Hindsight Bias
Tendency for people to exaggerate how much they could have predicted an outcome after knowing it occurred
Observational Method
Technique whereby researcher observes people and systematically records measurements/impressions of their behavior
Ethnography
Method by which researchers attempt to understand a group or culture by observing from the inside, without imposing any preconceived notions they might have
Interjudge Reliability
level of agreement between 2 or more people who independently observe and code a set of data.
By showing that two or more judges independently come up with the same observations, researchers ensure that the observations are not the subjective, distorted i
Archival Analysis
A form of the observational method in which researcher examines the accumulated documents, or archives, of a culture (e.g. diaries, novels)
Correlational Method
Technique whereby 2+ variables systematically measure and the relationship between them (i.e. how much one can be predicted from the other) is assessed
Correlation Coefficient
Statistical technique that assesses how well you can predict one variable from another.
For example, how one can predict people's weight from their height.
Surveys
Research where a representative sample of people are asked (anonymously) questions about their attitudes or behavior.
Random Selection
A way of ensuring that a sample of people is representative of a population by giving everyone in the population an equal chance of being selected for the sample
Experimental Method
Method in which the researcher randomly assigns participants to different conditions and ensure that these conditions are identical except for the independent variable (the one thought to have a causal effect on people's responses)
Independent variable
Variable a researcher changes or varies to see if it has an effect on some other variable
Dependent variable
The variable a researcher measures to see if it is influence by the independent variable; the researcher hypothesizes that the dependent variable will depend on the level of the independent variable.
Random Assignment to Condition
A process ensuring that all participants have an equal chance of taking part in any condition of an experiment; through random assignment, researchers can be relatively certain that differences in the participants' personalities or backgrounds are distrib
Probability level (p-value
Number that is calculated w/ statistical techniques that tells researchers how likely it is that the results of their experiment occurred by chance and not because of the independent variable/variables; the convention in science, including social psycholo
Internal Validity
to make sure that nothing besides the independent variable can affect the depended variable by controlling all extraneous variables and randomly assigning people to different experimental conditions.
External Validity
The results of a study can be generalized to other situations and to other people
Psychological Realism
Extent to which the psychological processes triggered in an experiment are similar to psychological processes that occur in everyday life
Cover Story
Description of the purpose of the study, given to participants, that is different from its true purpose, used to maintain psychological realism
Field Experiments
to conduct experiments in natural settings rather than in the laboratory.
Replications
Repeating a study with different subject populations or in different settings.
Meta-Analysis
A statistical technique that averages the results of two or more studies to see if the effect of an independent variable is reliable
Basic Research
Studies designed to find best answer to question of why people behave as they do and that are conducted purely for reasons of intellectual curiosity
Applied Research
Studies designed to solve a particular social problem
Cross-Cultural Research
research conducted with members of diff. cultures to see whether psychological processes of interest are present in both cultures or whether they are specific to culture in which people were raised
Natural Selection
Process by which heritable traits that promote survival in a particular environment are passed along to future generations because organisms with that trait more likely to produce offspring
Evolutionary Psychology
Attempt to explain social behavior in terms of genetic factors that evolved over time according to principles of natural selection
Informed consent
agreement to participate in agreement with full awareness of nature of experiment
Deception
to mislead participants about true purpose of study or the events that actually transpire
Institutional Review Board
group of one scientist, non scientist and one member not affiliated w/ institution that reviews all psychological research at that institution and decides whether it meets ethical guidelines; must be approved by IRB before conducted
Debriefing
Explaining to participants true purpose of study.