
9.Population: All the cases in a group, from which samples may be
drawn for a study
10.Random Sample: A sample that fairly represents a population
because each member has an equal chance of inclusion
11.Naturalistic Observation: Observing and recording behavior in
naturally occur- ring situations without trying to manipulate and control
the situation
12.Correlation: A measure of the extent to which two factors vary
together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other. The
correlation coefficient is the mathematical expression of the
relationship, ranging from -1 to +1
13.Correlation Coefficient: a statistical index of the relationship
between two things (from -1 to +1)
14.Scatter plot: A graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the
values of two variables. The slope of the points suggests the direction
2/
6
