Practice Questions for Test #1

Question 1

Give me one definition of Psychology we used in class.

Answer 1

The study of mind and behavior.

Question 2

What is the goal of Psychology?

Answer 2

Psychologists seek general principles that help explain many behaviors.

Question 3

According to the reading What is Mind?, what is the difference between mind and the brain?

Answer 3

The mind as the flow of information through the nervous system.

The brain is the biophysical matter that makes up the part of the nervous system that is inside your skull.

Question 4

According to the reading What is Mind?, what is consciousness?

Answer 4

Consciousness is experienced information flow.

Question 5

According to the reading What is Consciousness?, how would a property dualist define consciousness?

Answer 5

A non-physical property that emerges from neural activity.

Question 6

What was the goal of the structuralists?

Answer 6

They wanted to identify and measure the basic mental elements and their attributes and understand how they combine to produce complex conscious thought. They believed that the structure of consciousness must be understood before talking about its function.

Question 7

Psychology first arose in what country?

Answer 7

Germany

Question 8

Who is considered the first psychologist?

Answer 8

Gustav Fechner

Question 9

Why is Fechner considered the first psychologist?

Answer 9

He believed that if a systematic relationship could be found between known changes in physical stimuli and changes in conscious perception of those experiences, then we should be able to measure consciousness.

Question 10

How is knowledge gained scientifically?

Answer 10

Through systematic observation and measurement of nature.

Question 11

Tell me two major questions the structuralists wanted to answer.

Answer 11

How, mechanically, do thoughts and behaviors occur? What biology is behind thought and behavior?

What is self? What is life? Does the part of the body that is self continue on after life has ended? Is self the soul?

What is the vital spark that gives life to some object? What distinguishes living from non-living things?

How is reality transformed into perception?

Question 12

What early scientist identified the brain as an organ that carries out specific functions such as thinking and controlling behavior?

Answer 12

Gall

Question 13

Building on Gall’s work, who found that language was localized in one spot in the left hemisphere?

Answer 13

Paul Broca

Question 14

What was phrenology and who invented it?

Answer 14

The study of the mind through reading the shape and size of the skull. Created by Johann Spurzheim.

Question 15

What is the law of specific nerve energies and who suggested it?

Answer 15

Suggested by Johann Spurzheim.

We are aware not of objects themselves, but by signals about them transmitted through our nerves, each nerve having a specific kind of nervous energy.

Question 16

Tell me one thing Herrmann con Helmholtz discovered.

Answer 16

Nerve conduction travels at the rate of 90 feet per second.

Question 17

Ernst Weber studied two-point discrimination. Define two-point discrimination.

Answer 17

Sensitivity to touch, temperature and weight differ from one area of the body to another, and that this differing sensitivity is due to the density of nerve fibers and nerve endings in different parts of the skin.

Question 18

Ernst Weber also studied just noticeable difference. Define just noticeable difference.

Answer 18

When a subject can tell there is a difference between two weights (or pressure or temperature).

Question 19

What does O’Boyle say is necessary for Psychology to be a science?

Answer 19

We must be able to measure consciousness.

Question 20

What was the spiritualist movement?

Answer 20

This movement said that spirits are self, will, mind or some form of mysterious non-physical energy, thus the dead (both human and non-human such as pets) could be communicated with through a special group of people called mediums.

Question 21

Which American psychologist believed in spiritualism?

Answer 21

William James

Question 22

Can spiritualism be studied scientifically? Why or why not?

Answer 22

No. We can only study observable phenomena scientifically.

Question 23

Name two paradigm shifts that we talked about in class and tell me who is associated with that shift.

Answer 23

Darwin’s theory of evolution

Mendel’s theory of genetic inheritance

Gall’s theory that thinking and behavior are in the brain

Fechner’s belief that consciousness could be measured

Muller’s law of specific nerve energies

Epigenetics

Copernicus, the earth revolves around the sun

Question 24

What were Wundt’s two goals?

Answer 24

To discover the basic elements of consciousness by measuring sensory experiences.

To discover how the basic elements of sensation are combined into perception, thoughts and complex ideas.

Question 25

Lamark believed that there is inheritance of acquired characteristics between parents and offspring. What current paradigm suggests this may be true?

Answer 25

Epigenetics

Question 26

Who founded experimental psychology?

Answer 26

Wilhelm Wundt

Question 27

According to Wundt, what is introspection?

