Ch. 2
What is... the Independent Variable
This relatively recent technology is likely to become an important part of data collection in psych research.
The chemical signals that travel from one neuron to another, enabling communication are called what?
What are neurotransmitters?
The basic information passed along in DNA that tells cells and molecules how to "build" an organism and how it should behave.
What are genes?
Which type of twins can give the best answers to nature-nurture type questions?
This type of research is considered to be the "gold standard" in psych research.
What is an Experiment?
A phenomenon which occurs when one becomes more anxious when a person of authority like a teacher in a classroom or a doctor in a doctors' office shows up.
What is White Coat Hypertension
The two parts/components that make up the Central Nervous System?
What are the Brain and the Spinal Cord?
Consider the statement: 'The experience of jealousy leads heterosexual men to be more likely to protect their mates and guard against rivals, which increases their reproductive success.' Which type of psychology does this thought reflect?
What is evolutionary psychology?
Why are twin studies methodologically superior?
Because they share DNA and it is possible to estimate the contribution of genetics to personality and behavior.
Another type of research where the researcher passively observes two variables to determine whether or not there is a relationship between the variables WITHOUT drawing cause/effect conclusions.
What is correlational research?
A method of research requiring someone to make entries in a journal about their thoughts, feelings, etc. at specific times of day/night.
What is the Daily Diary Method?
The main difference between the brains of humans and animals.
What is a more developed frontal cortex?
What are "adaptations'?
The major problem with arriving at conclusive scientific answers to the nature-nurture problem?
Why is humans can't be easily randomly assigned to different genetic and environmental conditions?
Researchers must clearly state THESE when researching concepts that may be hard to quantify.
What are Operational Definitions?
The term which describes the degree to which a study ensures that potential findings apply to settings and samples other than the ones being studied.
What is External Validity?
The peripheral nervous system affects what? & The central nervous system affects what?
What is survival and what is information processing?
What is this word problem an example of: "When Marissa went skiing for the first time she felt confident she could handle the slope of medium difficulty runs. When she rode the chair to the top, however, the slope appeared much steeper and she became worried."
What is the Visual Descent Illusion?
The process where DNA is modified by environmental events and those genetic changes are then transmitted to children.
These things must be taken into account for researchers to know what method they should use to test their hypotheses.
What are the resources available to them and the questions being asked?
If we as a class were going to study cheating habits and we designed a study that will be posted on research night where we ask participants to take a short exam in a room, where there is an open textbook, while being watched and video taped, would this study mirror everyday life? And would it be low or high in ecological validity?
No it doesn't mirror everyday life and it would be low in ecological validity.
Injury sustained to Broca's area affects what?
What is Language Production?
When people retain their virginity because they believe it will make them more attractive to potential marriage partners what is this an example of?
What is "most psychological traits have a genetic component but nature also has the ability to change even supposedly 'fixed' traits such as height".