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PSYC 2001 Exam 1 Questions and
Answers 100% Verified Updated 2026
psychology
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
behavior
anything an organism does outwardly that can be observed and measured
mental processes
inward, subjective experiences that cannot be directly measured; inferences can be
made
psychology's three main levels of analysis
biological influences, psychological influences, social-cultural influences
biological influences
inside the body, genetics (includes areas like genetic predispositions, and the
influence of hormones/neurotransmitters on thoughts and behaviors)
psychological influences
how we experience things (includes areas like our emotional responses, and how
our perceptions of the world around us influences thoughts and behaviors)
social-cultural psychology
being in the presence of other people (simply being in the company of others
changes our behavior. this level of analysis looks at how culture and social
structures influence how we think and behave)
PSYC 2001
, Page |2
biopsychosocial approach
combines all three levels of analysis for a better understanding/explanation of
phenomenon
5 unique challenges that separate psychology from other sciences
1. human behavior is difficult to predict
2. psychological influences are rarely independent of one another
3. people differ from each other in thinking, emotion, personality, and behavior
4. people often influence each other
5. people's behavior is often shaped in powerful ways by culture and gender
multiply determined
caused by many different factors
individual differences
variations in thinking, emotion, personality. average findings will often not apply
to an individuals
albert bandura
reciprocal determinism
reciprocal determinism
behavior, personal factors, and social environment all influence one another
culture
distinctive customs, values, beliefs, knowledge, art, and language of a society (ex.
filial piety - elders have full rule)
sex
PSYC 2001
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biological male and female, sexual behaviors
gender
societal, cultural aspects of being male or female
naive realism
belief that our view of the world is exactly how the world really is
hindsight bias
after an event has occurred, especially a negative event, we like to believe we
could have foreseen it
oveconfidence
we believe we know more than we actually do
empirical approach
based on verifiable data
theory
statement/ set of statements that explain what we know up to this point and gives
direction to future research
two key components to a psychological theory
it must describe a behavior and make predictions about future behaviors
hypothesis
specific, testable prediction, based in theory
confirmation bias
we tend to seek out information that confirms what we already believe
PSYC 2001
, Page |4
scientific skepticism
approach claims with an open mind, but insist on persuasive evidence before you
believe
critical thinking
do not blindly accept conclusions
humility
we must be able to accept that the ideas that we form may not always be correct
once we had set out to prove it
structuralism
(Wilhelm Wundt, Edward Titchener) tried to explain the structure of thought
1879
the establishment of the first psychological laboratory, Wilhelm Wundt
introspection
trained observers described thoughts, feelings, memories, etc. when exposed to
stimuli
functionalism
(William James and Charles Darwin) the adaptive value of different behaviors and
mental processes; in other words, how did they contribute to our survival and
reproduction
natural selection
individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher
rates than other individuals because of those traits.
PSYC 2001
PSYC 2001 Exam 1 Questions and
Answers 100% Verified Updated 2026
psychology
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
behavior
anything an organism does outwardly that can be observed and measured
mental processes
inward, subjective experiences that cannot be directly measured; inferences can be
made
psychology's three main levels of analysis
biological influences, psychological influences, social-cultural influences
biological influences
inside the body, genetics (includes areas like genetic predispositions, and the
influence of hormones/neurotransmitters on thoughts and behaviors)
psychological influences
how we experience things (includes areas like our emotional responses, and how
our perceptions of the world around us influences thoughts and behaviors)
social-cultural psychology
being in the presence of other people (simply being in the company of others
changes our behavior. this level of analysis looks at how culture and social
structures influence how we think and behave)
PSYC 2001
, Page |2
biopsychosocial approach
combines all three levels of analysis for a better understanding/explanation of
phenomenon
5 unique challenges that separate psychology from other sciences
1. human behavior is difficult to predict
2. psychological influences are rarely independent of one another
3. people differ from each other in thinking, emotion, personality, and behavior
4. people often influence each other
5. people's behavior is often shaped in powerful ways by culture and gender
multiply determined
caused by many different factors
individual differences
variations in thinking, emotion, personality. average findings will often not apply
to an individuals
albert bandura
reciprocal determinism
reciprocal determinism
behavior, personal factors, and social environment all influence one another
culture
distinctive customs, values, beliefs, knowledge, art, and language of a society (ex.
filial piety - elders have full rule)
sex
PSYC 2001
, Page |3
biological male and female, sexual behaviors
gender
societal, cultural aspects of being male or female
naive realism
belief that our view of the world is exactly how the world really is
hindsight bias
after an event has occurred, especially a negative event, we like to believe we
could have foreseen it
oveconfidence
we believe we know more than we actually do
empirical approach
based on verifiable data
theory
statement/ set of statements that explain what we know up to this point and gives
direction to future research
two key components to a psychological theory
it must describe a behavior and make predictions about future behaviors
hypothesis
specific, testable prediction, based in theory
confirmation bias
we tend to seek out information that confirms what we already believe
PSYC 2001
, Page |4
scientific skepticism
approach claims with an open mind, but insist on persuasive evidence before you
believe
critical thinking
do not blindly accept conclusions
humility
we must be able to accept that the ideas that we form may not always be correct
once we had set out to prove it
structuralism
(Wilhelm Wundt, Edward Titchener) tried to explain the structure of thought
1879
the establishment of the first psychological laboratory, Wilhelm Wundt
introspection
trained observers described thoughts, feelings, memories, etc. when exposed to
stimuli
functionalism
(William James and Charles Darwin) the adaptive value of different behaviors and
mental processes; in other words, how did they contribute to our survival and
reproduction
natural selection
individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher
rates than other individuals because of those traits.
PSYC 2001
