Psyc 100 (Quizzes One And Two) 2018

Psychologists study mental processes and behavior, which includes studying the mind and how it functions, as well as observing and analyzing human behavior. This answer accurately reflects the broad scope of psychology, which encompasses the study of both the internal processes of the mind and the external behaviors exhibited by individuals. It highlights the focus on understanding and explaining human behavior through the lens of mental processes, making it the most accurate option among the given choices.

Habituation is the correct answer because it refers to the process of becoming accustomed to a repeated or constant stimulus, resulting in a decreased response over time. In the context of the question, people who live in cities are exposed to various night sounds on a regular basis, such as horns honking. Over time, they become habituated to these sounds and do not respond to them while asleep. This is a natural adaptation to the environment and helps individuals get uninterrupted sleep despite the urban noise.

Experiments involve the manipulation of independent variables. In an experiment, the researcher actively changes or manipulates the independent variable to observe its effect on the dependent variable. This allows for a cause-and-effect relationship to be established between the independent and dependent variables. In contrast, correlation studies examine the relationship between variables without manipulating them, case studies focus on in-depth analysis of a single individual or group, and naturalistic observations involve observing behavior in its natural setting without any manipulation. Therefore, only experiments involve the manipulation of independent variables.

The fact that male peacocks have evolved large tail feathers even though large feathers appear to be an impediment to survival can be best explained by sexual selection. This process occurs when individuals of one sex (in this case, females) choose mates based on certain traits, such as the size and beauty of the tail feathers. Even though these large feathers may make it more difficult for males to escape predators or find food, they have evolved because they are attractive to females and increase the chances of mating. This preference by females for males with large tail feathers drives the evolution of this trait.

Structuralism focuses on analyzing the different elements or components of consciousness, while functionalism focuses on understanding the purpose or function of consciousness. Therefore, the relationship between structuralism and functionalism is that structuralism examines the elements of consciousness, while functionalism explores the purpose or function of consciousness.

The term "generalization" in psychological research refers to the process of drawing conclusions about a larger population based on the results obtained from a sample. This means that researchers can apply their findings to a broader group of individuals beyond those who participated in the study. Generalization allows researchers to make predictions and draw broader conclusions about human behavior and psychological phenomena.

The independent variable in this experiment is whether or not the participants have been taught the memory aid. This variable is being manipulated by the researcher, as they are assigning participants to either the group that has been taught the memory aid or the group that has not. The researcher is interested in examining the effect of teaching the memory aid on participants' performance in the recall test.

Sexual reproduction leads to genetic diversity which is adaptive. This is because sexual reproduction involves the mixing of genetic material from two parents, resulting in offspring that have a unique combination of genes. This genetic diversity allows for a greater range of traits within a population, increasing the chances of survival and adaptation to changing environments. It also helps to prevent the accumulation of harmful mutations and allows for the elimination of detrimental genetic variations through natural selection. Therefore, natural selection has favored species that reproduce sexually because it promotes genetic diversity, which is beneficial for their survival and evolution.

The best example of operant conditioning is when a student studies for her math test and receives a mark of 90%. This is because operant conditioning involves learning through consequences, and in this case, the positive consequence of receiving a high mark reinforces the behavior of studying harder for the next test.

An organism's phenotype is the result of the interaction of its genotype with the environment. This means that while an organism's genotype provides the genetic information and instructions for development, the environment plays a crucial role in determining how these genes are expressed. Environmental factors such as nutrition, temperature, and social interactions can influence gene expression and ultimately shape the organism's observable characteristics or phenotype. Therefore, the interaction between an organism's genotype and the environment is responsible for determining its phenotype.

Shaping is a learning procedure that utilizes reinforcement to guide a response in closer and closer approximations to a desired behavior. This means that instead of waiting for the desired behavior to occur naturally and then reinforcing it, shaping involves reinforcing small steps or behaviors that are similar to the desired behavior. Through this process, the individual gradually learns and develops the desired behavior through reinforcement and approximation.

Helmholtz and Fechner's research on human responses to physical stimuli contributed to the beginning of psychophysics. Psychophysics is a branch of psychology that focuses on the relationship between physical stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they produce in the human mind. By studying how humans perceive and respond to different physical stimuli, Helmholtz and Fechner laid the foundation for understanding the connection between the physical world and the psychological experiences it generates.

The tendency of the conditioned stimulus (CS) to elicit a conditioned response (CR) is related to the number of CS-US pairings. The more frequently the CS is paired with the unconditioned stimulus (US), the stronger the association becomes between the two stimuli. This leads to a stronger tendency for the CS to elicit the CR. The number of pairings is crucial in the process of classical conditioning as it determines the strength and effectiveness of the learned response.

The correct answer is "Behaviour can be observed and the mind cannot." In psychology, data is gathered through observation and measurement. While behavior can be directly observed and measured, the mind and its processes are internal and subjective, making them difficult to directly observe and quantify. Therefore, psychologists rely on observable behavior as a means to gather data and make inferences about the underlying mental processes.

In research, minor deception may be allowed as long as there is no foreseeable harm to the participants and there is a full debriefing provided afterward. This means that researchers can deceive participants to a certain extent as long as it does not cause any harm or negative consequences. Additionally, researchers are required to fully explain the true nature of the study to the participants after it is completed. This ensures that participants are not left with any negative effects or misunderstandings due to the deception used during the research.

The concept of natural selection is most important for psychologists interested in the functions of behavior. Natural selection is a fundamental principle in evolutionary psychology, which suggests that behaviors have evolved because they serve specific functions that increase an organism's chances of survival and reproduction. By understanding the functions of behavior, psychologists can gain insights into why certain behaviors have evolved and how they contribute to an organism's fitness and adaptation to its environment.

Reciprocal altruism refers to the act of helping others with the expectation that they will return the favor in the future. This behavior can be explained by the idea that individuals are more likely to survive and reproduce if they cooperate and help each other. By engaging in reciprocal altruism, individuals can gain benefits in the long run, even if they are initially helping non-relatives. This concept is supported by observations in various species, including humans, where individuals engage in cooperative behaviors to enhance their own fitness.

Concordance refers to the degree to which two people share the same phenotype, which means that they exhibit similar observable traits or characteristics. This can include physical attributes, such as height or eye color, as well as behavioral or medical traits. It does not necessarily imply that they share the same genotype or are biologically related, although these factors can influence the concordance of phenotypes. Similarly, while sharing the same environment can contribute to concordance, it is not the sole determining factor.

A transfer of learning occurs is the most convincing evidence that an animal has learned by "insight" rather than by trial and error. This is because a transfer of learning refers to the ability of an animal to apply knowledge or skills learned in one situation to a different, unrelated situation. This suggests that the animal has gained a deeper understanding or insight into the underlying principles or concepts involved, rather than simply relying on trial and error to find the correct response.

The operational definition of the independent variable in this study is invalid because the researchers attempted to manipulate love by having research assistants hug the children after completing math problems. However, the children reported that they did not feel loved during the study. This suggests that the manipulation of love was not successful, and therefore the operational definition of the independent variable was not valid.