1.1
What is psychology?
The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
What is hindsight bias?
The “I knew it all along” phenomenon that makes past events seem predictable.
What is a theory?
A broad explanation that organizes observations and predicts behavior.
What is an experimental method?
A research method that manipulates an independent variable to observe effects on a dependent variable.
What is curiosity?
The scientific attitude element that involves asking questions, exploring the unknown, and wanting to learn more.
What is confirmation bias?
The tendency to only search for or pay attention to information that confirms your existing beliefs.
What is a hypothesis?
A testable prediction derived from a theory.
What is a correlation?
A statistical relationship between two variables, ranging from -1.0 to +1.0.
What is skepticism?
The scientific attitude element that involves not accepting claims without evidence.
What is overconfidence?
Overestimating the accuracy of your knowledge or judgments.
What is a case study?
This non-experimental method involves in-depth study of a single subject or small group.
What is a confounding variable?
A factor that can affect the dependent variable but is not controlled in a study.
What is critical thinking?
Thinking style that questions assumptions, analyzes evidence, and recognizes biases to make objective decisions.
What is illusory correlation?
Seeing patterns or meaning in random events where none exist.
What is a meta-analysis?
Combining results from multiple studies statistically to get a stronger overall finding.
What is regression toward the mean?
When extreme scores move closer to the average on a retest.
What is humility?
The scientific attitude element that keeps scientists open to being wrong and willing to revise beliefs based on new evidence.
What is because science uses empirical evidence and the scientific method to avoid biases?
Why science-based answers are more reliable than common sense.
What is replication?
Repeating a study to see if the results are consistent and reliable.
What is an illusory correlation?
Perceiving a relationship between variables that does not actually exist.