Aice Psychology Vocab Chapter 1

Control

A way to keep a potentially extraneous variable constant.

Random Allocation

A way to reduce the effect of confounding variables. Gives each person an equal chance to be put in any condition.

Structured Interview

An interview in which the questions are asked in a fixed order.

Reliability

The extent to which a procedure, task, or measure is consistent.

Median

The middle result.

Quantitative Data

The numerical Results

Generalize

To apply the findings of a study widely.

Social Desirability Bias

Trying to present oneself in the best light by trying to determine what a test is asking.

Counterbalancing

Used to overcome order effects. Each level of the IV is performed by a different sub-group of participants.

Naturalistic Observation

A study conducted by watching the participant's behavior in their normal environment, unaffected by the researchers.

Experimental Condition

One or more of the situations in an experiment which represent different levels of the IV and are compared

Ethical Guidelines.

Pieces of advice that guide psychologists to consider the welfare of the participants and wider society.

Qualitative Data

Descriptive, in-depth results about the qualities of a psychological characteristic.

Demand Characteristics

Features of the experimental condition that give away the aims. They can cause participants to change their behavior, which skews results of the study.

Debriefing

Giving participants a full explanation of the aims and potential consequences of the study at the end so that they leave it in at least as positive a condition as they arrived.

Filler Questions

Questions added to a questionnaire to disguise its purpose.

Closed Questions

Questions with quantitative data. Only have a few set answers.

Behavioral Categories

The activities recorded in an observation. They should be operationalized and should be able to break actions down into specific categories.

Mean

The average result.

Inter-observer Reliability

The consistency between two researchers watching the same event.

Operationalization

The definition of variables so that they can be accurately manipulated, measured, or quantified and replicated.

Range

The difference between the largest and smallest values of the data set plus one.

Ecological Validity

The extent to which the findings of a study generalize into other situations.

Validity

The extent to which the researcher is testing what they claim to be testing.

Inter-rater Reliability

The extent to which two researchers interpreting the same data will come to the same conclusion.

Dependent Variable

The factor in an experiment which is measured and is expected to change under the influence of the independent variable.

Independent Variable

The factor under investigation in an experiment which is manipulated to create two or more conditions and is expected to be responsible for changes in the dependent variable.

Sample

The group of people selected to represent the population in a study.

Population

The group sharing one or more characteristics, from which the sample is drawn.

Sampling Technique

The method used to obtain the participants for a study.

Mode

The most frequent result.

Right To Withdraw

The participant's right to remove themself and their data from an experiment at any time.

Confidentiality

The participants' personal information and results should not be released to anyone outside of the study.

Covert Observer

The role of the observer is not obvious

Overt Observer

The role of the observer is obvious to the participants.

Experimental Design

The way in which participants are allocated to levels of the IV.

Open Questions

A question that produces qualitative data. The answers are detailed and in the participant's own words.

Negative Correlation

A relationship between two variables in which an increase in one accompanies a decrease in the other.

Positive Correlation

A relationship between two variables in which an increase in one accompanies an increase in the other.

Laboratory Condition

A research method in which there is an IV, a DV, and strict controls. Looks for a casual relationship and is conducted in an environment unusual environment for the task being completed.

Self Report

A research method that asks participants to provide information about themselves.

Questionaire

A research method that uses written questions.

Interview

A research method using verbal questions asked directly.

Correlation

A research method which looks for a casual relationships between two variables.

Non-participant Observer

A researcher who does not become involved in the situation being studied.

Participant Observer

A researcher who watches from the perspective of being part of the social setting.

Controlled Observation

A study conducted by watching the participant's behavior in which the environment has been manipulated by the researchers. May also be an artificial situation.

Unstructured Observation

A study in which the observer records the whole range of possible behaviors, which is usually confined to a pilot stage at the beginning of a study to refine the behavioral categories being observed.

Hypothesis

A testable statement predicting a difference in between levels of the IV or relationship between variables.

Alternative Hypothesis

A testable statement that predicts a difference or relationship between variables in a particular investigation.

Extraneous Variable

A variable which either acts randomly, affecting the DV in all levels of the IV or systematically. Obscures results

Scatter Graph

A way to display data from a correlational study.

Test-retest

A way to measure the consistency of a test or task.

Random Example

All members of the population are allocated numbers and a fixed amount of these are selected in a unbiased way

Normal Distribution

An even spread of a variable that is symmetrical about the mean, median, and mode.

Field Experiment

An experiment being conducted in the normal environment for the participants for the tested behavior.

Natural Experiment

An experiment with an IV that the experimenter can not change. Tests the effect of a preexisting difference.

Independent Measures Design

An experimental design in which a different group of participants is used for each level of the IV.

Repeated Measures Design

An experimental design in which each member participates in every level of the IV.

Matched Pair Designs

An experimental design in which participants are put into pairs.

Unstructured Interview

An interview in which the questions depend on the participant's answers.

Semi-structured Interview

An interview with a fixed list of open and closed questions. The interviewer can add questions as needed.

Experiment

An investigation looking for a casual relationship in which an independent variable is manipulated and is expected to be responsible for changes in the dependent variable.

Objectivity

An unbiased external viewpoint that is not affected by an individual's feelings, beliefs, or experiences, so should be consistent between different researchers.

Standard Deviation

A calculation of the average difference between each score and the mean.

Situational Variable

A confounding variable caused by an aspect of the environment.

Uncontrolled Variable

A confounding variable.

Non-directional Hypothesis

A prediction which suggests that only one variable will be related to the other.

Directional Hypothesis

A prediction which suggests the direction of

Bar Chart

A graph used for data in discrete categories and total average scores. There are spaces in between the bars.

Histogram

A graph used to illustrate continuous data.

Null Hypothesis

A hypothesis which suggests no relationship between variables.

Control Condition

A level of the IV in an experiment from which the IV is absent.

Measure of Spread

A mathematical way to describe the dispersion of a data set.

Measure of Central Tendency

A mathematical way to find the typical or average score from a data set, using the mean, median, or mode.

Privacy

A participant's right to emotional and physical security

Subjectivity

A personal viewpoint, which may be biased by one's feelings, beliefs, or experiences, so may differ between individual researchers.

Participant Variables

Individual differences between participants that may effect their behavior.

Standardisation

Keeping the procedure for each participant exactly the same to ensure that any differences in results are due to the intended variables.

Informed Consent

Knowing enough about a study to decide whether or not you want to participate in it.

Opportunity Sample

Participants chosen because they are available.

Deception

Participants should not be deliberately misinformed about the aim or procedure of the study. If this is unavoidable, the study should be planned to minimize the risk of distress, and participants should be thoroughly debriefed.

Protection of Participants

Participants should not be exposed to any greater physical or psychological risk than they would expect in their day-to-day life.

Volunteer Sample

Participants who are invited to participate.

Order Effects

Practice and fatigue effects are the consequences of participating in a study more than once.

Ethical Issues

Problems in research that raise concerns about the welfare of the participants.