Tulane PSYC 1000 – Rollins Test 1 2026 – Study Guide and Practice
Questions
What is psychology? - correct answer ✔✔ The science of behavior and natural processes
What is arm-chair psychology and why is it unscientific? - correct answer ✔✔ 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? - correct answer ✔✔ 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.)? - correct answer ✔✔ 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? - correct answer ✔✔
Psychiatrists have MDs and can prescribe medications
What do cognitive psychologists study? - correct answer ✔✔ Study mental processes
Biological psychologists? - correct answer ✔✔ Studies influences of biology on psychological
processes
Developmental psychologists? - correct answer ✔✔ Studies how people change over their
lifespans
,Personality psychologists? - correct answer ✔✔ Study individual difference
Social psychologists? - correct answer ✔✔ How people interact with other people
(interpersonal interactions)
What is the biopsychosocial approach? - correct answer ✔✔ 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? - correct answer
✔✔ 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? - correct answer ✔✔ 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? - correct answer ✔✔ 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? - correct answer
✔✔ They provide popular psychology that may not be scientifically sound.
In terms of the scientific method, what is a theory? What is a hypothesis? - correct answer ✔✔
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? - correct answer ✔✔ 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? - correct answer ✔✔ 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? - correct answer ✔✔ Questionnaires, interviews. The accuracy of self report
is flawed because memories fail or people lie.
What is sampling? - correct answer ✔✔ 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? - correct answer ✔✔ 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.
What are some factors that influence how people respond to survey questions? - correct
answer ✔✔ How the questions make them look, if it is anonymous, if there is incentive to
answer a certain way
-Failed memory
What kind of information does correlational analysis provide? What are positive correlations
and negative correlations - correct answer ✔✔ A mathematical estimate of the extent to which
to variables are linearly related to predict each other
Questions
What is psychology? - correct answer ✔✔ The science of behavior and natural processes
What is arm-chair psychology and why is it unscientific? - correct answer ✔✔ 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? - correct answer ✔✔ 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.)? - correct answer ✔✔ 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? - correct answer ✔✔
Psychiatrists have MDs and can prescribe medications
What do cognitive psychologists study? - correct answer ✔✔ Study mental processes
Biological psychologists? - correct answer ✔✔ Studies influences of biology on psychological
processes
Developmental psychologists? - correct answer ✔✔ Studies how people change over their
lifespans
,Personality psychologists? - correct answer ✔✔ Study individual difference
Social psychologists? - correct answer ✔✔ How people interact with other people
(interpersonal interactions)
What is the biopsychosocial approach? - correct answer ✔✔ 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? - correct answer
✔✔ 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? - correct answer ✔✔ 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? - correct answer ✔✔ 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? - correct answer
✔✔ They provide popular psychology that may not be scientifically sound.
In terms of the scientific method, what is a theory? What is a hypothesis? - correct answer ✔✔
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? - correct answer ✔✔ 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? - correct answer ✔✔ 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? - correct answer ✔✔ Questionnaires, interviews. The accuracy of self report
is flawed because memories fail or people lie.
What is sampling? - correct answer ✔✔ 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? - correct answer ✔✔ 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.
What are some factors that influence how people respond to survey questions? - correct
answer ✔✔ How the questions make them look, if it is anonymous, if there is incentive to
answer a certain way
-Failed memory
What kind of information does correlational analysis provide? What are positive correlations
and negative correlations - correct answer ✔✔ A mathematical estimate of the extent to which
to variables are linearly related to predict each other
