Unit 1: History, Approaches, And Research Methods

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  • 1/16 Questions

    Psychology is most currently defined as which of the following?

    • Science of mental life
    • Science of observable behavior
    • Science of behavior and mental processes
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About This Quiz

This is a multiple-choice quiz based on Unit 1 Materials which includes classroom notes, discussions, and your readings in Chapters 5 & 6. Don't forget to track your answers on a separate sheet. The majority of these questions are based upon actual AP exam questions. Take your time, and RELAX!

Research Methods Quizzes & Trivia

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  • 2. 

    A lopsided set of scores that includes a number of extreme or unusual values is said to be

    • Symmetrical

    • Skewed

    Correct Answer
    A. Skewed
    Explanation
    A lopsided set of scores that includes a number of extreme or unusual values is said to be skewed. This means that the distribution of the scores is not balanced or symmetrical, but rather it is leaning towards one side. Skewed data can occur when there are outliers or when the data is not evenly distributed around the mean.

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  • 3. 

    What does the standard deviation represent in a set of data?

    • Average distance of a set of scores from the mean

    • The score that occurs most frequently in a set of data

    Correct Answer
    A. Average distance of a set of scores from the mean
    Explanation
    Standard deviation is a measure which indicates how far scores are from the mean.

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  • 4. 

    Which BIG QUESTION in psychology does the following refer to?There is a debate which exists in psychology arguing that ones behavior and attributes are either derived from one's environment or from one's genetics.

    • Behavior v. Science

    • Nature v. Nurture

    Correct Answer
    A. Nature v. Nurture
    Explanation
    The given correct answer refers to the debate in psychology known as "Nature v. Nurture." This debate revolves around the question of whether a person's behavior and attributes are primarily influenced by their genetic makeup (nature) or by their environment and upbringing (nurture). It explores the relative importance of genetic factors and environmental factors in shaping human behavior and characteristics.

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  • 5. 

    In an experiment to determine the effects of exercise on motivation, exercise is the

    • Control condition

    • Intervening variable

    • Independent variable

    Correct Answer
    A. Independent variable
    Explanation
    The independent variable is what is being manipulated by the researchers.

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  • 6. 

    One likely difference between a psychiatrist and clinical psychologist is that a psychiatrist would tend to use more

    • Talk therapy

    • Medications

    • Cognitive therapy

    Correct Answer
    A. Medications
    Explanation
    Psychiatrists are medical doctors and can prescribe medications to their patients as well as other therapies.

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  • 7. 

    Which of the following early psychological thinkers believed that the mind was a blank slate and was shaped by experience?

    • John Locke

    • Rene Descartes

    • Socrates

    Correct Answer
    A. John Locke
    Explanation
    John Locke believed that the mind was a blank slate and was shaped by experience. He argued that at birth, the mind is like a blank sheet of paper, and all knowledge and ideas are derived from sensory experience. According to Locke, there are no innate ideas or knowledge, and the mind is completely shaped by the environment and the experiences it encounters. This perspective, known as empiricism, contrasts with Rene Descartes' view of innate knowledge and Socrates' emphasis on introspection and self-reflection.

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  • 8. 

    Which of the following is NOT a basic research technique used by psychologists?

    • Description

    • Replication

    • Correlational

    Correct Answer
    A. Replication
    Explanation
    Replication refers to a researchers ability to conduct the same study with a different sample population in a different place and get similar results.

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  • 9. 

    Which one of the following correlations shows the strongest relationship between two variables?

    • +0.4

    • +0.38

    • -0.7

    Correct Answer
    A. -0.7
    Explanation
    The closer the correlation is to +1.00 or -1.00 the stronger the correlation.

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  • 10. 

    Of the following, which can establish a cause and effect relationship?I.  controlled experimentII. quasi-experimentIII. correlational research

    • I only

    • II only

    • I and II only

    • I and III only

    • I, II, and III

    Correct Answer
    A. I only
    Explanation
    A controlled experiment can establish a cause and effect relationship because it involves manipulating an independent variable and observing the effect on a dependent variable while keeping other variables constant. This allows researchers to determine if changes in the independent variable directly cause changes in the dependent variable. Quasi-experiments and correlational research cannot establish cause and effect relationships as they do not involve manipulating variables or controlling for other factors.

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  • 11. 

    Which of the following is NOT a common perspective in psychology?

    • Evolutionary

    • Neuroscience

    • Psychodynamic

    • Cognitive

    Explanation
    Yeah, I made bioscientific up.

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  • 12. 

    A psychologist studies the play behavior of young children by watching groups during recess at school.  Which type of research is being used?

    • Correlation

    • Case study

    • Experimentation

    Explanation
    During naturalistic observation, the researcher merely observes behaviors in their natural environments, but is not directly manipulating any variables.

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  • 13. 

    To prevent the possibility that a placebo effect or researchers' expectations will influence a study's results, scientists employ

    • Control groups

    • Experimental groups

    • Random assignment

    • Single blind studies

    Explanation
    In a double-blind procedure, neither the researcher or subject knows which group is receiving the treatment.

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  • 14. 

    Joe believes that his basketball game is always best when he wears his old gray socks.  Joe is a victim of the phenomenon we call

    • Statistical significance

    • Overconfidence

    • Hindsight bias

    Explanation
    An illusory correlation is when one wrongly finds a relationship between two variables...An ILLUSION!

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  • 15. 

    All of the following are measures of central tendency except

    • Mean

    • Mode

    • Median

    Explanation
    The question is asking for a measure of central tendency that is not included in the given options. The mean, mode, and median are all measures of central tendency as they represent the average, most frequent, and middle values in a dataset, respectively. Therefore, the correct answer is that there is no measure of central tendency that is excluded from the options provided.

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  • 16. 

    Which of these studies helps to provide evidence to both sides of the nature versus nurture debate?

    • Interractional studies

    • Parenting studies

    • Evolutionary studies

    Explanation
    Identical twins develop from the same fertilized egg and therefor share the same genetic information. However, their upbringing can shed light on differences as they develop.

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  • Mar 21, 2023
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  • Aug 12, 2009
    Quiz Created by
    Shanvan717
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