PSY 101 - Exam 1 Study Guide Answers - Chapters 1 & 2
| Latest study set | Questions & Answers | 2026
Updates
Define "psychology" - ANSWER- the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Identify and describe the four main goals of psychology - ANSWER- 1. Description: WHAT
is their nature?
2. Explanation: WHY do they occur?
3. Prediction: WHEN will they occur?
4. Change: How can we CHANGE them?
Define "critical thinking" - ANSWER- the process of objectively evaluating, comparing,
analyzing, and synthesizing information
EX: A team of scientists working with great precision through a complex experiment in an effort
to gather and analyze data.
Describe the goal of Structuralism and the method used for this type of psychology - ANSWER-
Goal: to identify the basic building blocks, or "structures," of mental life though
introspection and then to determine how these elements combine to form the whole of
experience
It used introspection.
Describe the goal of Functionalism and the method used for this type of psychology - ANSWER-
Goal: to study the way the mind functions to enable humans and other animals to adapt
to their environment.
It included research on emotions and observable behaviors
Identify the various perspectives guiding the field of psychology - ANSWER- 1.
psychoanalytic
, 2. psychodynamic
3. behavioral
4. humanistic
5. cognitive
6. biological
7. evolutionary
8. sociocultural
Describe the biopsychosocial model, including what explains behavior from this model -
ANSWER- It is an integrative, unifying theme of modern psychology that sees biological,
psychological, and social processes as interacting influences
List the steps to the scientific method - ANSWER- 1. question and literature review
2. testable hypothesis
3. research design
4. data collection and analysis
5. publication
6. theory development
Contrast hypothesis and theories - ANSWER- hypothesis: a tentative and testable
explanation (or "educated guess") about the relationship between two or more variables; a
testable prediction or question
theory: an organized, interrelated set of concepts that explain a phenomenon or body of data
Operational definition (be able to recognize an operational definition from an example of a
psychological variable) - ANSWER- a precise description of how the variables in a study
will be observed, manipulated, and measured.
EX: a better grade on my exams might be operationally defined as earning one letter grade
higher than the letter grade on my previous exam
| Latest study set | Questions & Answers | 2026
Updates
Define "psychology" - ANSWER- the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Identify and describe the four main goals of psychology - ANSWER- 1. Description: WHAT
is their nature?
2. Explanation: WHY do they occur?
3. Prediction: WHEN will they occur?
4. Change: How can we CHANGE them?
Define "critical thinking" - ANSWER- the process of objectively evaluating, comparing,
analyzing, and synthesizing information
EX: A team of scientists working with great precision through a complex experiment in an effort
to gather and analyze data.
Describe the goal of Structuralism and the method used for this type of psychology - ANSWER-
Goal: to identify the basic building blocks, or "structures," of mental life though
introspection and then to determine how these elements combine to form the whole of
experience
It used introspection.
Describe the goal of Functionalism and the method used for this type of psychology - ANSWER-
Goal: to study the way the mind functions to enable humans and other animals to adapt
to their environment.
It included research on emotions and observable behaviors
Identify the various perspectives guiding the field of psychology - ANSWER- 1.
psychoanalytic
, 2. psychodynamic
3. behavioral
4. humanistic
5. cognitive
6. biological
7. evolutionary
8. sociocultural
Describe the biopsychosocial model, including what explains behavior from this model -
ANSWER- It is an integrative, unifying theme of modern psychology that sees biological,
psychological, and social processes as interacting influences
List the steps to the scientific method - ANSWER- 1. question and literature review
2. testable hypothesis
3. research design
4. data collection and analysis
5. publication
6. theory development
Contrast hypothesis and theories - ANSWER- hypothesis: a tentative and testable
explanation (or "educated guess") about the relationship between two or more variables; a
testable prediction or question
theory: an organized, interrelated set of concepts that explain a phenomenon or body of data
Operational definition (be able to recognize an operational definition from an example of a
psychological variable) - ANSWER- a precise description of how the variables in a study
will be observed, manipulated, and measured.
EX: a better grade on my exams might be operationally defined as earning one letter grade
higher than the letter grade on my previous exam
