PSYC 102 Final Exam: Introduction to
Psychology | Study Guide Questions with
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Final Exam Study Guide
Chapter 1: Introduction and Research Methods
1 Psychologists identify themselves by the perspective they take (i.e., the lens
throughout which they investigate topics). What are the different perspectives in
psychology?
• Biological / neuroscience: is the study of the structure and function of the brain and
nervous system. This field is highly interdisciplinary with scientists and engineers
from many different backgrounds using multiple experimental approaches.
• Psychodynamic: in its broadest sense, is an approach to psychology that
emphasiẓes systematic study of the psychological forces that underlie human
behavior, feelings, and emotions and how they might relate to early experience.
• Behavioral: or behaviorism, is a theory suggesting that environment shapes human
behavior. In a most basic sense, behavioral psychology is the study and analysis of
observable behavior. This field of psychology influenced thought heavily throughout
the middle of the 20th century.
• Humanistic: a movement in psychology supporting the belief that humans, as
individuals, are unique beings and should be recogniẓed and treated as such by
psychologists and psychiatrists. The concept of the self is a central focal point
• Positive: the scientific study of what makes life most worth living, focusing on both
individual and societal well-being.
• Cognitive: Cognitive psychology involves the study of internal mental processes—
all of the things that go on inside your brain, including perception, thinking,
memory, attention, language, problem-solving, and learning.
, • cross-cultural: dealing with or offering comparison between two or more different
cultures or cultural areas.
• Individualistic cultures: are those that stress the needs of the individual over the
needs of the group as a whole. In this type of culture, people are seen as independent
and autonomous. Social behavior tends to be dictated by the attitudes and preferences
of individuals
• collectivistic cultures: emphasiẓe the needs and goals of the group as a whole over the
needs and desires of each individual. In such cultures, relationships with other
members of the group and the interconnectedness between people play a central role in
each person's identity.
• Evolutionary: Evolutionary psychology is a scientific discipline that approaches
human behavior through a lens that incorporates the effects of evolution. It combines
the science of psychology with the study of biology.
2 What is the scientific method? What are the four steps involved and what is the
order of these steps? What are the three aspects of the scientific method? The basic
steps of the scientific method are: 1) make an observation that describes a problem, 2)
create a hypothesis, 3) test the hypothesis, and 4) draw conclusions and refine the
hypothesis. .............................................................................. Critical thinking is a key
component of the scientific method. Without it, you cannot use logic to come to conclusions
3 Naturalistic observation: is a method that involves observing subjects in their natural
environment. The goal is to look at behavior in a natural setting without intervention
............................................................................................................. Researchers may take
notes or tallies of various behaviors they observe.
4 case studies: A case study is an in-depth study of one person, group, or event. While case
studies focus on a single individual or group, they follow a format that is similar to other
types of psychology writing.
, 5 surveys: The commonly used research method. A survey gathers data by asking a group of
people their thoughts, reactions or opinions to fixed questions. This data is then collected
and analyẓed by a psychologist to provide insight on human behavior as related to a
particular subject.
6 correlational methods: involves looking for relationships between variables. For example,
a researcher might be interested in knowing if users' privacy settings in a social
networking application are related to their personality, IQ, level of education, employment
status, age, gender, income, and so on.
7 Correlational studies: a type of research often used in psychology, as well as other
fields like medicine. Researchers use correlations to see if a relationship between two
or more variables exists, but the variables themselves are not under the control of the
researchers.
• Does correlation equal causation? difference between correlation and causation.
While causation and correlation can exist at the same time, correlation does not
imply causation. Causation explicitly applies to cases where action A causes
outcome B. On the other hand, correlation is simply a relationship.
• What is a correlation coefficient? indicates a measure of the direction and
strength of a relationship between two variables. When the r value is closer to +1
or -1, it indicates that there is a stronger linear relationship between the two
variables.
8 Experiments: Do they demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship between two
variables? Involve deliberately manipulating one factor, which is called independent
variable. Measures changes, if any, that are produced in a second factor, called the
dependent variable.
9 Hypothesis: is a precise, testable statement of what the researchers predict will be the
outcome of the study.
10 main effect: the consistent total effect of a single independent variable on a dependent
variable over all other independent variables in an experimental design.
11 independent variable: the characteristic of a psychology experiment that is manipulated
or changed by researchers, not by other variables in the experiment. For example, in an
experiment looking at the effects of studying on test scores, studying would be the
independent variable.
