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

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, and 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 the experiences of others, 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 an independent variable?

The variable manipulated by the scientist in an experiment.

What is a 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 confounding variable?

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

What is a practice effect?

An improvement in performance over the course of an experiment due to experience, not the independent variable.

What is a between participant design?

An experimental design where one group acts as a control while the other receives the experimental manipulation.

What is a within participants design?

An experimental design that manipulates the independent variable within the same participants to minimize differences.

What is reductionism in psychology?

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

What does it mean that psychological processes are embedded in biology?

It indicates that our psychological experiences are influenced by biological factors.

How does prior experience affect perception?

It guides how we perceive the world, influenced by biases and heuristics.

What is a paradigm shift?

A dramatic change in our thinking or understanding of a concept in psychology.

What is the significance of limited access to reality?

It suggests that individuals have an illusion of paying attention to everything, but they do not.

What is the role of biases in psychology?

Biases affect how individuals interpret and interact with their experiences and the world.

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 individuals that researchers want to learn about.

What is a sample in research?

A subset of individuals selected from the population for data collection.

What is a random sample?

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

What is random assignment in experiments?

Assigning participants to experimental or control groups randomly to avoid biases.

What is the placebo effect?

A situation where an individual shows a response to a treatment that is 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 experiments?

When participants are unaware of whether they are in the experimental or control group.

What is experimenter bias?

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

What is a double-blind study?

A study where neither the experimenter nor the participants know which group each participant belongs to.

What are descriptive statistics?

Statistical methods that summarize and describe the characteristics of a data set.

What are the measures of central tendency?

Mean, median, and mode, which summarize a distribution of data into a single value.

What is standard deviation?

A measure of the average distance of each data point from the mean.

What is a histogram?

A type of graph that displays the frequency distribution of a data set.

What does a normal distribution look like?

A symmetrical, bell-shaped curve with a single peak.

What is inferential statistics?

Statistics that allow researchers to make inferences about a population based on sample data.

What is a T-test used for?

To compare the means of two groups to determine if they are significantly different.

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 one actually exists.

What is correlation?

A statistical relationship between two variables.

What does a correlation coefficient (r) indicate?

The strength and direction of a correlation, ranging from -1 to 1.

What is an extraneous variable?

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

What is the significance of the R value in correlation?

It indicates how related two variables are, with positive and negative correlations possible.

What is the key takeaway regarding correlation and causation?

Correlation does not imply causation.

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 or operations to objectively 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 background knowledge presumptions affect current findings.

What is parsimony in scientific inquiry?

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

What does generalizability mean?

The ability to apply findings from lab settings to real-world situations.

What is empiricism?

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

What is inductive reasoning?

Reasoning that goes from specific facts to a broader theory.

What is deductive reasoning?

Reasoning that starts with a theory and seeks to find specific facts.

What is reliability in measurement?

The consistency of a test over time.

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 are the limitations of direct observation?

Observers may be intrusive, which could bias responses.

What is an experiment in research?

A study where the researcher controls the manipulation of variables to draw conclusions.

What are interviews in research?

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

What is a questionnaire?

A method to gather information that may be difficult to measure or observe.

What is social desirability bias?

The tendency to give socially acceptable answers in self-reports.

What are response sets?

The tendency of participants to respond to questions in a consistent manner unrelated to content.

What is classical conditioning?

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

What is operant conditioning?

A learning process where a behavior leads to a specific outcome.

What is long-term potentiation (LTP)?

The strengthening of synaptic connections between neurons.

What was the Clever Hans phenomenon?

A case where a horse appeared to answer questions but was actually responding to unintentional cues.

What is the relapse rate for soldiers addicted to heroin after treatment?

Approximately 5%, which is significantly lower than the general population rate of around 20%.

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

About 1%

What is the typical cause of overdose in heroin addicts despite tolerance?

A change in environment can affect drug tolerance.

What is the primary medical use of opioids?

Pain management

How does prior experience with a drug affect tolerance in a new environment?

Tolerance may decrease, leading to overdose.

What is an example of a learning cue in babies related to salivation?

Babies learn to salivate at the cue of lemons after initial exposure.

Why is learning important for homeostasis?

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

What type of conditioning is related to fear?

Fear conditioning can be either explicit or implicit.

What happens to babies when they first taste lemons?

They are surprised but learn to salivate in response to the cue in future encounters.

How does the environment influence drug tolerance in individuals?

Changes in environment can lead to altered drug tolerance levels.

What is an unconditioned stimulus (US)?

Any stimulus that naturally triggers a response without prior learning.

What is an unconditioned response (UR)?

The natural response that occurs after the unconditioned stimulus.

What is a conditioned stimulus (CS)?

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

What is a conditioned response (CR)?

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

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 conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus no longer predicts the unconditioned stimulus.

What is spontaneous recovery?

The sudden recovery of a conditioned response after a rest period following extinction.

What is stimulus generalization?

The process by which stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus also elicit a conditioned response.

What is stimulus discrimination?

The ability to differentiate between similar stimuli, restricting the range of conditioned stimuli that elicit a response.

What is the role of cues in drug addiction?

Cues associated with drug use can invoke cravings; absence of these cues may reduce cravings.

What is the impact of environment on drug tolerance?

Drug tolerance is influenced by the environment; naive users have higher mortality rates compared to users in familiar environments.

What is the compensatory response?

A physiological process that counteracts challenges to homeostasis, often learned through conditioning.

What is latent learning?

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

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 relationship between classical conditioning and homeostasis?

Classical conditioning can enhance physiological processes that maintain homeostasis through learned compensatory responses.

What is the significance of the metronome in Pavlov's experiments?

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

How does the environment affect drug withdrawal symptoms?

In familiar environments, the body anticipates drug intake and prepares for it; in new environments, withdrawal symptoms can be more severe.

What is dietary neophobia in rats?

A trait where rats avoid unfamiliar foods, allowing them to identify and avoid potentially harmful substances.