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Chapter 2
Terms from chapter 2
45
Psychology
Undergraduate 1
01/22/2012

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Term
empiricism
Definition
the believe that accurate knowledge can be aquired through observation
Term
scientific method
Definition
a set of principles about the appropriate relationship between ideas and evidence
Term
theory
Definition
a hypothetical explanation of a natural phenomenon
Term
hypothesis
Definition
a falsifiable prediction made by a theory
Term
empirical method
Definition
a set of rules and techniques for observation
Term
operational definition
Definition
a descriptin of a property in concrete, measurable terms.
Term
measure
Definition
a device that can detect the condition to which an operational definition refers
Term
electromyograph (EMG)
Definition
a device that measures muscle contractions under the surface of a person's skin.
Term
validity
Definition
the extent to which a measurement and a property are conceptually related
Term
reliability
Definition
the tendency for a measure to produce the same measurement whenever it is used to measure the same thing.
Term
power
Definition
the ability of a measure to detect the concrete conditions specified in the operational definition
Term
demand characterisitcs
Definition
those aspects of an observational setting that cause people to behave as they think they should.
Term
naturalistic observation
Definition
a technique for gathering scientific information by unobtrusively observing people in their natural environments
Term
double-blind
Definition
an observation whose true purpose is hidden from both the observer and the person being observed
Term
frequency distribution
Definition
a graphical representation of measurements arranged by the number of times each measurement was made
Term
normal distribution
Definition
a mathematically defined frequency distribution in which most measurements are concentrated around the middle.
Term
mode
Definition
the value of all the measurements
Term
mean 
Definition
the average value of all the measurements
Term
median
Definition
the value that is "in the middle"= i.e., greater than or equal to half the measurements and less than or equal to half the measurements.
Term
range
Definition
the value of the largest measurement in a frequency distribution minus the value of hte smallest measurement.
Term
standard deviation
Definition
a statistic that describes the average difference between the measurements in a frequency distribution and the mean of that distribution
Term
variable
Definition
a property whose value can vary across individuals or over time
Term
correlation
Definition
two variables are said to "be correlated" when variations in the value of one variable are synchronized with variations in the value of the other.
Term
correlation cofficient
Definition
a measure of the direction and strength of a correlation, which is signified by the letter "r".
Term
natural correlation
Definition
a correlation observed in the world around us
Term
third-variable correlation
Definition
the fact that two variables are correlated only because each is casually related to a third variable.
Term
matched samples
Definition
a technizue whereby the participants in two groups are identical in terms of a third variable.
Term
matched pairs
Definition
a technique whereby each participant is identical to one other participant in terms of a third variable
Term
third-variable problem
Definition
the fact that a causal relationship between two varibles cannot be inferred from the naturally occurring correlation between them because of the ever-present possibility of third-variable correlation.
Term
experiment
Definition
a technique for establisthin the causal relationship between variables.
Term
manipulation
Definition
the creation of an artificial pattern of variation in a variable in order to determine its causal powers
Term
independent variable
Definition
the variable that is manipulated in an experiment.
Term
experiemntal group
Definition
the group of people who are treated in a particular way, as compared to the control group, in an experiment.
Term
control group
Definition
the group of people who are treated in a patricular way, as compared to the control group, in an experiment.
Term
dependent variable
Definition
the variable that is measured in a study
Term
self-selection
Definition
A problem that occurs when anything about a person determines whether he or she will be included in the experimental or control group.
Term
random assignment
Definition
A procedure that uses a random event to assign people to the experiemntal or control group.
Term
internal validity
Definition
the characteristic of an experiemnt that establishes the causal relationship between variables.
Term
external validity
Definition
A property of an experiment in which the variables have been operationally defined in a normal, typical, or realistic way.
Term
population
Definition
the complete collection of participants who might possibly be measured
Term
sample
Definition
the partial collection of people drawn from a population
Term
case method
Definition
A method of gathering scientific knowledge by studying a single individual.
Term
random sampling
Definition
a technique for choosing participants that ensure that every member of a population has an equal chance of being included in the sample.
Term
informed consent
Definition
A written agreement to participate in a study made by an adult who has been informed of all the risks that participation may entail.
Term
debriefing
Definition
A verbal description of the true nature and purpose of a study.
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