12 dependent (outcome) variable: the variable that is being measured or tested in an
experiment. In a psychology experiment, researchers are looking at how changes in the
Psychology | Study Guide Questions with
Verified Solutions | A+ Guaranteed
Final Exam Study Guide
Chapter 1: Introduction and Research Methods
1 Psychologists identify themselves by the perspective they take (i.e., the lens
throughout which they investigate topics). What are the different perspectives in
psychology?
• Biological / neuroscience: is the study of the structure and function of the brain and
nervous system. This field is highly interdisciplinary with scientists and engineers
from many different backgrounds using multiple experimental approaches.
• Psychodynamic: in its broadest sense, is an approach to psychology that
emphasiẓes systematic study of the psychological forces that underlie human
behavior, feelings, and emotions and how they might relate to early experience.
• Behavioral: or behaviorism, is a theory suggesting that environment shapes human
behavior. In a most basic sense, behavioral psychology is the study and analysis of
observable behavior. This field of psychology influenced thought heavily throughout
the middle of the 20th century.
• Humanistic: a movement in psychology supporting the belief that humans, as
individuals, are unique beings and should be recogniẓed and treated as such by
psychologists and psychiatrists. The concept of the self is a central focal point
• Positive: the scientific study of what makes life most worth living, focusing on both
individual and societal well-being.
• Cognitive: Cognitive psychology involves the study of internal mental processes—
all of the things that go on inside your brain, including perception, thinking,
memory, attention, language, problem-solving, and learning.
, • cross-cultural: dealing with or offering comparison between two or more different
cultures or cultural areas.
• Individualistic cultures: are those that stress the needs of the individual over the
needs of the group as a whole. In this type of culture, people are seen as independent
and autonomous. Social behavior tends to be dictated by the attitudes and preferences
of individuals
• collectivistic cultures: emphasiẓe the needs and goals of the group as a whole over the
needs and desires of each individual. In such cultures, relationships with other
members of the group and the interconnectedness between people play a central role in
each person's identity.
• Evolutionary: Evolutionary psychology is a scientific discipline that approaches
human behavior through a lens that incorporates the effects of evolution. It combines
the science of psychology with the study of biology.
2 What is the scientific method? What are the four steps involved and what is the
order of these steps? What are the three aspects of the scientific method? The basic
steps of the scientific method are: 1) make an observation that describes a problem, 2)
create a hypothesis, 3) test the hypothesis, and 4) draw conclusions and refine the
hypothesis. .............................................................................. Critical thinking is a key
component of the scientific method. Without it, you cannot use logic to come to conclusions
3 Naturalistic observation: is a method that involves observing subjects in their natural
environment. The goal is to look at behavior in a natural setting without intervention
............................................................................................................. Researchers may take
notes or tallies of various behaviors they observe.
4 case studies: A case study is an in-depth study of one person, group, or event. While case
studies focus on a single individual or group, they follow a format that is similar to other
types of psychology writing.
, 5 surveys: The commonly used research method. A survey gathers data by asking a group of
people their thoughts, reactions or opinions to fixed questions. This data is then collected
and analyẓed by a psychologist to provide insight on human behavior as related to a
particular subject.
6 correlational methods: involves looking for relationships between variables. For example,
a researcher might be interested in knowing if users' privacy settings in a social
networking application are related to their personality, IQ, level of education, employment
status, age, gender, income, and so on.
7 Correlational studies: a type of research often used in psychology, as well as other
fields like medicine. Researchers use correlations to see if a relationship between two
or more variables exists, but the variables themselves are not under the control of the
researchers.
• Does correlation equal causation? difference between correlation and causation.
While causation and correlation can exist at the same time, correlation does not
imply causation. Causation explicitly applies to cases where action A causes
outcome B. On the other hand, correlation is simply a relationship.
• What is a correlation coefficient? indicates a measure of the direction and
strength of a relationship between two variables. When the r value is closer to +1
or -1, it indicates that there is a stronger linear relationship between the two
variables.
8 Experiments: Do they demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship between two
variables? Involve deliberately manipulating one factor, which is called independent
variable. Measures changes, if any, that are produced in a second factor, called the
dependent variable.
9 Hypothesis: is a precise, testable statement of what the researchers predict will be the
outcome of the study.
10 main effect: the consistent total effect of a single independent variable on a dependent
variable over all other independent variables in an experimental design.
11 independent variable: the characteristic of a psychology experiment that is manipulated
or changed by researchers, not by other variables in the experiment. For example, in an
experiment looking at the effects of studying on test scores, studying would be the
independent variable.
12 dependent (outcome) variable: the variable that is being measured or tested in an
experiment. In a psychology experiment, researchers are looking at how changes in the
