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.