Perspectives
What is a perspective?
The way we look at an issue.
What is a case study?
Observational technique when the subject(s) are studied in depth in a specific situation.
Third Variable Problem
Researches can't rule out the possibility that a third variable causes the increase/decrease of the others.
Independant variable
Frequency Distribution Table
Arrangement of scores showing how many times an answer shows up.
Evolutionary perspective
How natural selection affects our perspectives/psychology.
Survey Method
Self-report data. Relies on individual reports of symptoms, behaviors, beliefs or attitudes.
Illusory Correlation
A perceived but nonexistent correlation.
Confounding "Lurking" Variable
Not related to the experiment but may effect the outcome.
Mode
Most frequent result in a data table.
Psychodynamic Perspective
Unconscious mind and childhood experiences. Critical in shaping adult personality.
Naturalistic Obervation
Careful observations of animals/people in their natural environments with no intervention.
Negative Scatter Plot
Decrease in one variable means an increase in the other and vise versa.
Confederate
Individuals who appear to be participants but are actually researchers.
Histogram
Plot that shows the underlying frequency of distribution (shape) of a set of continuous data.
Behavioral perspective.
People/animals are controlled by their environment. People are more likely to do things with a positive rather than negative outcome.
Observer Bias
"Research Bias". Researchers may unintentionally skew observations to serve their goals/expectations.
Positive Scatter plot
As one variable increases or decreases, the other does the same.
Control Group
No/ineffective treatment is provided to this sample to provide a baseline.
Standard Deviation
Scores in a group that differ from the group's mean.
Humanistic Perspective
Emphasizes human capacity for choice and growth.
"Observer Effect". When people know they're being watched and are less likely to behave naturally.
Direction of relationship between the variable and its strength. Helps us determine how closely two things vary together and how one predicts the other.
Representative Sample
Group that closely matches the character of it's full population.
Z Scores