PSYC 333 EXAM 1 – University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign – Psychology course
exam material
C: causation
O: operationalization
S: sampling
I: interpretation - correct answer ✔✔What is COSI?
Causation: can you make causal claims? The key here is the manipulation of the independent
variable - correct answer ✔✔What is causation in COSI?
Operationalization: how we define what we want to measure or ask about? - correct answer
✔✔What is operationalization in COSI?
Sampling: method by which we select participants from a population (are we getting the right
people?) - correct answer ✔✔What is sampling in COSI?
Interpretation: how do we interpret findings? Am I getting the big picture right? - correct
answer ✔✔What is interpretation in COSI?
Causal claims: cannot be made in every circumstance. One of the most essential parts of making
causal claims in the manipulation of the independent variable. You have to manipulate
something to make causal claims
Making strong claims: strong evidence for claims comes from using multiple different methods
to answer your questions. There are positives and negatives to every method and using more
than one allows you to make up for the flaws in the other methods used - correct answer ✔✔In
COSI, what is the difference of causal and strong claims?
, Some have argued that the most important part of a paper to read is the introduction. It
provides the background for the research and specifically justifications for the hypotheses that
are tested. The holistic understanding necessary to read the study is what the introduction
provides. The chosen methodology, results, and interpretation follows from the hypotheses
which is located in introduction. - correct answer ✔✔What is the most important part of a
paper to read?
Fidelity refers to the specificity with which something is measured, while bandwidth is about
the breadth
In psychological testing, there is an inevitable tradeoff between attaining a high degree of
precision in measurement of any one attribute or characteristic and obtaining information
about a large number of characteristics - correct answer ✔✔Explain the differences between
fidelity and bandwidth.
Refers to the simplicity of a model, concept, or explanation. The simplistic one Is preferred. This
is specifically if the models are the same, however. The simplest one must represent the data
just as well to be preferred. (Compared to another model) - correct answer ✔✔What is
parsimony?
Projection refers to taking something you are observing and projecting your ideas onto it. One
example is giving context to someone who is walking outside while you are on your way to class.
You don't know where they are going but you may think its 9am, they must be going to class like
me. You are attributing your thoughts onto an observation (projection tests) - correct answer
✔✔What is projection?
Skin color example. What is heritable? Can heritable things be changed in any way? (Skin color,
life span)
Does not apply to influence by environment (context dependent—can change over time) -
correct answer ✔✔What is heritability and what does it not relate to?
exam material
C: causation
O: operationalization
S: sampling
I: interpretation - correct answer ✔✔What is COSI?
Causation: can you make causal claims? The key here is the manipulation of the independent
variable - correct answer ✔✔What is causation in COSI?
Operationalization: how we define what we want to measure or ask about? - correct answer
✔✔What is operationalization in COSI?
Sampling: method by which we select participants from a population (are we getting the right
people?) - correct answer ✔✔What is sampling in COSI?
Interpretation: how do we interpret findings? Am I getting the big picture right? - correct
answer ✔✔What is interpretation in COSI?
Causal claims: cannot be made in every circumstance. One of the most essential parts of making
causal claims in the manipulation of the independent variable. You have to manipulate
something to make causal claims
Making strong claims: strong evidence for claims comes from using multiple different methods
to answer your questions. There are positives and negatives to every method and using more
than one allows you to make up for the flaws in the other methods used - correct answer ✔✔In
COSI, what is the difference of causal and strong claims?
, Some have argued that the most important part of a paper to read is the introduction. It
provides the background for the research and specifically justifications for the hypotheses that
are tested. The holistic understanding necessary to read the study is what the introduction
provides. The chosen methodology, results, and interpretation follows from the hypotheses
which is located in introduction. - correct answer ✔✔What is the most important part of a
paper to read?
Fidelity refers to the specificity with which something is measured, while bandwidth is about
the breadth
In psychological testing, there is an inevitable tradeoff between attaining a high degree of
precision in measurement of any one attribute or characteristic and obtaining information
about a large number of characteristics - correct answer ✔✔Explain the differences between
fidelity and bandwidth.
Refers to the simplicity of a model, concept, or explanation. The simplistic one Is preferred. This
is specifically if the models are the same, however. The simplest one must represent the data
just as well to be preferred. (Compared to another model) - correct answer ✔✔What is
parsimony?
Projection refers to taking something you are observing and projecting your ideas onto it. One
example is giving context to someone who is walking outside while you are on your way to class.
You don't know where they are going but you may think its 9am, they must be going to class like
me. You are attributing your thoughts onto an observation (projection tests) - correct answer
✔✔What is projection?
Skin color example. What is heritable? Can heritable things be changed in any way? (Skin color,
life span)
Does not apply to influence by environment (context dependent—can change over time) -
correct answer ✔✔What is heritability and what does it not relate to?