Answer 27

Subjects are trained to observe and catalog their own reaction times to various stimuli.

Question 28

What is the difference between physiology and psychology?

Answer 28

Physiology is more focused on how various sensory systems work, while Psychology is focused on attention and perception and other mental functions.

Question 29

Who was the first American psychologist?

Answer 29

William James

Question 30

Which German psychologist did William James study under?

Answer 30

Wilhelm Wundt

Question 31

What was the name of the school of thought that American psychologists founded? What did this school of thought study/believe?

Answer 31

Functionalism. Functionalism can be defined as how the mind functions to help organisms adapt to their environments. Consciousness exists for the purpose of helping organisms to survive and adapt to the physical world. Functionalists use experimental methods to understand learning, memory, problem solving, motivation, emotion, beliefs and concepts of self.

Question 32

How did William James believe that higher mental processes came about?

Answer 32

They are the result of simple mental elements combined.

Question 33

How did James define empiricism? Does his idea fit with our current understanding of empiricism? Why or why not?

Answer 33

James thought that all aspects of experience, both observable and not observable, both objective and subjective could be studied. This does not fit with our current understanding. Empiricism is defined as studying observable and measureable phenomena and experience.

Question 34

How did James define consciousness?

Answer 34

As a constantly flowing dynamic stream of thought, connected with and dependent on those thoughts coming before and after.

Question 35

List three reasons why James is considered the first American psychologist.

Answer 35

There were no professors of psychology in America until James began teaching in 1875. Within 2 decades of the beginning of his psychology course, about 2 dozen universities had classes in psychology, three psychology journals were published and a professional psychology society had been formed. He introduced experimental psychology to America. He published the first psychology textbook, Principles of Psychology He applied psychological principles to teaching, which became the core of educational psychology. He was largely responsible for getting the Rockefeller Foundation and similar groups to allocate millions of dollars to the development of mental hospitals and the training of mental health professionals.

Question 36

What did James consider to be the goal of psychology?

Answer 36

The discovery of the connection between each physiological brain state and corresponding states of mind.

Question 37

Define Ontology.

Answer 37

The study of what is real, and the question of whether reality includes what cannot be observed.

Question 38

Define Theory.

Answer 38

An explanation of reality that has been thoroughly tested so that most scientists agree on it. Theories give rise to predictions or hypotheses.

Question 39

Define Hypothesis.

Answer 39

A proposed explanation for an observable phenomenon that can be scientifically tested. A hypothesis is an untested prediction arising from a theory.

Question 40

Define empirical.

Answer 40

Inquiry based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic.

Question 41

How did Thomas Kuhn define paradigm?

Answer 41

A universally recognized scientific achievement that, for a time, provides model problems and solutions for a community of researchers.

Question 42

List two strengths of scientific paradigms.

Answer 42

They facilitate the search for knowledge They define the boundaries of what is known They specify the questions to be explored They establish the ground rules for conducting a search for more knowledge.

Question 43

What is the weakness of scientific paradigms?

Answer 43

They limit the worldview of scientists studying within them. Questions that lie outside the boundaries of the current set of assumptions are not studied. The assumptions on which paradigms are founded are never tested, so that if the paradigms are not true, then the entire inquiry is wasted.

Question 44

Name two paradigms in psychology that you believe to be true.

Answer 44

Experience changes behavior. Behavior can be learned through observation.

Question 45

Define scientific inquiry.

Answer 45

A systematic, controlled, empirical, and critical investigation of hypothetical propositions about the presumed relations among observed phenomena.

Question 46

Name three characteristics of scientific inquiry and explain them.

Answer 46

Scientific research is public: science depends on the publication of information that is collected by scientists so that other scientists may replicate or extend their work. Science is objective: scientific research deals with facts instead of interpretations of facts and tries to be unbiased. Science is empirical: science uses direct observation to obtain knowledge of observable phenomena. Science is systematic and cumulative: new scientific research builds on previous scientific knowledge. Science is predictive: The findings can be applied to populations to determine if behavior is actually predictable.

Question 47

What is an operational definition?

Answer 47

A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures (operations) used in a research study.

Question 48

Name and describe two ways of doing descriptive research.

