PSYCH 1X03: Learning, Intelligence, Language & Research Methods

What is the scientific method?

A set of techniques and concepts used to examine and answer specific nature questions.

What are the steps of the scientific method?

Construct a theory, generate a hypothesis, choose a research method, collect and analyze data, report findings, revise existing findings.

What is a theory in psychology?

A general set of ideas about the way the world works.

What is a hypothesis?

A specific prediction about the relationship between variables.

What is hypothesis testing?

Determining if there is a significant difference between experimental and control group results.

What is anecdotal evidence?

Evidence gathered from personal experience or others' experiences, insufficient for scientific conclusions.

What is an experiment in psychology?

A scientific tool used to measure the effect of one variable on another.

What is the independent variable?

The variable manipulated by the scientist in an experiment.

What is the dependent variable?

The variable being observed by the scientist in an experiment.

What is the purpose of a control group?

To provide a baseline for comparison against the experimental group.

What is a within participants design?

A design where the same participants are exposed to all conditions to minimize differences.

What is a practice effect?

An improvement in performance over time due to experience, not the independent variable.

What is a between participants design?

A design where different groups of participants are used for each condition.

What is a confounding variable?

A variable associated with the independent variable that obscures the relationship between the independent variable and the outcome.

What is reductionism in psychology?

The belief that psychological disorders can be identified by reducing them down to biological factors.

What is the impact of prior experience on perception?

Your perception of the world is guided by biases and heuristics shaped by prior experiences.

What is the illusion of attention?

The belief that one is paying attention to everything, while in reality, attention is limited.

What is a paradigm shift?

A dramatic change in thinking that alters the understanding of a field.

What is the importance of revising theories in psychology?

To incorporate new information and improve understanding of psychological phenomena.

What is the purpose of a control group in an experiment?

To provide a baseline for comparison against the experimental group.

What is a population in research?

The general group of people you are trying to learn about.

What is a sample in research?

The selected members from the population that data is collected from.

What is a random sample?

A subset of people selected at random to ensure representativeness of the larger population.

What is random assignment in experiments?

Assigning participants to experimental or control groups at random to avoid biases.

What is the placebo effect?

A situation where an individual exhibits a response to a treatment not due to its actual therapeutic effects.

What is participant bias?

When participants' expectations influence their performance in an experiment.

How can participant bias be minimized?

By giving the control group a mock treatment.

What is blinding in research?

When participants do not know whether they belong to the experimental or control group.

What is experimenter bias?

Actions by the experimenter that unintentionally influence the outcome of the experiment.

What are double-blind studies?

Studies where neither the experimenter nor the participants know which group each participant is in.

What are descriptive statistics?

Statistical techniques that summarize data to give an overall idea of results.

What is a histogram?

A type of graph used to report the frequency of groups of values in a data set.

What is the mean in statistics?

The average of a data set, susceptible to influence by outliers.

What is the median?

The middle value in a data set that is not affected by outliers.

What is the mode?

The value that appears most frequently in a data set, usable for non-numerical data.

What does standard deviation measure?

The average distance of each data point from the mean, indicating variability.

What is inferential statistics?

Statistics that allow us to make inferences about populations based on sample data.

What is a T-test used for?

To compare the difference between data from control and experimental groups.

What does a p-value indicate?

The probability that the observed difference between groups occurred by chance.

What is a Type 1 error?

Believing a difference exists when it does not.

What is a Type 2 error?

Failing to see a difference when it does exist.

What is correlation in research?

A relationship between two variables.

What does a correlation coefficient (r) indicate?

The strength and direction of the correlation between two variables.

What does it mean if r = 0?

There is no relationship between the two variables.

What is an extraneous variable?

A variable not measured or manipulated that could affect the outcome of the experiment.

What are inferential statistics?

Statistics that involve taking a sample to make claims about a larger population.

What does a T-test compare?

It compares the experimental population to the general population.

What is an Ob-ob mouse?

A mouse with a genetic mutation associated with extreme obesity.

What is an operational definition?

A description of the actions taken to measure or control a variable.

What does 'level of analysis' refer to?

Different perspectives that emphasize various aspects of a research question.

What are paradigms in research?

A set of assumptions and ideas about what research questions can be asked and how they can be answered.

What is unbiased research?

Research that avoids letting presumptions of background knowledge influence current findings.

What is parsimony in scientific inquiry?

Choosing the simpler explanation when two competing explanations account equally well for the facts.

What does 'generalizability' mean?

The extent to which findings from a lab can be applied to everyday life.

