| A | B |
|---|
| naturalistic observation | observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation |
| case study | an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles |
| random sample | a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion |
| experiment | a research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent variable). By random assignment of participants the experimenter controls other relevant factors) |
| experimenter bias | the tendency for one's preexisting beliefs to distort logical reasoning, sometimes by making invalid conclusions seem valid, or valid conclusions seem invalid |
| dependent variable | the experimental factor--in psychology, the behavior or mental process--that is being measured; the variable that may change in response to the manipulations of the independent variable |
| survey | a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of people, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of them |
| hypothesis | a testable prediction, often implied by a theory |
| psychology | the science of behavior and mental processes |
| control group | a group in a scientific experiment separated from the rest of the experiment where the independent variable being tested cannot influence the outcome. |
| independent variable | the experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect if being studied |
| representative sample | a small quantity of something such as customers, data, people, products, or materials, whose characteristics represent (as accurately as possible) the entire batch, lot, population, or universe. |
| algorithm | a step-by-step method of problem solving that guarantees a correct solution. |
| Behaviorism | School of psychology that studies only observable and measurable behavior. |
| biased sample | Sample that does not truly represent a whole population. |
| Cognitive psychology | School of psychology devoted to the study of mental processes. |
| correlation | relationship between two or more variables |
| heuristics | rules of thumb that help in simplifying and solving problems, though they do not guarantee a correct solution |
| mean | arithmetical average calculated by dividing a sum of values by the total number of cases |
| median | point that divides a set of score in half |
| mode | point a which the largest number of scores occurs |
| personality | a person's unique pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that persists over time and situations |
| range | difference between the largest and smallest measurement in distribution |
| reliability | ability of a test to produce consistent and stable scores |
| sample | selection of cases from a larger population |
| scientific method | approach to knowledge characterized by collecting data, formulating a hypothesis, and testing the hypothesis empirically |
| subjects | individuals whose reactions and responses are observed in an experiment |
| theory | systematic explanation of a phenomenon; it organizes know facts, allows prediciton of new facts, and permits a degree of control over the phenomenon |
| trial and error | a problem-solving strategy based on successive elimination of incorrect solutions until the correct one is found |
| validity | ability of a test to measure what it has been designed to measure |
| critical thinking | ability to reflect on, evaluate, compare, analyze, critique, and synthensize information |
