Tulane Psych 1000 Rollins test 1 2025
Exam Questions and Answers
What is psychology? - -The science of behavior and natural processes
- What is arm-chair psychology and why is it unscientific? - -It is based on
speculation and casual observation. It is not scientific because it can be
influenced by beliefs and what is obvious is not always correct. We tend to
notice info we already know or think
- What did Wilhelm Wundt do? - -He opened the first ever psychology lab in
Germany 1879
- How has psychology shifted between the study of cognition and the study
of behavior (i.e., behaviorism backlash, etc.)? - -Psychology began as the
study of cognition until the 1920s, then shifted to behaviorism from the 20s
to the 60s, then there was the behaviorism backlash that argued that the
study of behaviorism wasn't scientific, so people moved back to cognition.
Today both are studied
- What is the difference between clinical psychologists and psychiatrists? - -
Psychiatrists have MDs and can prescribe medications
- What do cognitive psychologists study? - -Study mental processes
- Biological psychologists? - -Studies influences of biology on psychological
processes
- Developmental psychologists? - -Studies how people change over their
lifespans
- Personality psychologists? - -Study individual difference
- Social psychologists? - -How people interact with other people
(interpersonal interactions)
- What is the biopsychosocial approach? - -Behavior and mental phenomena
arise from the interaction of biological, psychological, and social influences.
- What is the nature or nurture debate? What is meant by nature and
nurture? What is wrong with this debate? How does environment influence
genes? What do genes do? - -Whether people do things because of how they
were born or how they were raised. This is wrong because people are a
combination of their nature and their nurture, and nature and nurture affect
, one another. Environment can "turn on" certain genes, which make up a
person. Some genes are only activated in certain environments. Genes are
the building blocks of the body
- What are the aspects of critical thinking we covered? - -Looking for
potential bias, hidden agendas that promote a certain ideology, over-
generalizations and over-simplifications, attributing a behavior to a single
cause, one study is not definitive
- What is ethnocentrism? - -The belief that your own cultural or ethnic group
is correct and the way you live is normal
- Why should you be cautious when it comes to scientific reports in the
media? - -They provide popular psychology that may not be scientifically
sound.
- In terms of the scientific method, what is a theory? What is a hypothesis? -
-A theory is an in depth explanation of a phenomena that simplifies and
summarizes a body of research findings. Good theories generate testable
hypotheses
- What are case studies? In what circumstances are they performed? What is
a major shortcoming of case study research? - -An in-depth analysis of a
single individual that may not apply to others and does not prove anything.
What is true for one person may not be true for another. It is difficult to find
patterns. May be used for a unique case and unusual circumstances
- What is naturalistic observation? - -An observation that happens in nature,
without altercations or interferences
Good for finding behaviors that would not occur in the lab. The presence of
an observer may alter behavior
- What are surveys? - -Questionnaires, interviews. The accuracy of self
report is flawed because memories fail or people lie.
- What is sampling? - -Studying a group of a population
- What is a representative sample and why is it important? What kinds of
samples are more likely to be representative? What is volunteer bias? - -A
sample that is a good representation of the entire population, it helps give a
complete picture. Large samples are more likely to be representative than
smaller samples. Random samples are also more representative. Volunteer
bias is an issue that can occur when certain groups of a population may not
chose to be a part of a study, therefore skewing the results.
Exam Questions and Answers
What is psychology? - -The science of behavior and natural processes
- What is arm-chair psychology and why is it unscientific? - -It is based on
speculation and casual observation. It is not scientific because it can be
influenced by beliefs and what is obvious is not always correct. We tend to
notice info we already know or think
- What did Wilhelm Wundt do? - -He opened the first ever psychology lab in
Germany 1879
- How has psychology shifted between the study of cognition and the study
of behavior (i.e., behaviorism backlash, etc.)? - -Psychology began as the
study of cognition until the 1920s, then shifted to behaviorism from the 20s
to the 60s, then there was the behaviorism backlash that argued that the
study of behaviorism wasn't scientific, so people moved back to cognition.
Today both are studied
- What is the difference between clinical psychologists and psychiatrists? - -
Psychiatrists have MDs and can prescribe medications
- What do cognitive psychologists study? - -Study mental processes
- Biological psychologists? - -Studies influences of biology on psychological
processes
- Developmental psychologists? - -Studies how people change over their
lifespans
- Personality psychologists? - -Study individual difference
- Social psychologists? - -How people interact with other people
(interpersonal interactions)
- What is the biopsychosocial approach? - -Behavior and mental phenomena
arise from the interaction of biological, psychological, and social influences.
- What is the nature or nurture debate? What is meant by nature and
nurture? What is wrong with this debate? How does environment influence
genes? What do genes do? - -Whether people do things because of how they
were born or how they were raised. This is wrong because people are a
combination of their nature and their nurture, and nature and nurture affect
, one another. Environment can "turn on" certain genes, which make up a
person. Some genes are only activated in certain environments. Genes are
the building blocks of the body
- What are the aspects of critical thinking we covered? - -Looking for
potential bias, hidden agendas that promote a certain ideology, over-
generalizations and over-simplifications, attributing a behavior to a single
cause, one study is not definitive
- What is ethnocentrism? - -The belief that your own cultural or ethnic group
is correct and the way you live is normal
- Why should you be cautious when it comes to scientific reports in the
media? - -They provide popular psychology that may not be scientifically
sound.
- In terms of the scientific method, what is a theory? What is a hypothesis? -
-A theory is an in depth explanation of a phenomena that simplifies and
summarizes a body of research findings. Good theories generate testable
hypotheses
- What are case studies? In what circumstances are they performed? What is
a major shortcoming of case study research? - -An in-depth analysis of a
single individual that may not apply to others and does not prove anything.
What is true for one person may not be true for another. It is difficult to find
patterns. May be used for a unique case and unusual circumstances
- What is naturalistic observation? - -An observation that happens in nature,
without altercations or interferences
Good for finding behaviors that would not occur in the lab. The presence of
an observer may alter behavior
- What are surveys? - -Questionnaires, interviews. The accuracy of self
report is flawed because memories fail or people lie.
- What is sampling? - -Studying a group of a population
- What is a representative sample and why is it important? What kinds of
samples are more likely to be representative? What is volunteer bias? - -A
sample that is a good representation of the entire population, it helps give a
complete picture. Large samples are more likely to be representative than
smaller samples. Random samples are also more representative. Volunteer
bias is an issue that can occur when certain groups of a population may not
chose to be a part of a study, therefore skewing the results.