What is empiricism?

The principle that knowledge should be gained through direct observation of the world.

What is inductive reasoning?

Reasoning that moves from specific facts to a general theory.

What is deductive reasoning?

Reasoning that starts with a theory and then finds specific facts.

What is reliability in measurement?

The consistency of a test.

What is construct validity?

The extent to which a test measures a particular hypothetical construct.

What is a case study?

An in-depth investigation of an individual or small group, often over a long period.

What is direct observation in research?

Observing subjects in their natural environment to reduce artificiality.

What is an experiment in research?

A study where the researcher controls the manipulation of variables to determine cause and effect.

What are interviews in research?

One-on-one discussions that allow for follow-up questions and assessment of honesty.

What is a questionnaire?

A tool to gather information on behaviors that might be difficult to measure or observe.

What is social desirability bias?

The tendency to give socially accepted answers to questions about oneself.

What are response sets in research?

The tendency of participants to respond in a particular way unrelated to the question content.

What is classical conditioning?

A learning process where an organism learns to associate two stimuli.

What is operant conditioning?

A learning process where behavior is modified by its consequences.

What is long-term potentiation (LTP)?

The strengthening of synaptic connections between neurons.

What was Clever Hans known for?

A horse that appeared to answer questions but was actually responding to unintentional cues.

What is the significance of relapse rates in addiction studies?

They indicate the likelihood of returning to substance use after treatment.

What percentage of heroin addicts are impacted by enigmatic opiate overdose deaths?

About 1%

What is a common reason for an overdose in heroin addicts despite tolerable drug levels?

A change in environment can affect drug tolerance.

What is the primary medical use of opioids?

Pain management

How do babies respond to new tastes, such as lemons?

They are surprised but will develop a pre-lemon cue to salivate in the future.

Why is learning considered critical to homeostasis?

It helps maintain balance in the internal environment, such as temperature and blood glucose levels.

What is fear conditioning?

A learning process where an organism learns to associate a neutral stimulus with a fearful event.

What happens to opioid tolerance when a user is in a different environment?

Their tolerance may decrease, leading to a higher risk of overdose.

What role does learning play in survival?

It helps organisms adapt to maintain internal balance and respond to environmental changes.

Is fear conditioning an explicit or implicit learning process?

It can be both, depending on the context and the individual's awareness.

What is an unconditioned stimulus (US)?

Any stimulus or event that triggers a response naturally, occurring without prior learning.

What is an unconditioned response (UR)?

The response that occurs naturally after the unconditioned stimulus, prior to learning.

Define conditioned stimulus (CS).

A stimulus that is paired with an unconditioned stimulus to produce a contingency.

What is a conditioned response (CR)?

The response that occurs once the contingency between the CS and US has been learned.

What is acquisition in classical conditioning?

The process by which a contingency between a CS and US is learned.

What is extinction in classical conditioning?

The loss of the CR when the CS no longer predicts the US.

What is spontaneous recovery?

The sudden recovery of a CR after a rest period following extinction.

What is stimulus generalization?

The process by which stimuli similar to the CS will also elicit a CR.

What is stimulus discrimination?

The ability to restrict the range of conditioned stimuli that can elicit a response.

How does classical conditioning relate to drug addiction?

Cues associated with drug use can invoke cravings and influence tolerance and withdrawal symptoms.

What is the role of compensatory responses in homeostasis?

Compensatory responses counteract challenges to homeostasis, such as insulin release in response to increased blood glucose.

What is latent learning?

Learning that occurs without immediate changes in performance, becoming evident when there is an incentive.

What is habituation?

The process where an organism learns to ignore stimuli after repeated exposure without significant consequences.

What is sensitization?

An increase in responsiveness to a stimulus after repeated exposure, especially if the stimulus is relevant or threatening.

What is the significance of pre-drug cues in addiction?

Pre-drug cues can trigger cravings and influence the effects of the drug, leading to higher tolerance in familiar environments.

What is the difference between classical and instrumental conditioning?

Classical conditioning associates two stimuli, while instrumental conditioning associates actions with consequences.

What is the metronome's role in Pavlov's experiment?

The metronome served as a conditioned stimulus that signaled food delivery, leading to salivation in dogs.

What is dietary neophobia in rats?

The tendency of rats to avoid unfamiliar foods to prevent illness, allowing them to identify harmful substances.

What happens during the process of extinction?

The CR fades when the CS is no longer a reliable cue for the US.

What is the generalization gradient?

A graph showing the strength of the conditioned response as a function of the similarity of stimuli to the original CS.