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:
Procedures for manipulating the setting must exist.
The predicted outcome must be observable.
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.
