NYU Intro Psych Exam 1 Questions &
Answers 2024/2025
evolution - ANSWERSgenes make brains
materialism - ANSWERSbrains make minds
idealism - ANSWERSminds make reality
modularity - ANSWERSthe mind is a collection of parts
empiricism - ANSWERSbelieve only what you can count
scientific method - ANSWERSobservation, hypothesis, prediction, evidence
operational definition - ANSWERSspecifies the observable conditions that define an abstract concept
method - ANSWERSa set of rules and techniques for observation that allows observers to avoid the
illusions, mistakes, and erroneous conclusions that observation can produce
three special problems for psychological sciences - ANSWERScomplexity, variability, reactivity
complexity - ANSWERSfirst special problem for psychological science: human brain is complex
variability - ANSWERSsecond special problem for psychological science: humans are different
reactivity - ANSWERSthird special problem for psychological sciences: humans may act different when
being observed
, homunculus - ANSWERSthe representation of what our bodies would look like if the amount of brain
areas devoted to body parts was proportional to their actual size
construct validity - ANSWERSthe tendency for a clear conceptual relation to exist between the abstract
property and the operational definition
convergent validity - ANSWERSthe tendency for operational definitions to be related to other operational
definitions
discriminant validity - ANSWERSthe tendency for a measure to produce different results when it is used
to measure different things
reliability - ANSWERSthe tendency for a measure to produce the same result when it is used to measure
the same thing
a good operational definition - ANSWERSconstruct validity and convergent validity
a good measure - ANSWERSreliability and discriminant validity
theory - ANSWERSa hypothetical account of how and why a phenomenon occurs
hypothesis - ANSWERSa testable prediction made by a theory
population - ANSWERSthe complete collection of people whose properties we wish to know
sample - ANSWERSthe people whose properties we actually measure
WEIRD phenomenon - ANSWERSwestern, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic (countries)
Answers 2024/2025
evolution - ANSWERSgenes make brains
materialism - ANSWERSbrains make minds
idealism - ANSWERSminds make reality
modularity - ANSWERSthe mind is a collection of parts
empiricism - ANSWERSbelieve only what you can count
scientific method - ANSWERSobservation, hypothesis, prediction, evidence
operational definition - ANSWERSspecifies the observable conditions that define an abstract concept
method - ANSWERSa set of rules and techniques for observation that allows observers to avoid the
illusions, mistakes, and erroneous conclusions that observation can produce
three special problems for psychological sciences - ANSWERScomplexity, variability, reactivity
complexity - ANSWERSfirst special problem for psychological science: human brain is complex
variability - ANSWERSsecond special problem for psychological science: humans are different
reactivity - ANSWERSthird special problem for psychological sciences: humans may act different when
being observed
, homunculus - ANSWERSthe representation of what our bodies would look like if the amount of brain
areas devoted to body parts was proportional to their actual size
construct validity - ANSWERSthe tendency for a clear conceptual relation to exist between the abstract
property and the operational definition
convergent validity - ANSWERSthe tendency for operational definitions to be related to other operational
definitions
discriminant validity - ANSWERSthe tendency for a measure to produce different results when it is used
to measure different things
reliability - ANSWERSthe tendency for a measure to produce the same result when it is used to measure
the same thing
a good operational definition - ANSWERSconstruct validity and convergent validity
a good measure - ANSWERSreliability and discriminant validity
theory - ANSWERSa hypothetical account of how and why a phenomenon occurs
hypothesis - ANSWERSa testable prediction made by a theory
population - ANSWERSthe complete collection of people whose properties we wish to know
sample - ANSWERSthe people whose properties we actually measure
WEIRD phenomenon - ANSWERSwestern, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic (countries)
