Chapter 1

• Antecedent condition

  All circumstances that occur or exist before the event or behavior to be explained; also called antecedent.
• Applied research

  Research that is designed to solve real-world problems.
• Basic research


  Research that is designed to solve real-world problems.
• Cause and effect relationship

  The relation between a particular behavior and a set of antecedents that always precedes it-whereas other antecedents do not-so that the set is inferred to cause the behavior.
• Commonsense psychology


  Everyday, nonscientific collection of psychological data used to understand the social world and guide our behavior.
• Data

  • Facts and figures gathered from observations in research.
  • Data is the plural form of the Lation word datum.
• Empirical data

  • Data that are observable or experienced.
  • Capable of being verified or disapproved through investigation.
• Good thinking

  • Organized and rational thought, characterized by open-mindedness, objectivity, and parsimony.
  • A principal tool of the scientific method.
• Laws

  • General scientific principles that explain our universe and predict events.
• Measurement

  • The systematic estimation of the quantity, size, quality of an observable event.
  • A principal tool of the scientific method.
• Methodology


  The scientific techniques used to collect and evaluate psychological data.
• Observation

  • The systematic noting and recording of events.
  • A principal tool of the scientific method.
• Parsimony

  • An aspect of good thinking, stating that the simplest explanation is preferred until ruled out by conflicting evidence.
  • Also knows as Occam's razor.
• Pseudoscience


  A field of study that gives the appearance of being scientific but has no true scientific basis and has not been confirmed using the tools of the scientific method.
• Psychology experiment


  A controlled procedure in which at least two different treatment conditions are applied to subjects whose behaviors are then measured and compared to test a hypothesis about the effects of the treatments on behavior.
• Replication

  • The process of repeating research procedures to verify that the outcome will be the same as before.
  • A principal tool of the scientific method.
• Science


  The systematic gathering of data to provide descriptions of events taking place under specific conditions, enabling researches to explain, predict, and control events.
• Scientific method


  Steps scientists take to gather and verify information, answer questions, explain relationships, and communicate findings.
• Subject


  The scientific term for an individual who participates in research.
• Testable

  • Capable of being tested.
  • Typically used in reference to a hypothesis.
  • Three requirements must be met to have a testable hypothesis:

  1. Procedures for manipulating the setting must exist.
  2. The predicted outcome must be observable.
  3. and measurable
• Theory


  A set of general principles that attempts to explain and predict behavior or other phenomena.
• Treatments


  A specific set of antecedent conditions created by the experimenter and presented to subjects to test its effect on behavior.