Psychology Chapter 1

Which statements are true of survey research?

- A disadvantage is that people may not answer honestly - People are asked to self-report

Which of the following is an example of correlational research?

SAT scores are related to GPA.

What is a longitudinal design?

Systematic observation that involves obtaining measures of the variables of interest in multiple waves over time.

What does it mean that the hours a child spent watching TV and the total number of discipline problems the child has in school are correlated +.45?

The more hours a child spends watching TV, the more likely it is that the child will get into trouble at school.

What does it mean if the hours a child spent watching TV and the total number of discipline problems the child has in school are correlated 0?

Watching TV and disciplinary problems are not related.

_____ developed the first laboratory devoted to psychological research.

Wundt

______ created the first psychology laboratory.

Wundt

what is a theory?

a broad idea, or set of closely related ideas, that attempts to explain certain observations

An in-depth investigation of an individual person is referred to as

a case study

When conducting empirical research, the first thing a researcher needs in order to conduct a study is

a concrete way to measure variables of interest.

Scores on an exam go down as the time spent studying goes down. This is an example of

a positive correlation.

what is survey research?

a standard set of questions used to obtain people's self-reported attitudes or beliefs about a particular topic

What is a hypothesis?

a testable prediction that is derived logically from a theory

Critical thinking is a(n) _____ process that involves engaging with ideas and not settling for simple answers.

active

what is a varible?

anything that can change

Psychologists study _____.

behavior and mental processes

The _____ perspective on human behavior asserts that biological, psychological, and social factors are all significant ingredients in producing behavior.

biopsychosocial

A ___________ ____________ is an in-depth analysis of a single individual.

case study

The ______ approach focuses on the mental processes involved in knowing how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems.

cognitive

During the third step of the scientific method, when researchers test the hypothesis, they

conduct empirical research

The degree of relationship between two variables is expressed as a numerical value called a(n)

correlation coefficient

In an experiment, the __________ variable is expected to change as a result of the experimental manipulation.

dependent

The ______ method involves gaining knowledge by observing events, collecting data, and reasoning logically.

empirical

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

empirical

Which is the psychological perspective that uses concepts such as adaptation, reproduction, and natural selection as the basis for explaining specific human behaviors?

evolutionary approach

A(n) _____ is a carefully regulated procedure in which one or more variables believed to influence the behavior being studied are manipulated while all other variables are held constant.

experiment

Which of the following are types of psychological research?

experimental correlational descriptive

The dependent variable is the manipulated experimental factor in an experiment.

false

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

falsifiable

A __________ is an idea arrived at logically from a theory. It can be thought of as an educated guess, and it can be tested.

hypothesis

In an experiment, the _________________ variable is manipulated by the experimenter.

independant

Jiang-Li attempts to study the structure of her mental processes by thinking carefully about the experience of sunlight warming her skin. Jiang-Li is practicing _____.

introspection

A behaviorist might study

learning through environmental determinants.

An experiment involves Blank______ one variable and observing the effect on another variable.

manipulating

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

measured

Random assignment is a procedure in which _____ are assigned to either the treatment or control group on the basis of chance.

participants

If two variables have a correlation of +.98, the two variables are _____ correlated. In other words, as the value of one variable increases, the value of the other also increases.

positively

Random assignment reduces the likelihood that the results of an experiment will be due to any _____ between groups.

preexisting differences

The steps in the scientific method do NOT include

preparing meta-analyses.

Operational definitions are important to research because they

provide clarity in the explanation and measurement of a phenomenon.

Which psychological perspective emphasizes unconscious thought, the conflict between biological drives and society's demands, and early family experiences?

psychodynamic approach

Which of the following are significant ingredients in producing behavior, according to the biopsychosocial approach?

psychological factors biological factors social factors

___________is generally defined as the science of human behavior.

psychology

experimental research

research concerned with establishing causal relationships between variables

The ______ examines the influences of social and cultural environments on behavior.

sociocultural approach

William James used the term _____ to describe the natural flow of thought.

stream of consciousness

Which approach to psychology did Wilhelm Wundt endorse?

structuralism

_____ is a nineteenth-century school of psychology that argued that breaking down mental processes into elemental parts offers the best way to understand thought and behavior.

structuralism

The behavioral perspective

suggests that observable, measurable behavior should be the focus of study

What is random assignment?

the assignment of participants to research groups by chance

A ___________ is a broad idea that can be used to make predictions about future observations.

theory

Psychology grew out of the philosophical tradition of

thinking about the mind and body

A key theme in the scientific method is that knowledge comes from empirical research.

true

You find that there is no correlation between time spent studying and time spent taking a shower. Which of the following values is probably closest to the one you obtained?

