Experimental Psychology Exam I

Intuition

relying on our guts, our emotions, and/or our instincts to guide us; involves believing what feels true

our intuitions can be wrong because they are driven by cognitive and motivational biases rather than logical reasoning or scientific evidence

What is the problem with relying on intuition?

Authority

accepting new ideas because some authority figure states that they are true

1. Parents

2. The media

3. Doctors

4. Religious authorities

5. The government

6. Professors

What can authority look like?

they may be wrong, they may just be using their intuition to arrive at their conclusions, and they may have their own reasons to mislead you

What is the problem with relying on authority?

because we do not have time to question and independently research every piece of knowledge we learn through authority

Why is much of the information we acquire through authority?

Rationalism

involves using logic and reasoning to acquire new knowledge

if the premises are wrong or there is an error in logic, then the conclusion will not be valid

What is the problem with relying on rationalism?

Empiricism

acquiring knowledge through observation and experience

Empiricism

__________ is at the heart of the scientific method. 

we are limited in what we can experience and observe and our senses can deceive us

What is the problem with relying on empiricism?

Scientific Method

process of systematically collecting and evaluating evidence to test ideas and answer questions

1. It is not always feasible

2. It cannot be used to answer all questions

What are some problems with using the scientific method?

Science

the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment

human behavior

Psychology is a science because it takes the same general approach to understanding what aspect of the natural world?

systematic empiricism

The scientific method of psychology relies most heavily on which principle?

ratio

Which level of measurement allows researches to say one core is “twice as much” as another?

True

True or False: Description, prediction, and explanation are considered the three goals of science in psychology. 

True or False: Reliability refers to the consistency of a measurement across time, items, or observers. 

The principle of __________ empiricism emphasizes that knowledge comes from structured observation.

After a study that involves deception, researchers must provide a(n) __________ to explain the true nature and purpose of the research.

What are two main responsibilities researchers have toward participants according to ethical guidelines?

Which of the following is not a goal of science in psychology?

persuasion

According to the APA Ethics Code, informed consent requires researchers to do what?

explain risks, benefits, and participants’ right to withdraw

1. Describe

2. Predict 

3. Explain

The primary goals of science in psychology are what?

1. Systematic empiricism

2. Empirical questions

3. Creation of public knowledge

What are the three fundamental features of science?

Why is psychology considered a science?

Pseudoscience

activities and beliefs that are claimed to be scientific by their proponents, and may appear to be scientific at first glance, but are not

Basic Research

research conducted primarily for the sake of achieving a more detailed and accurate understanding of human behavior, without necessarily trying to address any particular practical problem

Applied Research

research conducted primarily to address some practical problem

applied research is conducted address a practical problem, while basic research is not conducted to address a practical problem

What is the difference between basic research and applied research?

What are the limitations of common sense when it comes to achieving a detailed and accurate understanding of human behavior?

What are some examples of common sense or folk psychology that are incorrect?

Skepticism

What is the role of skepticism in scientific psychology?

Clinical Practice of Psychology

the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and related problems

Experimental Psychology

where scientific knowledge in psychology comes from; comprised of the strengths and limitations and how these principles can be applied to solve practical problems in psychology and everyday life

False

True or False: Psychology relies primarily on intuition and common sense to answer questions about behavior. 

True

True or False: The APA Ethics Code allows the use of deception in research under certain conditions. 

debrief

After a study that involves deception, researchers must provide a(n) __________ to explain the true nature and purpose of the research. 

Validity

the extent to which a test measures what it is intended to measure

Systematic Empiricism

refers to learning based on observation, and scientists learn about the natural world systematically, by carefully planning, making, recording, and analyzing observations of it

Empirical Questions

questions about the way the world actually is and, therefore, can be answered by systematically observing it

Public Knowledge

scientists publish their work, which allows publicly-funded research to create knowledge that is truly public

Falsifiable

a scientific claim that must be expressed in such a way that there are observations that would, if they were made, count as evidence against the claim

A set of beliefs or activities can be said to be pseudoscientific if what two characteristics are present?

1. Its adherents claim or imply that it is scientific

2. It lacks one or more of the three features of science

To Describe

goal achieved by making careful observations

To Predict

goal achieved by using information to predict whether an event or behavior will occur in a certain situation

To Explain

goal achieved by determining the causes of behavior

Folk Psychology

intuitive beliefs about people’s behavior, thoughts, and feelings

most people believe anger can be relieved by “letting it out”

What is an example of folk psychology?

How is science relevant to clinical practice?

Empirically Supported Treatment

What are some examples of empirically supported treatments?