PSYCH 1101 Final Exam Review Topics
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ijrsc6
1. What is scien- Explanation: tells us why something happened
tific explanation;
What an expla- Description: tells us what happened
nation is ; What
Good explanations invoke principles that are...
makes a differ-
- Fewer in number
ence between
- More general
description and
- Earlier in the causal chain
explanation
- Closer to irreducible (cannot be reduced or simplified) physical/mathematical
laws
2. Psychology Definition: the tools and methods of science applied to the human mind, the study
of the human mind
3. Feynman's Scien- 1. Make best guess (hypothesis)
tific Method 2. compare prediction to observation (experiemnt)
3. Match? If no, reject the theory. If yes, it is right and offers tentative support
4. repeat, share, refine
4. Problems in the - vague/unfalsifiable theories; can't be tested or proven wrong
practice of sci- - Sloppy methods: poor observation and measurement
ence? (e.g. replic- - Publication bias: significant results published more than null findings
ability, publica- - Data fraud - making up or manipulating data
tion bias, fraud) - Replicability crisis - many findings simply do not replicate
5. Correlation vs Correlation: Two variables related/associated (e..g ice cream sales and drown-
Causation ing)
Causation (one variable directly causes changes in another)
Key rule: correlation does not equal causation without experimental manipula-
tion
, PSYCH 1101 Final Exam Review Topics
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ijrsc6
Why observational studies cannot determine causality:
- Confounding (surprising) variables, unless you go in and manipulate something
you cannot be sure of the causal relationship
Children who watch more TV have lower grades. Does TV cause poor grades? Or
do struggling students watch more TV? Or does some third variable (parental
involvement) affect both?
6. Falsifiability (and Definition: A theory must be testable and potentially disprovable to be scientific
the problem with
unfalsifiable the- Why it is Standard for Science: If there's no conceivable way to disprove a claim,
ories) it's not scientific
Example: "All swans are white" is falsifiable—seeing one black swan would
disprove it
Freud's Problem: His theories were unfalsifiable because any outcome could
support them. If you remember trauma, he's right. If you don't remember trauma,
you're repressing it, so he's still right.
7. Independent vs Independent Variable: the thing you change or control (the cause), impacts the
Dependent vari- DV, e..g the amount of time you spend studying
able
Dependent Variable: the variable that is measured to see if it changes, depends
on the IV, e.g. score on an example
8. Three dimen- 1. Research design
sions of meth- - *Observational study:* watching and recording something without manipula-
ods (observa- tion, leaves the world untouched, cannot determine causation
tion vs ex- - *Experiment:* manipulating Independent variable (IV) and measuring depen-
periment/lab vs dent variable (DV); poking and prodding the world, can determine causation.
field/self report Requires random assignment to conditions, control group vs experimental group,
vs behavior) eliminates confounds through control
, PSYCH 1101 Final Exam Review Topics
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ijrsc6
2. Research Setting:
- *Laboratory*: controlled environment, maximizes internal validity
- *Field* : natural, real-world setting, maximizes external validity
3. Data collection method
- *Self report*: asking people (surveys, interviews, questionnaires)
-- Pros: easy, quick inexpensive, access to internal states
-- Cons: people lie, lack insight, social desirability bias, demand characteristics
- *Behavior*: observing actions objectively
-- More accurate but can be harder to collect, less susceptible to conscious
manipulation
Examples;
- Sit in playground and make note of which kids play in groups or alone
--- Observational, field, behavior
- Use hidden cameras to watch subjects while they work on a puzzle
--- Observational, lab, behavior
- A study looked at individual differences in disgust sensitivity (how easily dis-
gusted people say they are) and showing this was correlated with how politically
conservative or liberal they reported being
--- Observational, In the lab, Self-report
9. Confound Unmeasured variable that varies with IV and affects DV, provides alternative
explanation
e.g. you study a new diet and compared how it impacts weight loss; con-
found would be the participants'. varying levels of exercise and stress, which
affects/varies with the diet and affects weight loss
10. Classic Study: Research question: does presence of other make it take longer to start urinating
Middlemist,
, PSYCH 1101 Final Exam Review Topics
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ijrsc6
Knowles, & Theory: personal space invasions cause physiological arousal, which inhibits re-
Matter (1977) laxation of urination muscles
Method: participants visit 3-urinal bathroom, confederate stood immediately
adjacent or one urinal away or participant alone, research assistants measured
time it took to start urinating
Research design: Experiment, Field, Behavior
Results: yes, presence of others increased time it took to start urinating
Importance; led to reforms in research ethics regarding observation without
consent
11. Neuroscience The study of the brain and the structure and function of the entire nervous system
12. Peripheral vs Central Nervous System (CNS): Brain and spinal cord
central nervous Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): Everything else, includes somantic and auto-
system nomic
-- Somatic Nervous System: Voluntary movements (cranial and spinal nerves
controlling skeletal muscles)
-- Autonomic Nervous System: Involuntary functions
- Sympathetic: "Fight or flight" response—go, go, go (increases heart rate,
dilates pupils, inhibits digestion)
- Parasympathetic: "Rest and digest"—stop, stop, stop (decreases heart rate,
constricts pupils, promotes digestion)
13. Localization vs Localization: specific brain areas have specific functions
plasticity - Henry Molaison (HM) example: suffered from epilepsy, had seizures that were
getting worse, had experimental procedure to remove part of his brain, then could
no longer form new memories for the rest of his life and had retrograde amnesia
(forgot things just minutes after they occurred)
- Brain imaging
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ijrsc6
1. What is scien- Explanation: tells us why something happened
tific explanation;
What an expla- Description: tells us what happened
nation is ; What
Good explanations invoke principles that are...
