PSYCH 310 Final Exam questions with
100% correct answers
Empiricism - correct answer ✔✔using evidence form the senses as the basis for conclusions.
Weight of the evidence - correct answer ✔✔scientists evaluate their theories based on the
weight of the evidence, for and against.
Theory - correct answer ✔✔a set of statements that describes general principles about how
variables relate to one another.
Hypothesis - correct answer ✔✔a specific outcome the researcher expects to observe in a study
if the theory is accurate.
Data - correct answer ✔✔a set of observations.
Preregistration - correct answer ✔✔the documentation of planned hypotheses, research
design, and analyses before beginning the research.
Replication - correct answer ✔✔the repetition of a research study to determine if the basic
findings of the original study can be applied to other circumstances.
Falsifiability - correct answer ✔✔A theory must lead to hypotheses that, went tested, could
actually fail to support the theory.
Scientific journal - correct answer ✔✔come out every month and contain articles that are
written by qualified contributors and are peer-reviewed.
,Empirical research - correct answer ✔✔based on observed and measured phenomena and
derives knowledge from actual experience.
Comparison group - correct answer ✔✔enables us to compare what would happen both with
and without the thing we are interested in.
Confounds - correct answer ✔✔a confound occurs when you think one thing caused an
outcome, but in fact other things changed, too, so you are confused about what the cause really
was.
Research confederate - correct answer ✔✔an actor playing a specific role for the experimenter.
Probabilistic - correct answer ✔✔findings are not expected to explain all cases all of the time.
Availability Heuristic - correct answer ✔✔things that pop up easily in our mind tend to guide
our thinking.
Present/Present Bias - correct answer ✔✔failure to consider appropriate comparison groups.
Confirmation Bias - correct answer ✔✔the tendency to look only at information that agrees
with what we already believe.
Bias Blind Spot - correct answer ✔✔the belief that we are unlikely to fall prey to the other
biases previously described.
Effect Size - correct answer ✔✔the magnitude of a relationship.
,Open Access - correct answer ✔✔the goal to move countries toward becoming "knowledge
societies" in which information, science, and communication are easy to come by and are highly
valued.
Variable and Levels - correct answer ✔✔levels are values.
Constant - correct answer ✔✔something that could potentially vary but that has only one level
in the study in question.
Measured Variable - correct answer ✔✔one whose levels are simply observed and recorded.
Manipulated Variable - correct answer ✔✔a variable the researcher controls.
Construct/Conceptual Variable - correct answer ✔✔abstract concepts that are carefully defined
at a conceptual level.
Operational Definition/Variable - correct answer ✔✔used to test hypotheses with empirical
research.
Operationalize - correct answer ✔✔turn a concept of interest into a measured or manipulated
variable.
Correlation - correct answer ✔✔one variable changes, the other variable changes too.
Scatterplot - correct answer ✔✔each dot represents one participant in the study.
Validity - correct answer ✔✔the appropriateness of a conclusion or decision. A valid claim is
reasonable, accurate, and justifiable.
, Generalizability (aka External Validity) - correct answer ✔✔how well the results of a study
generalize to, or represent, people or contexts besides those in the original study.
Confidence Interval (Margin of Error) - correct answer ✔✔a statistical figure that attempts to
include the true value in the population.
Covariance - correct answer ✔✔the extent to which two variables are observed to go together.
Temporal Precedence - correct answer ✔✔one variable comes first in time, before the other
variable.
Random Assignment - correct answer ✔✔ensures all groups are as similar as possible.
Philip is a graduate student that is in a lab that conducts research that applies to a general body
of knowledge, but is not focused on addressing specific or practical problems. What type of
research is he doing?
Clinical research
Basic research
Applied research
Translational research
Physical research - correct answer ✔✔Basic research
Professor Binford has to publish original empirical research in order to keep his job at a
university. He understands that the importance of publication in empirical research is:
Because publishing helps Professor Binford become famous.
Because publication is the first step of the theory-data cycle.
