PSY 219 Exam #1 Questions And Answers With
Verified Solutions
It starts with a question...
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -Is infant daycare harmful to children?
-It depends
*Staff qualifications/quality/compassion
*Hygiene, safety, cleanliness
*Ratio of staff to kids
*Environment (size of room, activities, education enrichment, resources, structure)
*Kids' attachment & temperament, behavioral issues
*Ratio of time at day care vs with parents
*Daycare's behavioral regulation/reinforcement (+ vs -)
*Social skills
*Parenting skills, home environment
*SES, education
-How? In what way is it (or isn't it) harmful?
-Why is it (or isn't it) harmful?
-What causes it to be harmful?
-Outcomes to look for (to see if harmful/beneficial): academic skills (#s, letters), social skills,
attachment/emotional wellbeing, parent-child bond, physical health (colds, injuries)
How Do We Answer Such Questions?
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -Prior beliefs
-Authority (what church, parents say)
-Reason & logic
o Based on 'a priori' assumptions
o Based on data
-Experience
o Personal experience
,o Scientific findings
-All of these are biased, use sci method to reliably answer Qs
Problems with Personal Experience**** (exam Q)
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -belief perseverance: hold onto belief even w disproof
-confirmation bias: only pay attn to evidence that confirms belief
-availability heuristic: frequency of strong emotional experiences tend to be overestimated (plane
crash, slot machines)
Scientific Experience is:
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -Objective/rational
-Empirical/testable
-Rigorously evaluated
-Tentative: could do 20 years of research & single theory could dismiss it; we never know anything
for certain
-Parsimonious: as simple as possible
Goals of Scientific Research
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -Describing behavior
-Predicting behavior
-Explaining behavior
-Modifying behavior
From Questions to Hypotheses
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -Definition of Hypothesis: concrete statement, about
how 2 variables relate to each other
*should be testable
*must be able to be disproved
*data-driven
, Types of Variables
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -Conceptual Variables: the idea of what needs to be
measured; ie depression
-Operational Variables: method of measuring construct (ie self-report scale)
-Independent Variables: manipulated in exp
-Dependent Variables: expect to be causally impacted by independent variable; measure it
Types of Research
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -Basic: just trying to understand, no intervention/helping
-Applied: try to improve/test treatment/therapy
-really matters in research for which orgs will give funding (ex. NIH only funds applied)
Pseudo-Science
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -fails scientific testing
-relies on anecdotal evidence
-sidesteps disproof
-oversimplifies complex problems
Ethics
Ethics in Research ANS -Ethics (definition) - set of standards when conducting research; any
profession regulated to make sure behaving ethically - look up definition in book
-Primary Question - how can we protect the rights & welfare of human research ppts?
Origins of Ethics Codes
Ethics in Research ANS -Critical Incident Analysis: APA didn't invent, many diff professional
organizations; going to professional body and asking them to tell you what they think is
unethical/ethical - then from that developed code of ethics
*arose & conducted by APA in 70s bc series of terrible ethics violations
***will describe one on exam & have to identify
Verified Solutions
It starts with a question...
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -Is infant daycare harmful to children?
-It depends
*Staff qualifications/quality/compassion
*Hygiene, safety, cleanliness
*Ratio of staff to kids
*Environment (size of room, activities, education enrichment, resources, structure)
*Kids' attachment & temperament, behavioral issues
*Ratio of time at day care vs with parents
*Daycare's behavioral regulation/reinforcement (+ vs -)
*Social skills
*Parenting skills, home environment
*SES, education
-How? In what way is it (or isn't it) harmful?
-Why is it (or isn't it) harmful?
-What causes it to be harmful?
-Outcomes to look for (to see if harmful/beneficial): academic skills (#s, letters), social skills,
attachment/emotional wellbeing, parent-child bond, physical health (colds, injuries)
How Do We Answer Such Questions?
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -Prior beliefs
-Authority (what church, parents say)
-Reason & logic
o Based on 'a priori' assumptions
o Based on data
-Experience
o Personal experience
,o Scientific findings
-All of these are biased, use sci method to reliably answer Qs
Problems with Personal Experience**** (exam Q)
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -belief perseverance: hold onto belief even w disproof
-confirmation bias: only pay attn to evidence that confirms belief
-availability heuristic: frequency of strong emotional experiences tend to be overestimated (plane
crash, slot machines)
Scientific Experience is:
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -Objective/rational
-Empirical/testable
-Rigorously evaluated
-Tentative: could do 20 years of research & single theory could dismiss it; we never know anything
for certain
-Parsimonious: as simple as possible
Goals of Scientific Research
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -Describing behavior
-Predicting behavior
-Explaining behavior
-Modifying behavior
From Questions to Hypotheses
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -Definition of Hypothesis: concrete statement, about
how 2 variables relate to each other
*should be testable
*must be able to be disproved
*data-driven
, Types of Variables
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -Conceptual Variables: the idea of what needs to be
measured; ie depression
-Operational Variables: method of measuring construct (ie self-report scale)
-Independent Variables: manipulated in exp
-Dependent Variables: expect to be causally impacted by independent variable; measure it
Types of Research
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -Basic: just trying to understand, no intervention/helping
-Applied: try to improve/test treatment/therapy
-really matters in research for which orgs will give funding (ex. NIH only funds applied)
Pseudo-Science
Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method ANS -fails scientific testing
-relies on anecdotal evidence
-sidesteps disproof
-oversimplifies complex problems
Ethics
Ethics in Research ANS -Ethics (definition) - set of standards when conducting research; any
profession regulated to make sure behaving ethically - look up definition in book
-Primary Question - how can we protect the rights & welfare of human research ppts?
Origins of Ethics Codes
Ethics in Research ANS -Critical Incident Analysis: APA didn't invent, many diff professional
organizations; going to professional body and asking them to tell you what they think is
unethical/ethical - then from that developed code of ethics
*arose & conducted by APA in 70s bc series of terrible ethics violations
***will describe one on exam & have to identify