makes a differ-
- Fewer in number
ence between
- More general
description and
- Earlier in the causal chain
explanation
- Closer to irreducible (cannot be reduced or simplified) physical/mathematical
laws
2. Psychology Definition: the tools and methods of science applied to the human mind, the study
of the human mind
3. Feynman's Scien- 1. Make best guess (hypothesis)
tific Method 2. compare prediction to observation (experiemnt)
3. Match? If no, reject the theory. If yes, it is right and offers tentative support
4. repeat, share, refine
4. Problems in the - vague/unfalsifiable theories; can't be tested or proven wrong
practice of sci- - Sloppy methods: poor observation and measurement
ence? (e.g. replic- - Publication bias: significant results published more than null findings
ability, publica- - Data fraud - making up or manipulating data
tion bias, fraud) - Replicability crisis - many findings simply do not replicate
5. Correlation vs Correlation: Two variables related/associated (e..g ice cream sales and drown-
Causation ing)
Causation (one variable directly causes changes in another)
Key rule: correlation does not equal causation without experimental manipula-
tion
, PSYCH 1101 Final Exam Review Topics
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ijrsc6
Why observational studies cannot determine causality:
- Confounding (surprising) variables, unless you go in and manipulate something
you cannot be sure of the causal relationship
Children who watch more TV have lower grades. Does TV cause poor grades? Or
do struggling students watch more TV? Or does some third variable (parental
involvement) affect both?
6. Falsifiability (and Definition: A theory must be testable and potentially disprovable to be scientific
the problem with
unfalsifiable the- Why it is Standard for Science: If there's no conceivable way to disprove a claim,
ories) it's not scientific
Example: "All swans are white" is falsifiable—seeing one black swan would
disprove it
Freud's Problem: His theories were unfalsifiable because any outcome could
support them. If you remember trauma, he's right. If you don't remember trauma,
you're repressing it, so he's still right.
7. Independent vs Independent Variable: the thing you change or control (the cause), impacts the
Dependent vari- DV, e..g the amount of time you spend studying
able
Dependent Variable: the variable that is measured to see if it changes, depends
on the IV, e.g. score on an example
8. Three dimen- 1. Research design
sions of meth- - *Observational study:* watching and recording something without manipula-
ods (observa- tion, leaves the world untouched, cannot determine causation
tion vs ex- - *Experiment:* manipulating Independent variable (IV) and measuring depen-
periment/lab vs dent variable (DV); poking and prodding the world, can determine causation.
field/self report Requires random assignment to conditions, control group vs experimental group,
vs behavior) eliminates confounds through control
, PSYCH 1101 Final Exam Review Topics
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ijrsc6
2. Research Setting:
- *Laboratory*: controlled environment, maximizes internal validity
- *Field* : natural, real-world setting, maximizes external validity
3. Data collection method
- *Self report*: asking people (surveys, interviews, questionnaires)
-- Pros: easy, quick inexpensive, access to internal states
-- Cons: people lie, lack insight, social desirability bias, demand characteristics
- *Behavior*: observing actions objectively
-- More accurate but can be harder to collect, less susceptible to conscious
manipulation
Examples;
- Sit in playground and make note of which kids play in groups or alone
--- Observational, field, behavior
- Use hidden cameras to watch subjects while they work on a puzzle
--- Observational, lab, behavior
- A study looked at individual differences in disgust sensitivity (how easily dis-
gusted people say they are) and showing this was correlated with how politically
conservative or liberal they reported being
--- Observational, In the lab, Self-report
9. Confound Unmeasured variable that varies with IV and affects DV, provides alternative
explanation
e.g. you study a new diet and compared how it impacts weight loss; con-
found would be the participants'. varying levels of exercise and stress, which
affects/varies with the diet and affects weight loss
10. Classic Study: Research question: does presence of other make it take longer to start urinating
Middlemist,
, PSYCH 1101 Final Exam Review Topics
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ijrsc6
Knowles, & Theory: personal space invasions cause physiological arousal, which inhibits re-
Matter (1977) laxation of urination muscles
Method: participants visit 3-urinal bathroom, confederate stood immediately
adjacent or one urinal away or participant alone, research assistants measured
time it took to start urinating
Research design: Experiment, Field, Behavior
Results: yes, presence of others increased time it took to start urinating
Importance; led to reforms in research ethics regarding observation without
consent
11. Neuroscience The study of the brain and the structure and function of the entire nervous system
12. Peripheral vs Central Nervous System (CNS): Brain and spinal cord
central nervous Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): Everything else, includes somantic and auto-
system nomic
-- Somatic Nervous System: Voluntary movements (cranial and spinal nerves
controlling skeletal muscles)
-- Autonomic Nervous System: Involuntary functions
- Sympathetic: "Fight or flight" response—go, go, go (increases heart rate,
dilates pupils, inhibits digestion)
- Parasympathetic: "Rest and digest"—stop, stop, stop (decreases heart rate,
constricts pupils, promotes digestion)
13. Localization vs Localization: specific brain areas have specific functions
plasticity - Henry Molaison (HM) example: suffered from epilepsy, had seizures that were
getting worse, had experimental procedure to remove part of his brain, then could
no longer form new memories for the rest of his life and had retrograde amnesia
(forgot things just minutes after they occurred)
- Brain imaging