Because publication enables practitioners to read the research and use it in applied settings
100% correct answers
Empiricism - correct answer ✔✔using evidence form the senses as the basis for conclusions.
Weight of the evidence - correct answer ✔✔scientists evaluate their theories based on the
weight of the evidence, for and against.
Theory - correct answer ✔✔a set of statements that describes general principles about how
variables relate to one another.
Hypothesis - correct answer ✔✔a specific outcome the researcher expects to observe in a study
if the theory is accurate.
Data - correct answer ✔✔a set of observations.
Preregistration - correct answer ✔✔the documentation of planned hypotheses, research
design, and analyses before beginning the research.
Replication - correct answer ✔✔the repetition of a research study to determine if the basic
findings of the original study can be applied to other circumstances.
Falsifiability - correct answer ✔✔A theory must lead to hypotheses that, went tested, could
actually fail to support the theory.
Scientific journal - correct answer ✔✔come out every month and contain articles that are
written by qualified contributors and are peer-reviewed.
,Empirical research - correct answer ✔✔based on observed and measured phenomena and
derives knowledge from actual experience.
Comparison group - correct answer ✔✔enables us to compare what would happen both with
and without the thing we are interested in.
Confounds - correct answer ✔✔a confound occurs when you think one thing caused an
outcome, but in fact other things changed, too, so you are confused about what the cause really
was.
Research confederate - correct answer ✔✔an actor playing a specific role for the experimenter.
Probabilistic - correct answer ✔✔findings are not expected to explain all cases all of the time.
Availability Heuristic - correct answer ✔✔things that pop up easily in our mind tend to guide
our thinking.
Present/Present Bias - correct answer ✔✔failure to consider appropriate comparison groups.
Confirmation Bias - correct answer ✔✔the tendency to look only at information that agrees
with what we already believe.
Bias Blind Spot - correct answer ✔✔the belief that we are unlikely to fall prey to the other
biases previously described.
Effect Size - correct answer ✔✔the magnitude of a relationship.
,Open Access - correct answer ✔✔the goal to move countries toward becoming "knowledge
societies" in which information, science, and communication are easy to come by and are highly
valued.
Variable and Levels - correct answer ✔✔levels are values.
Constant - correct answer ✔✔something that could potentially vary but that has only one level
in the study in question.
Measured Variable - correct answer ✔✔one whose levels are simply observed and recorded.
Manipulated Variable - correct answer ✔✔a variable the researcher controls.
Construct/Conceptual Variable - correct answer ✔✔abstract concepts that are carefully defined
at a conceptual level.
Operational Definition/Variable - correct answer ✔✔used to test hypotheses with empirical
research.
Operationalize - correct answer ✔✔turn a concept of interest into a measured or manipulated
variable.
Correlation - correct answer ✔✔one variable changes, the other variable changes too.
Scatterplot - correct answer ✔✔each dot represents one participant in the study.
Validity - correct answer ✔✔the appropriateness of a conclusion or decision. A valid claim is
reasonable, accurate, and justifiable.
, Generalizability (aka External Validity) - correct answer ✔✔how well the results of a study
generalize to, or represent, people or contexts besides those in the original study.
Confidence Interval (Margin of Error) - correct answer ✔✔a statistical figure that attempts to
include the true value in the population.
Covariance - correct answer ✔✔the extent to which two variables are observed to go together.
Temporal Precedence - correct answer ✔✔one variable comes first in time, before the other
variable.
Random Assignment - correct answer ✔✔ensures all groups are as similar as possible.
Philip is a graduate student that is in a lab that conducts research that applies to a general body
of knowledge, but is not focused on addressing specific or practical problems. What type of
research is he doing?
Clinical research
Basic research
Applied research
Translational research
Physical research - correct answer ✔✔Basic research
Professor Binford has to publish original empirical research in order to keep his job at a
university. He understands that the importance of publication in empirical research is:
Because publishing helps Professor Binford become famous.
Because publication is the first step of the theory-data cycle.
Because publication enables practitioners to read the research and use it in applied settings