Answer 48

Cases Studies: looking at one or a few individuals (or groups) and making inferences about large populations of people or non-humans based on what is observed in just a few. Naturalistic Observation: humans and non-humans are observed in their typical environments, so that natural, or typical behaviors that are unaffected by the observer can be documented. Surveys: asking many people about their thoughts, feelings or behaviors on some limited topic to determine what percentage of people think, feel or behave in a particular way.

Question 49

Why does your instructor say all humans are psychologists?

Answer 49

All of us use descriptive sampling techniques in our everyday life. We all make generalizations about human and non-human behavior based on a few observations of a few individuals or a few conversations with a few people.

Question 50

What is the goal of correlational research?

Answer 50

To determine if a relationship exists between two variables.

Question 51

Does a correlational relationship imply causation? Why or why not?

Answer 51

Variables are not controlled or manipulated in correlational research to determine if one is causing the other.

Question 52

Define experimental research.

Answer 52

Scientific inquiry in which variables are manipulated and controlled to determine cause and effect.

Question 53

Tell me why descriptive, correlational and experimental inquiry are all empirical.

Answer 53

All rely on observable and measurable phenomena.

Question 54

What is random assignment?

Answer 54

People (or non-humans) are randomly assigned to groups in an experiment. Each individual has an equal chance of being in any group.

Question 55

Why do we use random assignment in psychology experiments?

Answer 55

To reduce sampling error.

Question 56

Define control group.

Answer 56

The group in an experiment that does not receive the experimental treatment.

Question 57

Define independent variable.

Answer 57

The variable that is being manipulated, that is, the treatment that is given or not given to different groups.

Question 58

Define dependent variable:

Answer 58

The variable that is measured to determine if the independent variable changes it.

Question 59

In the Mythbuster's video that we saw, what were the independent variables?

Answer 59

Voice - nice words or mean words Music - classical or heavy metal

Question 60

In the Mythbuster's video that we saw, what were the dependent variables?

Answer 60

Height, number of pea pods produced, and weight (in grams)

Question 61

In a cause and effect relationship, the ______________ variable is the possible cause and the _________________variable is the possible effect. (independent and dependent).

Answer 61

Independent - possible cause Dependent - possible effect

Question 62

Tell me the similarities and differences among descriptive, correlational and experimental inquiry.

Answer 62

Descriptive: Looks at observable behavior to identify and describe it. Describe a specific behavior. Cannot make predictions or determine causality from the information collected. Variables are not manipulated and participants (subjects) are not put into groups. Correlational: Looks at observable behavior to determine if there is a relationship between two variables. Variables are not manipulated and participants (subjects) are not put into groups. Can make predictions about the level of one variable based on knowledge of the other variable. Cannot determine causality. Experimental: One variable is intentionally manipulated Participants are put into groups through random assignment Experimental research can determine causality.

Question 63

Define a population in scientific inquiry.

Answer 63

All members of a group in which a researcher has an interest.

Question 64

Define sample in a scientific inquiry.

Answer 64

A subset of a population that is assumed to have the same characteristics as the population.

Question 65

Why do we use samples and not populations in most psychological studies? Name three reasons.

Answer 65

Time, it takes too long to look at a whole population Money, it is too expensive to look at a whole population. The researcher does not have access to the whole population.

Question 66

What is sampling error?

Answer 66

Error that exists because our sample does not represent our population.

Question 67

How can sampling error be reduced?

Answer 67

Use random sampling and large samples.

Question 68

Can a sample be selected so that there is zero sampling error? Why or why not?

Answer 68

No. By random chance, the sample selected may be biased or not represent the population in some way, but the experimenter is unaware of this.

Question 69

Why do we us inferential statistics to compare our groups in experimental research?

Answer 69

To estimate the amount of error that may exist in our sample

Question 70

The use of ______________________ statistics can reduce sampling error.

Answer 70

Inferential

Question 71

When do researchers have to use biased samples? Give an example.

Answer 71

When for legal or ethical reasons, large numbers of people (or non-humans) cannot be studied. EX: Studying the effects of a new medicine on people with brain tumors.

Question 72

What is nominal data? Give one example.

Answer 72

Data grouped by categories. Names or words are used instead of numbers. There is no order or ranking. Ex: Grouping by gender

Question 73

What is ordinal data? Give example.

Answer 73

Data collected as numbers that can be ranked from high to low, but there is no indication of how much higher or lower one participant is from another. Ex: The expression of any emotion.

