Unit 1 Test

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

True

Psychology is the scientific study of supernatural and paranormal events.

False Psychology focuses on behavior and mental processes, not paranormal topics.

Hindsight bias is the tendency to believe we "knew it all along" once an outcome is known.

True

Hindsight bias refers to accurate predictions before events occur.

False It refers to the illusion of knowing afterward, not real prediction.

Common sense explains what has happened well but predicts poorly.

True

Common sense reliably predicts future events.

False It usually fails to predict outcomes accurately.

The scientific method begins with making observations.

True

The scientific method begins by drawing conclusions first.

False Conclusions come after hypotheses and testing.

A hypothesis is a testable prediction derived from a theory.

True

A hypothesis is a random guess unrelated to theory.

False A hypothesis must be specific and connected to a theory.

Replication involves repeating an experiment to see whether results can be reproduced.

True

Replication involves changing all variables to create new findings.

False Replication keeps essential elements the same to verify results.

Critical thinking involves questioning sources, evidence, and assumptions.

True

Critical thinking means accepting claims without questioning them.

False Critical thinking requires evaluating evidence, not accepting claims blindly.

Descriptive research includes case studies, surveys, and naturalistic observation.

True

Descriptive research determines causation by manipulating variables.

False Only experiments test causation; descriptive designs observe.

A case study examines one person or a small group in depth.

True

A case study involves large samples of randomly selected people.

False Case studies focus on single individuals or small groups.

Anecdotes are not evidence.

True

Anecdotes are considered strong scientific evidence.

False Anecdotes lack controls and generalizability.

Naturalistic observation involves observing behavior in natural settings without interference.

True

Naturalistic observation requires manipulating variables in the environment.

False No manipulation occurs; that would be an experiment.

A survey collects self-reported attitudes and behaviors.

True

A survey requires watching behavior directly in real life.

False That describes naturalistic observation, not surveys.

A population is everyone in the group being studied.

True

A population includes only the individuals selected to participate.

False Those individuals are the sample, not the population.

A random sample gives each population member an equal chance of selection.

True

A random sample is created by choosing volunteers.

False Volunteer samples are biased and not random.

A random sample helps make results representative of the whole population.

True

A random sample is unnecessary for accurate survey results.

False Without random sampling, results may be biased.

Volunteers cannot be used as representative samples because they differ from the population.

True

Volunteers produce samples more accurate than random samples.

False Volunteers differ systematically from the general population.

Wording effects occur when slight changes in question phrasing influence survey answers.

True

Wording effects have no real impact on how people answer questions.

False Question phrasing significantly affects responses.

Correlation describes how two variables change together, allowing prediction.

True

Correlation proves that one variable causes changes in the other.

False Correlation does not imply causation.

Positive correlation means that as one variable increases, the other also increases.

True

Positive correlation means that as one variable increases, the other decreases.

False That describes a negative correlation.

Negative correlation means that as one variable increases, the other decreases.

True

Negative correlation means the variables are unrelated.

False They are related, just in opposite directions.

A negative correlation does not mean the relationship is bad or unimportant.

True

A negative correlation means there is no meaningful relationship between variables.

False It still shows a reliable relationship—just inverse.

A correlation coefficient measures how strongly two variables are related.

True

A correlation coefficient measures how strong a researcher's opinion is.

False It is a mathematical measurement, not an opinion.

Correlation coefficients range from -1.0 to +1.0.

True

Correlation coefficients range from -5 to +5.

False The real range is -1.0 to +1.0.

Extreme correlations (near -1.0 or +1.0) are rare in social science.

True

Extreme correlations (near -1.0 or +1.0) are very common in psychology research.

False Human behavior is too complex for extreme correlations to be common.

Typical research correlations are usually between +0.2 and +0.5.

True

To interpret the correlation coefficient, we square it to get the amount of variability explained.

True

Squaring the correlation coefficient tells you how many participants were tested.

False It tells the proportion of variance explained, not sample size.

Correlation does NOT prove causation.

True

Correlation proves that one variable causes the other.

False Correlation only shows relationships, not causation.

If two variables are correlated, one possible explanation is that A causes B.

True

If two variables are correlated, the only explanation is that A causes B.

False B could cause A, or a third variable could cause both.

Regression toward the mean is the tendency for extreme results to be followed by more average ones.

True

Regression toward the mean means extreme results become more extreme next time.

False The opposite is true—they tend to move toward the average.

Experiments are the method that allow researchers to determine causation.

True

Experiments measure variables without manipulating anything.

False Only experiments manipulate variables to test cause-and-effect.

An experiment manipulates an independent variable to see its effect on a dependent variable.

True

Subjects are the people or animals being studied.

True

Subjects are the variables being manipulated.

False Variables are manipulated; subjects are the participants.

Independent variables are the factors the experimenter manipulates.

True

Dependent variables are the outcomes measured by researchers.

True

Experimental groups receive the treatment or independent variable.

True

Control groups are used for comparison and do NOT receive the treatment.

True

Subjects must be randomly assigned to experimental and control groups.

True

Random assignment is unnecessary if the sample is large.

False Random assignment controls pre-existing differences regardless of sample size.

Random assignment helps minimize pre-existing differences between groups.

True

A placebo is an inactive substance that subjects think is real.

True

A placebo increases the actual chemical effect of a real drug.

False It produces psychological expectations, not real chemical effects.

A placebo controls for natural recovery and expectations.

True

A double-blind procedure prevents both researchers and subjects from knowing who receives the real treatment.

True

Double-blind procedures tell subjects exactly which treatment they received.

False The purpose is to prevent this knowledge.

If the real drug leads to faster recovery than the placebo on average, the drug is considered effective.

True

Expectations of both subjects and experimenters must be controlled in studies.

True

The creators of an experiment should also collect the data.

False Data collectors should NOT know the hypotheses to prevent bias.

Informed consent requires explaining all foreseeable risks before participation.

True

Debriefing happens before the study begins.

False Debriefing occurs after the study ends.

Mathematics/statistics help protect us from mistaking randomness for meaningful patterns.

True

Humans are naturally good at detecting when results are due to chance.

False Humans are generally bad at recognizing randomness.

A .05 significance level means a 95% chance the results are not random.

True

A .01 significance level means a 10% chance the results happened randomly.

False .01 means 1% chance of randomness.

We must ask whether the results are statistically significant before accepting them.

True

A statistically significant result is always practically meaningful.

False Results can be significant but too small to matter.

Replication is required before results should be accepted.

True

One single experiment is enough to establish reliable scientific truth.

False Findings must be replicated.

The human brain was described as the most complex physical object known.

True

Some psychological events occur without any biological processes.

False All psychological events are also biological.

Plasticity refers to the brain's ability to change by forming new connections.

True

Plasticity stops entirely after childhood.

False Plasticity continues throughout life (but slows).

A neuron is a single nerve cell.

True

The three main parts of a neuron are the cell body, dendrites, and cerebellum.

False Correct parts: cell body, dendrites, axon.

The axon carries messages away from the cell body.

True

Myelin slows down neural transmission.

False Myelin speeds up neural impulses.

Multiple sclerosis is a common demyelinating disease.

True

Demyelination increases neural efficiency.

False Demyelination slows or disrupts neural activity.

Glial cells protect, nourish, and support neurons.

True

Glial cells only provide physical support and have no mental functions.

False Glia influence learning, communication & memory.

Resting potential is the stable state of a neuron that isn't firing.

True