PSYC 215 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Hindsight Bias, Participant Observation, Dependent And Independent Variables

• School: McGill University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 215
• Professor: John Lydon

Document Summary

Hindsight bias: people"s tendency to be overconfident about whether they could have predicted a given outcome; we feel more confident once we know the results of a study. Hypotheses: predictions about what will happen in given circumstances; test circumstances within a theory. Theory: a body of related propositions intended to describe some aspect of the world. Studies with participant observation involve observing something from a close range, often becoming involved in it yourself. Researchers can study patterns of behavior in the past using archives i. e. it was discovered that more homicides in the south were insult-related. Surveys are the most common type of study because they involve using a random sample, when everyone in a population has an equal chance of being selected. Convenience samples, or choosing a group base on their convenience is not random and can be biased.