Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is hindsight bias?
What is hindsight bias?
The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it.
What is overconfidence?
What is overconfidence?
The tendency to think we know more than we do.
The scientific attitude includes curiosity, skepticism, and __________.
The scientific attitude includes curiosity, skepticism, and __________.
humility
What is critical thinking?
What is critical thinking?
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What are the components of the scientific method?
What are the components of the scientific method?
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What is a case study?
What is a case study?
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What is a survey?
What is a survey?
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What does random sampling mean?
What does random sampling mean?
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What is naturalistic observation?
What is naturalistic observation?
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What is correlation?
What is correlation?
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What is an illusory correlation?
What is an illusory correlation?
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What is an experiment?
What is an experiment?
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What is random assignment?
What is random assignment?
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What is a double-blind procedure?
What is a double-blind procedure?
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What is the placebo effect?
What is the placebo effect?
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What is an experimental group?
What is an experimental group?
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What is a control group?
What is a control group?
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What is an independent variable?
What is an independent variable?
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What is a dependent variable?
What is a dependent variable?
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What is a correlational research method?
What is a correlational research method?
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What is a descriptive research method?
What is a descriptive research method?
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What is an experimental research method?
What is an experimental research method?
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Study Notes
Key Psychological Concepts
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Hindsight Bias: Belief that an outcome was predictable after the fact; exemplified by the Virginia Tech massacre, where it seemed obvious that school closings should have occurred after the first murders.
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Overconfidence: Tendency to overestimate one's knowledge; once the answer is known, hindsight bias can lead to misplaced confidence in solving problems quickly.
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Scientific Attitude: Composed of curiosity, skepticism, and humility, encouraging openness to new information and awareness of potential biases.
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Critical Thinking: Involves smart thinking that critically evaluates assumptions, scrutinizes evidence, and assesses conclusions; essential in analyzing media and conversations.
Research Methodology
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Scientific Method: A structured approach involving theories (explanations for observations), hypotheses (testable predictions from theories), operational definitions (specific procedures to define variables), and replication (repeating studies to confirm findings).
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Case Study: In-depth analysis of an individual, revealing insights about broader human behavior; however, atypical cases can be misleading.
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Survey: Collects data from many cases with less depth; results can vary based on wording effects and rely on random sampling for representation.
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Random Sample: Ensures each member of a population has an equal chance of selection, enhancing the representativeness of survey results.
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Naturalistic Observation: Records behavior in natural settings without manipulation, providing descriptive data but not explanations.
Correlation and Experimentation
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Correlation: Measures the relationship between two variables, represented by a correlation coefficient ranging from -1 to +1; indicates how well one variable predicts another.
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Illusory Correlation: Perceived relationship where none exists; can lead to superstitious beliefs by overlooking coincidences.
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Experiment: Research method manipulating one or more factors to observe their effects while controlling other variables.
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Random Assignment: Distributing participants randomly to experimental and control groups to minimize pre-existing differences.
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Double-Blind Procedure: Both participants and researchers are unaware of treatment assignments, reducing bias in studies.
Experimental Variables
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Placebo Effect: Changes in behavior resulting from participants’ expectations rather than actual treatment, highlighting the impact of belief on outcomes.
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Experimental Group: Participants who receive the treatment under study.
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Control Group: Participants who do not receive the treatment, serving as a comparison baseline.
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Independent Variable: The factor manipulated in an experiment to observe its effect on the dependent variable.
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Dependent Variable: The response variable that may change due to manipulation of the independent variable.
Research Types
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Correlational Research Method: Assesses naturally occurring relationships to predict one variable based on another, without implying causation.
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Descriptive Research Method: Observes and records behavior through various techniques while lacking control over variables and potentially misleading single cases.
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Experimental Research Method: Aims to determine cause-and-effect relationships through controlled experiments, though not all variables can be ethically manipulated, and results may not apply universally.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Test your knowledge with these flashcards on critical thinking and psychological science from Chapter 1. Learn key terms such as hindsight bias and overconfidence, vital for understanding psychological concepts. Perfect for students looking to solidify their grasp on psychological principles.