PSY 1101 EXAM REVIEW QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE 20276/2027
Scientific Method - Answers The systematic process psychologists use to study behavior and mental
processes through observation, hypothesis testing, data collection, and replication.
Hypothesis - Answers An educated guess about the relationship between variables that must be
falsifiable to be scientific.
Why hypotheses must be falsifiable - Answers Because researchers must be able to test them and
potentially prove them wrong.
Replication - Answers Repeating a study with new participants to confirm or challenge findings;
increases confidence in results.
Intuition problem - Answers Intuition feels right but is often inaccurate and biased, making it unreliable
for scientific knowledge.
Common sense limitation - Answers Common sense varies across people and cultures and does not
generate new knowledge.
Overconfidence bias - Answers The tendency to believe our knowledge is more accurate than it actually
is.
Rationalism - Answers The belief that knowledge comes from logic and reasoning rather than the senses.
Empiricism - Answers The belief that knowledge comes from sensory experience and systematic
observation.
Kant's view - Answers We need both empiricism and rationalism: gather data with senses and analyze it
using reason.
Descriptive research purpose - Answers To observe and describe what, when, where, and how behavior
occurs; cannot explain why.
Case study - Answers A very detailed scientific investigation of one individual, small group, or rare event.
Advantages of case studies - Answers Provides deep understanding, captures rare phenomena, good
first step in research.
Disadvantages of case studies - Answers Researcher bias, cannot generalize results, sample may be
atypical.
Researcher bias in case studies - Answers When a researcher's expectations influence interpretation of
results.
How to reduce researcher bias - Answers Use multiple observers and objective recordings (audio/video).
Survey definition - Answers A method using questionnaires or interviews to gather data from large
samples.
Representative sample - Answers A sample that accurately reflects important characteristics of the
population.
, Random sampling - Answers Every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected;
reduces bias.
Simple random sample - Answers A method where participants are chosen completely by chance.
Stratified random sample - Answers Population is divided into subgroups, then randomly sampled within
groups.
Advantages of surveys - Answers Cheap, easy, includes people often excluded from research, sometimes
the only option.
Disadvantages of surveys - Answers People may lie; results can be influenced by question wording and
interviewer.
Acquiescence bias - Answers Tendency for people to agree with statements regardless of content.
Social desirability bias - Answers Answering in a way perceived as socially acceptable rather than
truthful.
Volunteer bias - Answers Volunteers differ from non-volunteers, reducing generalizability of results.
Naturalistic observation - Answers Observing behavior in the real world without interference or
manipulation.
Hawthorne effect - Answers People change their behavior when they know they are being observed.
Participant observation - Answers Researcher joins the group being studied as a participant.
Correlational research purpose - Answers To determine whether variables are related and to make
predictions.
Correlation coefficient (r) - Answers A statistic from -1 to +1 indicating direction and strength of a
relationship.
Positive correlation - Answers Two variables increase or decrease together.
Negative correlation - Answers One variable increases while the other decreases.
Why correlation ≠ causation - Answers Because variables are not manipulated; a third variable may be
involved.
Advantages of correlational research - Answers Allows predictions, good first step before experiments,
sometimes only ethical option.
Experimental research - Answers Research method that manipulates variables and controls confounds
to determine cause and effect.
Independent variable (IV) - Answers The variable manipulated by the researcher.
Dependent variable (DV) - Answers The variable measured to see effects of the IV.
Confounding variable - Answers An uncontrolled variable that may influence study results.
Scientific Method - Answers The systematic process psychologists use to study behavior and mental
processes through observation, hypothesis testing, data collection, and replication.
Hypothesis - Answers An educated guess about the relationship between variables that must be
falsifiable to be scientific.
Why hypotheses must be falsifiable - Answers Because researchers must be able to test them and
potentially prove them wrong.
Replication - Answers Repeating a study with new participants to confirm or challenge findings;
increases confidence in results.
Intuition problem - Answers Intuition feels right but is often inaccurate and biased, making it unreliable
for scientific knowledge.
Common sense limitation - Answers Common sense varies across people and cultures and does not
generate new knowledge.
Overconfidence bias - Answers The tendency to believe our knowledge is more accurate than it actually
is.
Rationalism - Answers The belief that knowledge comes from logic and reasoning rather than the senses.
Empiricism - Answers The belief that knowledge comes from sensory experience and systematic
observation.
Kant's view - Answers We need both empiricism and rationalism: gather data with senses and analyze it
using reason.
Descriptive research purpose - Answers To observe and describe what, when, where, and how behavior
occurs; cannot explain why.
Case study - Answers A very detailed scientific investigation of one individual, small group, or rare event.
Advantages of case studies - Answers Provides deep understanding, captures rare phenomena, good
first step in research.
Disadvantages of case studies - Answers Researcher bias, cannot generalize results, sample may be
atypical.
Researcher bias in case studies - Answers When a researcher's expectations influence interpretation of
results.
How to reduce researcher bias - Answers Use multiple observers and objective recordings (audio/video).
Survey definition - Answers A method using questionnaires or interviews to gather data from large
samples.
Representative sample - Answers A sample that accurately reflects important characteristics of the
population.
, Random sampling - Answers Every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected;
reduces bias.
Simple random sample - Answers A method where participants are chosen completely by chance.
Stratified random sample - Answers Population is divided into subgroups, then randomly sampled within
groups.
Advantages of surveys - Answers Cheap, easy, includes people often excluded from research, sometimes
the only option.
Disadvantages of surveys - Answers People may lie; results can be influenced by question wording and
interviewer.
Acquiescence bias - Answers Tendency for people to agree with statements regardless of content.
Social desirability bias - Answers Answering in a way perceived as socially acceptable rather than
truthful.
Volunteer bias - Answers Volunteers differ from non-volunteers, reducing generalizability of results.
Naturalistic observation - Answers Observing behavior in the real world without interference or
manipulation.
Hawthorne effect - Answers People change their behavior when they know they are being observed.
Participant observation - Answers Researcher joins the group being studied as a participant.
Correlational research purpose - Answers To determine whether variables are related and to make
predictions.
Correlation coefficient (r) - Answers A statistic from -1 to +1 indicating direction and strength of a
relationship.
Positive correlation - Answers Two variables increase or decrease together.
Negative correlation - Answers One variable increases while the other decreases.
Why correlation ≠ causation - Answers Because variables are not manipulated; a third variable may be
involved.
Advantages of correlational research - Answers Allows predictions, good first step before experiments,
sometimes only ethical option.
Experimental research - Answers Research method that manipulates variables and controls confounds
to determine cause and effect.
Independent variable (IV) - Answers The variable manipulated by the researcher.
Dependent variable (DV) - Answers The variable measured to see effects of the IV.
Confounding variable - Answers An uncontrolled variable that may influence study results.
