Psych Quiz 1

An experiment was designed to study the potential impact of alcohol consumption on emotional stability. A specification of the procedures used to measure emotional stability illustrates

an operational definition.

The young science of psychology developed from the more established fields of philosophy and

biology.

Professor Crisman believes that most women prefer tall and physically strong partners because this preference promoted the survival of our ancestors' genes. This viewpoint best illustrates the ________ perspective.

evolutionary

The explanatory power of a scientific theory is most closely linked to its capacity to generate testable

predictions.

When every individual in a large population has a small but equal chance of being included in a survey, researchers are using a procedure known as

random sampling.

People often fail to make accurate generalizations because they are unduly influenced by ________ cases.

vivid

Surveys indicate that people are less likely to support "welfare" than "aid to the needy." These somewhat paradoxical survey results best illustrate the importance of

wording effects.

The American Psychological Association's ethics code urges investigators to

explain the research to the participants after the study has been completed.

Psychological differences between the genders are

far outweighed by gender similarities.

An inert substance that may be administered instead of a drug to see if it produces any of the same effects as the drug is called a

placebo.

To determine whether the strength of people's self-esteem is related to their income levels, researchers would most likely make use of

correlational research.

When you question whether anecdotal evidence can be generalized to all people, you are applying

critical thinking.

In an effort to prevent participants in an experiment from trying to confirm the researchers' predictions, psychologists sometimes

deceive participants about the true purpose of an experiment.

In a psychological experiment, the experimental factor that is manipulated by the investigator is called the ________ variable.

independent

In an experimental study of the effects of anxiety on self-esteem, anxiety would be the ________ variable.

independent

Which psychologists are MOST likely to be involved in applied research?

industrial-organizational psychologists

Efforts to discover whether the intelligence of children is more heavily influenced by their biology or by their home environments are most directly relevant to the debate regarding

nature and nurture.

In a written report of their research, psychologists specify exactly how anxiety is assessed, thus providing their readers with a(n)

operational definition.

A theory is an organized set of principles that ______ observations and ______ events.

organizes; predicts

The birth of psychology is often attributed to Wilhelm Wundt because he pioneered the investigation of mental processes using

scientific methods.