PSY 201 MIDTERM 1 QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
Who established the first psychology laboratory? - Answers - Wilhelm Wundt in 1879
The ability and willingness to asses claims and make objective judgements on the basis
of well supported reasons and evidence rather than emotion or anecdote. - Answers -
Critical Thinking
The tendency to look for or pay attention only to information that confirms ones own
belief, and ignore, trivialise or forget information that disconfirms that belief. - Answers -
Confirmation bias
A variable that an experimenter predicts will be EFFECTED BY manipulations of the
independent variable. - Answers - Dependent variable
A group of individuals selected from a population for study which matches that
population on important characteristics such as age and sex. - Answers -
Representative sample
The ability of a test to measure what it was designed to measure. - Answers - validity
In test construction, the consistency of test scores from one time to another. - Answers -
reliability
A measure of how strongly two variables are related to each other. - Answers -
correlation
Characteristics of behaviour or experience that can be measured or described by
numeric scale and manipulated in scientific studies. - Answers - variables
A variable that an experimenter manipulates - Answers - Independent variable
An experiment in which neither the participants nor the individuals running the study
know which participants are in the control and experiment groups under the results are
tallied. - Answers - Double-blind
What obscure physician evolved the broad theory of personality and is considered the
"father" of psychoanalysis? - Answers - Sigmund Freud
What is the difference between psychology and pseudoscience? - Answers - -
Psychological principles are based on research and empirical evidence.
, - Pseudoscience is psychobabble, pop-psychology, "common sense". Includes
astrology and fortune telling.
Early history and development of psychology as a formal discipline - Answers - - Early
psychologists were doctors and philosophers.
- Modern psychologists emerged from researchers who used the scientific method to
answer questions that the philosophers raised.
1. Philosophers/doctors
2. William Wundt - Trained introspection
3. William James and functionalism
4. Sigmund Freud and psychoanalysis
Theoretical perspectives in psychology - Answers - 1. Biological perspective -
Explanations of behaviour are due to something biological (tumours, injuries, disease).
2. Learning perspective - Behaviour is best explained by learning and influence of the
environment.
3. Cognitive Perspective - Behaviour is dependent upon mental processes like thinking,
remembering, and problem solving.
4. Sociocultural Perspective - Social and cultural forces greatly influence human
behaviour.
Basic Psychology - Answers - Pure research- knowledge for the sake of knowledge.
(Ex: study that discovers a psychological principle).
Applied Psychology - Answers - practical use of psychology (Ex: researcher uses s
psychological principle to help people to quit smoking).
Critical thinking components - Answers - 1. Ask Questions- be willing to wonder
2. Define the terms- what is being researched? Hypothesis
3. Examine the evidence
4. Analyse Assumptions and Biases- Assumptions are beliefs we take for granted,
biases keep us from making decisions fairly.
5. Avoid emotional reasoning- replaces clear thinking
6. Don't oversimplify- avoid generalisations
7. Consider other interpretations- look at other options.
8. Tolerate uncertainty- There are no easy answer!
Psychotherapist- person who does psychotherapy - Answers - 1. Clinical psychologist-
Trained in psychological theories and methods has a Ph.D, Ed,D od Psy,D.
2. Counselling Psychologist- Deals with problems of everyday life
What is the purpose of descriptive research methods? - Answers - - They allow
researchers to predict and describe behaviour. HOWEVER, it does not allow us to
determine causal relationships.
ANSWERS
Who established the first psychology laboratory? - Answers - Wilhelm Wundt in 1879
The ability and willingness to asses claims and make objective judgements on the basis
of well supported reasons and evidence rather than emotion or anecdote. - Answers -
Critical Thinking
The tendency to look for or pay attention only to information that confirms ones own
belief, and ignore, trivialise or forget information that disconfirms that belief. - Answers -
Confirmation bias
A variable that an experimenter predicts will be EFFECTED BY manipulations of the
independent variable. - Answers - Dependent variable
A group of individuals selected from a population for study which matches that
population on important characteristics such as age and sex. - Answers -
Representative sample
The ability of a test to measure what it was designed to measure. - Answers - validity
In test construction, the consistency of test scores from one time to another. - Answers -
reliability
A measure of how strongly two variables are related to each other. - Answers -
correlation
Characteristics of behaviour or experience that can be measured or described by
numeric scale and manipulated in scientific studies. - Answers - variables
A variable that an experimenter manipulates - Answers - Independent variable
An experiment in which neither the participants nor the individuals running the study
know which participants are in the control and experiment groups under the results are
tallied. - Answers - Double-blind
What obscure physician evolved the broad theory of personality and is considered the
"father" of psychoanalysis? - Answers - Sigmund Freud
What is the difference between psychology and pseudoscience? - Answers - -
Psychological principles are based on research and empirical evidence.
, - Pseudoscience is psychobabble, pop-psychology, "common sense". Includes
astrology and fortune telling.
Early history and development of psychology as a formal discipline - Answers - - Early
psychologists were doctors and philosophers.
- Modern psychologists emerged from researchers who used the scientific method to
answer questions that the philosophers raised.
1. Philosophers/doctors
2. William Wundt - Trained introspection
3. William James and functionalism
4. Sigmund Freud and psychoanalysis
Theoretical perspectives in psychology - Answers - 1. Biological perspective -
Explanations of behaviour are due to something biological (tumours, injuries, disease).
2. Learning perspective - Behaviour is best explained by learning and influence of the
environment.
3. Cognitive Perspective - Behaviour is dependent upon mental processes like thinking,
remembering, and problem solving.
4. Sociocultural Perspective - Social and cultural forces greatly influence human
behaviour.
Basic Psychology - Answers - Pure research- knowledge for the sake of knowledge.
(Ex: study that discovers a psychological principle).
Applied Psychology - Answers - practical use of psychology (Ex: researcher uses s
psychological principle to help people to quit smoking).
Critical thinking components - Answers - 1. Ask Questions- be willing to wonder
2. Define the terms- what is being researched? Hypothesis
3. Examine the evidence
4. Analyse Assumptions and Biases- Assumptions are beliefs we take for granted,
biases keep us from making decisions fairly.
5. Avoid emotional reasoning- replaces clear thinking
6. Don't oversimplify- avoid generalisations
7. Consider other interpretations- look at other options.
8. Tolerate uncertainty- There are no easy answer!
Psychotherapist- person who does psychotherapy - Answers - 1. Clinical psychologist-
Trained in psychological theories and methods has a Ph.D, Ed,D od Psy,D.
2. Counselling Psychologist- Deals with problems of everyday life
What is the purpose of descriptive research methods? - Answers - - They allow
researchers to predict and describe behaviour. HOWEVER, it does not allow us to
determine causal relationships.
