Psychology Concepts

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Critical Thinking

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Thinking that does not automatically accept arguments and conclusions. It examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns hidden biases, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.

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Hindsight Bias

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The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it. Also known as the I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon.

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Peer Reviewers

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Scientific experts who evaluate a research article’s theory, originality, and accuracy.

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Theory

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An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events.

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Hypothesis

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A testable prediction, often implied by a theory.

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Falsifiable

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The possibility that an idea, hypothesis, or theory can be disproven by observation or experiment.

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Operational Definition

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A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a research study. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence test measures. Also known as operationalization.

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Replication

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Repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding can be reproduced.

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Case Study

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A non-experimental technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles.

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Naturalistic Observation

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A non-experimental technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation.