Gen Psych- Chapter 3

____________ design is a method used to confront the problem of causation because we can assume that if variable X causes change in variable Y then X ought to at least precede Y over time.

Longitudinal

A researcher wants to study the play habits of elementary school children. Over a one year period, he watches children play with each other during their recess periods on the playground at the local elementary school. Which type of research setting is this an example of?

Naturalistic observation

In some research, the researchers are not able to use random assignment to divide participants among groups. Instead, they compare pre-existing groups. What type of research is this?

Quasi-experimental design

What are the primary functions of hormones?

Regulate functioning and growth

Which of the following are reasons that researchers might use correlational research? a) to use one variable to predict the value of another variable b) to determine if there is a casual link between two variables c) to conduct research in situations where it would not be ethical to carry out an experiment in another way d) to investigate real world events

a, c, d

Which of the following are the three basic types of research used in psychology? a) correlational b) variable c) experimental d) descriptive

a, c, d

Identify the two key early proponents of the behavioral approach. a) James b) Skinner c) Watson d) Freud

b & c

What challenge(s) can arise from relying on the media for information about psychological research? a) Most journalists tend to selectively report those findings which are consistent with their political and social views. b) The media frequently exaggerate results in order to better capture the public's attention. c) Journalists frequently lack the knowledge to evaluate psychological research. d) Due to time and space limitations, media reports frequently omit important details about research studies.

b, c, & d

Which are the following are steps in the scientific method? a) thinking critically b) formulating hypothesis and predictions c) observing some phenonmenon d) drawing conclusions e) preparing meta-analyses

b, c, d

Debriefing is used in studies where:

deception has been used.

The term _______ is used to describe any aspects of a study that communicate to the participants how the experimenter wants them to behave.

demand characteristic

A ___________________________ is an experiment that is conducted so that neither the experimenter nor the participants are aware of which participants are in the experimental group and which are in the control group after the results are calculated.

double-blind experiment

When researchers gather evidence and examine it logically, they are using the _________________.

empirical method

An experimenter provides hints as to the preferred responses. The result is that his study produces results consistent with the hypothesis. However, the results may reflect __________.

experimenter bias

For a theory to be scientific, there must be some way to prove it wrong. In other words, the theory must be_____________.

falsifiable

The degree to which changes in the dependent variable are due to the manipulation of the independent variable(s) is called ______________ validity.

internal

The operational definition is an objective description of how a research variable is going to be _________ and observed.

measured

The functionalists focused on

mental processes and the purposes of the mind and behavior in the individual's adaptation to the environment

Darwin's principle of __________________ is an evolutionary process in which organisms best adapted to their surroundings will survive and produce offspring.

natural selection

The scientific study of the nervous system's structure, function, development, and biochemistry is known as _________.

neuroscience

The three key parts of psychology include all the following except:

physical processes

A random sample is a sample that gives every member of the _____________ an equal chance of being selected.

population

_____________ sprouting is the process in which axons of healthy neurons adjacent to damaged neurons grow new branches to make up for the damage.

Collateral

_____________ makes informed consent difficult, because subjects must not know what the study they are about to participate in is really about.

Deception

_____________ research serves the purpose of determining the basic dimensions of a phenomenon and defining what it is or how often it occurs but it cannot provide casual information.

Descriptive

Which approach to psychology did Wilhelm Wundt endorse?

Functionalism

______________ is an approach that concentrates on what the mind does and the role of behavior in allowing people to adapt to their environment.

Functionalism

Which psychological perspective emphasizes a person's positive qualities, capability for positive growth, and the freedom to choose any destiny?

Humanistic approach

What is a psychological perspective that uses concepts such as adaptation, reproduction, and "survival of the fittest" as the basis for explaining specific human behaviors?

Evolutionary approach

Which psychological perspective examines the ways in which the social and cultural environments influence behavior?

Sociocultural approach

_____________ of consciousness is the term used by James to describe the natural flow of thought.

Stream

_____________ is the name of the approach to psychology endorsed by Whelm Wundt.

Structuralism

_________________ is the 19th century school of psychology that argued that breaking down experiences into elemental parts offers the best way to understand thought and behavior.

Structuralism

What is the name for the process in which the function of a damaged brain region is taken over by another region?

Substitution of function

Which of these are approaches to contemporary psychology? a) Sociocultural b) Cognitive c) Investigative d) Metaphysical e) Behavioral f) Chemical g) Humanistic

a, b, e, g

What is the purpose of using deception in psychological research?

To prevent participants from being influenced by what they think the purpose of the study is

In some experiments, the same people are in the control group and the experimental group. Each participant is exposed to all the conditions. What is the term for this type of research?

Within-participant design

_____________ created the first psychological laboratory.

Wundt

David recently read a scholarly article about a correlational study which showed that families who eat more meals together tend to have children with fewer discipline problems. Since David's sons has been acting out a lot, David decides that he can solve the problem just by having the family eat dinner together every night. what error(s) did David make? a) Attributing causes where none have been found b) Overgeneralizing based on the little information c) Failing to distinguish between group results and individual needs d) Failing to consider the source of information

a & c

Experimenter and participant expectations are two types of experimenter _______.

bias

Which of the following is an important difficulty of conducting survey research that can affect the quality of the conclusions that can be drawn? a) conducting brain scans b) controlling the situation c) finding a representative sample

c

Which of these is a limitation of these case study methods? a) Case studies don't provide very much detail about the people being studied. b) Because the researcher is only observing outward behavior, they cannot know what a person is thinking or feeling. c) It can be difficult to generalize from one person to the larger population. d) It can be difficult to sort out the statistical data from so many people.

c

Laboratory research is conducted in a ______________ setting.

controlled

Journalists and television reporters are not trained in _____________ research.

psychological