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| The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it. (Also known as the I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon.) |
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| Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions |
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| An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviours or events. |
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| A testable prediction, often implied by a theory. |
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| A statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research variables. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence test measures |
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| 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 |
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| An observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles |
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| A technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of people, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of them |
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| The tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors |
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| All the cases in a group, from which samples may be drawn for a study. (Note: Except for national studies, this does not refer to a country's whole population.) |
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| A sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion |
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| Observing and recording behaviour in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation |
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| 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. |
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| 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 (little scatter indicates high correlation). |
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| The perception of a relationship where none exists. |
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| A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factor (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent variable). By random assignment of participants, the experimenter aims to control other relevant factors. |
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| An experimental procedure in which the research participants are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo, but the experimenters know which is which. |
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| An experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug-evaluation studies. |
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| The condition of an experiment that exposes participants to the treatment, that is, to one version, of the independent variable. |
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| Latin for "I shall please"; an inert substance or condition that may be administered instead of a presumed active agent, such as a drug, to see if it triggers the effects believed to characterize the active agent. |
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| Experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behaviour caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which is assumed to be an active agent. |
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| The condition of an experiment that contrasts with the experimental condition and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment. |
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| Assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing pre-existing differences between those assigned to the different groups. |
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| The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied. |
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| The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable. |
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| The most frequent occurring score(s) in a distribution. |
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| The arithmetic average of a distribution, obtained by adding the scores and then dividing by the number of scores. |
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| The middle score in a distribution; half the scores are above it and half are below it. |
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| The difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution. |
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| A statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance. |
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| The enduring behaviours, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a large group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next. |
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| the science of behavior and mental processes |
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| the long-standing controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behavior |
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| the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will be most likely passed on to succeeding generations |
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| pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base |
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| scientific study that aims to study practical problems |
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| a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders |
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| a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians (MD's) who sometimes provide medical (usually medications) treatments as well as psychotherapy |
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| describe, explain, predict, modify/control behavior |
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| how the body and brain crete emotions, memories, and sensory experiences |
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| how nature selects traits that promote the perpetuation of one's genes |
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| behavior genetics perpective |
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| how much our genes and environment individual differences |
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| psychodynamic perspective |
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| how behavior springs from unconscious drives/conflicts |
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| how we LEARN observable responses |
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| how we ecode, process, store, and retrieve information |
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| social-cultural perspective |
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| how behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures |
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