0

What is the difference between a theory and an opinion?

A theory is falsifiable, whereas an opinion is not.

Who was the major proponent of the functionalist movement?

James

What is the correct interpretation of the statement "Extroversion and attending parties are positively correlated"?

People who go to parties tend to be extroverted.

_____ is an evolutionary process in which organisms that are best adapted to their environment will survive and produce offspring.

Natural selection

______ is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Psychology

Functionalism had its roots in the views of

james

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 _________ __________ describes an evolutionary process in which organisms that are best adapted to their environment will survive and produce offspring.

natural selection

Correlational research involves gathering data on

sets of variables

What approach is practiced by a psychologist who believes that the way people think, feel, and behave are influenced by sexual and aggressive impulses that are buried deep within the unconscious mind?

Psychodynamic approach

Which of these are among the steps in the scientific method?

drawing conclusions observing some phenomenon formulating hypotheses and predictions

Critical thinking is the practice of evaluating ______.

evidence

The ____________ approach uses evolutionary ideas such as adaptation, reproduction, and natural selection as the basis for explaining specific human behaviors.

evolutionary

The second step in the scientific method involves

formulating a hypothesis

Science is most defined by _____ it investigates.

how

the _________ approach to psychology emphasizes a person's positive qualities, the capability for positive growth, and the freedom to choose any destiny.

humanistic

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

humanistic approach

Pedro is thinking deeply about his feelings and monitoring how he responds to common stimuli. Pedro is engaging in ____________ , which literally means "looking inside" and is also an approach historically used by structuralists in the field of psychology.

introspection

The biological approach to psychology focuses on the brain and ______ system.

nervous

The first step in conducting a scientific inquiry is

observing some phenomenon in the world.

A researcher wants to correlate tension with depression. She develops tests that measure these two emotional states. She provides an objective description of how the variable is going to be measured and observed in a particular study. The descriptions are Blank______ of the variables she is interested in.

operational definitions

Contemporary psychology was deeply influenced by _____, the rational investigation of the underlying principles of being and knowledge.

philosophy

Which of the following are NOT among the contemporary approaches to psychology that represent the intellectual backdrop of psychological science?

physical exploratory

______ 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 causal information.

Descriptive

_____ is a historical approach advocated by William James that concentrated on mental processes and the purposes of the mind and behavior in the individual's adaptation to the environment.

Functionalism

___________is a broad term for any characteristic that can change in some way.

variable

Correlational research involves studies that are concerned with identifying the relationships between two or more __________ in order to describe how they change together.

variables

If two variables are correlated, then one of them must cause the other.

False

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

Stream

_________ (Functionalism/Structuralism) is the name of the approach to psychology endorsed by Wilhelm Wundt.

Structuralism

Psychology is best characterized as

a general science practiced in several environments

Researchers studying the long-term effects of an antidepressant have asked participants every six months of the past decade to undergo blood work, a physical, and a short mental status exam. They are now compiling their research. What type of research have they been conducting?

a longitudinal design

Scores in bowling go up as ability goes up. This is an example of

a positive correlation

Which of the following are among the contemporary approaches to psychological science?

behavioral sociocultural humanistic cognitive

Which approach to psychology emphasizes the role of physical processes such as brain and nervous system functioning?

biological

Which psychological perspective focuses on the mental processes involved in knowing—that is, how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems?

cognitive approach

Research that involves determining the relationship between variables and whose purpose is to examine whether and how two variables change together is called _______ research.

correlational

The degree of relationship between two variables is expressed as a numerical value called a(n):

correlational coefficient.

Your roommate tells you that he spent four hours at Starbucks this week and his GPA is a 3.1. You spent six hours at Starbucks this week and your GPA is 3.5. You have started collecting data in which type of research?

correlational research

The practice of _________ assignment in experimental research is used to make sure that experimental and control groups are equivalent.

random

descriptive research

research that involves finding out about the basic dimensions of some variable

correlational research

research that is interested in discovering relationships between variables

Developing a testable prediction that derives logically from a theory is part of the _____ step in the scientific method.

second

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

sociocultural approach

In social psychology research, the term confederate refers to

someone who plays a specific role that helps the researcher manipulate the social situation.

A curious psychologist sees something and wants to know how or why it is the way it is. This best describes

the first step in the scientific method: observing some phenomenon.