PYC1501 COMPREHENSIVE EXAM PREP
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS VERIFIED
STUDY RESOURCE
●● scientific method
Answer: A systematic process for evaluating evidence through
observation, experimentation, and reasoning.
●● theories
Answer: Organized sets of concepts that explain phenomena and predict
future events.
●● hypothesis
Answer: A testable prediction derived from a theory.
●● empirical method
Answer: A procedure for acquiring knowledge based on observation or
experiment.
●● operational definition
Answer: A description of a property in measurable terms.
,●● construct validity
Answer: The extent to which a test measures the concept it claims to
measure.
●● power
Answer: The ability of a study to detect effects that actually exist.
●● reliability
Answer: The consistency or repeatability of a measurement.
●● demand characteristics
Answer: Cues that inform participants how they are expected to behave.
●● naturalistic observation
Answer: Observing behavior in its natural environment without
interference.
●● observer bias
Answer: The tendency of observers to see what they expect to see.
●● double-blind study
Answer: An experiment in which neither participants nor researchers
know who is receiving the treatment.
, ●● population
Answer: The entire group of individuals relevant to a study.
●● sample
Answer: A subset of individuals selected from a population.
●● frequency distribution
Answer: An arrangement showing how often each score occurs in a
dataset.
●● normal distribution
Answer: A bell-shaped curve in which most scores cluster around the
mean.
●● mode
Answer: The most frequently occurring score in a dataset.
●● mean
Answer: The arithmetic average of a set of numbers.
●● median
Answer: The middle score in a ranked dataset.
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS VERIFIED
STUDY RESOURCE
●● scientific method
Answer: A systematic process for evaluating evidence through
observation, experimentation, and reasoning.
●● theories
Answer: Organized sets of concepts that explain phenomena and predict
future events.
●● hypothesis
Answer: A testable prediction derived from a theory.
●● empirical method
Answer: A procedure for acquiring knowledge based on observation or
experiment.
●● operational definition
Answer: A description of a property in measurable terms.
,●● construct validity
Answer: The extent to which a test measures the concept it claims to
measure.
●● power
Answer: The ability of a study to detect effects that actually exist.
●● reliability
Answer: The consistency or repeatability of a measurement.
●● demand characteristics
Answer: Cues that inform participants how they are expected to behave.
●● naturalistic observation
Answer: Observing behavior in its natural environment without
interference.
●● observer bias
Answer: The tendency of observers to see what they expect to see.
●● double-blind study
Answer: An experiment in which neither participants nor researchers
know who is receiving the treatment.
, ●● population
Answer: The entire group of individuals relevant to a study.
●● sample
Answer: A subset of individuals selected from a population.
●● frequency distribution
Answer: An arrangement showing how often each score occurs in a
dataset.
●● normal distribution
Answer: A bell-shaped curve in which most scores cluster around the
mean.
●● mode
Answer: The most frequently occurring score in a dataset.
●● mean
Answer: The arithmetic average of a set of numbers.
●● median
Answer: The middle score in a ranked dataset.