Question 74

What is interval data? Give one example.

Answer 74

Data collected as numbers that can be ranked from high to low and the exact differences between values can be determined. There is no true zero. Measuring reaction time in seconds. Ex: Measuring well-being on a validated scale for that concept.

Question 75

What is ratio data? Give one example.

Answer 75

Data collected as numbers that can be ranked from high to low and the exact differences between values can be determined. There is a true zero. Ex: Measuring reaction time in seconds.

Question 76

What is the main difference between ordinal data and interval or ratio data?

Answer 76

Interval and ratio measurements tell us by how much participants differ.

Question 77

Name three measures of central tendency.

Answer 77

Mode, median and mean

Question 78

What is a frequency distribution?

Answer 78

Data put into a table or graph that shows how many participants have each score.

Question 79

What is a normal curve?

Answer 79

When large data sets are collected, in many cases, most of the data points cluster around some middle value and then taper off. This occurs in many sets of data in nature. The shape of the data set on the graph looks like a bell. 68% of data values will be within one standard deviation of the mean; about 95% will lie within two standard deviations and about 99.7 within three standard deviations.

Question 80

What is a skewed distribution?

Answer 80

The place where most data points cluster is not normally distributed, but when drawn on a graph, the data shows peaks to the right or the left of the middle.

Question 81

What is the most frequently used measure of central tendency?

Answer 81

The mean.

Question 82

Define mean.

Answer 82

The point behind which all the deviations sum to zero.

Question 83

Which of the below data sets would be appropriate for using the mean as a measure of central tendency and why?

Answer 83

A, because the mean is affected by extreme scores so that a true, representative middle is not formulated. Thus, the mean is appropriate for a data set with a small range. A. 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 10,12 B. 5, 5, 5 5, 7, 7, 7, 9, 9, 9, 200, 210, 5, 5

Question 84

Define Median.

Answer 84

The value in a distribution that has 50% of the cases above it and 50% below it; thus it is a middle point in a distribution.

Question 85

When is the median used as a measure of central tendency?

Answer 85

When the frequency distribution of the data is not normal and there is a skewed distribution.

Question 86

Define Mode.

Answer 86

The most frequently occurring score in a data set.

Question 87

If data is normally distributed, the __________________should be used as a measure of central tendency.

Answer 87

Mean

Question 88

If the data is skewed, the _________________ should be used as a measure of central tendency.

Answer 88

Median

Question 89

If the data is nominal, the ______________ should be used as a measure of central tendency.

Answer 89

Mode

Question 90

If there are extreme scores in the data set, the ________________ should be used as a measure of central tendency.

Answer 90

Median

Question 91

For nominal data the ________________ and ________________ should not be used as measures of central tendency.

Answer 91

Mean and median

Question 92

The most frequently used measure of central tendency is the ______________.

Answer 92

Mean

Question 93

The difference between the highest and lowest score on a data set is called the _________________.

Answer 93

Range

Question 94

What is an outlier?

Answer 94

Data points that lie far outside the range of most of the other scores.

Question 95

What is the effect of outliers on the range?

Answer 95

They increase the size of the range and do not give a true picture of the variability of the rest of the data.

Question 96

What measure of range can be used to diminish the effect of outliers?

Answer 96

Interquartile range (IQR)

Question 97

What is the most frequently used measure of variability?

Answer 97

Standard deviation

Question 98

Define standard deviation.

Answer 98

A statistic that provides an overall measurement of how much participant's scores differ from the mean score of their group. It is an average of the deviations of the scores from their means.

Question 99

What affects the size of the standard deviation?

Answer 99

The variability of the scores.

Question 100

If all participants had the same score, what would the standard deviation be?

Answer 100

Zero

Question 101

When is the term participants used in psychological publications?

Answer 101

Human subjects who have freely consented to participating in research.

Question 102

When is the term subjects used in psychological publications?

Answer 102

Those who have not freely consented to participating in research. Most commonly currently used for non-humans. Can be used for humans who have not consented to be participants in a research study (e.g., naturalistic observation).

Question 103

When is the term respondents used?

Answer 103

It is used for participants who have responded to a survey or taken an examination.

Question 104

What are the APA and APS?

Answer 104

American Psychological Association Association for Psychological Science The two major psychological professional groups that psychologists belong to. Clinicians tend to belong to APA and experimentalists to APS.